Veterans Airport Of Southern Illinois to Hector International MWA → FAR
649 nautical miles (747 statute miles) northwest on a straight line, true course 330°, about 329° magnetic at the departure end (variation 1E). At 120 knots that is 5 h 22 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 1-knot tailwind), arriving about 7:09 am CDT (12:09 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now MWA is VFR, wind from the south (190°) at 5 knots; FAR is low IFR, wind from the north (360°) at 12 knots. For planning, not a briefing: the legal preflight briefing comes from Flight Service (1-800-WX-BRIEF) or the FAA's own tools. Airlines fly this pair: 2 flights in the DOT's last twelve reported months, the route's page.
The route the straight line, the warnings crossed, restrictions, pilot reports and the airports along the way · click a mark for its words
Green, blue, red and purple airport dots are the flying conditions reported there now (VFR, marginal VFR, IFR, low IFR); grey means no report. Red areas are SIGMETs, orange areas AIRMETs, hatched red areas temporary flight restrictions. Map tiles: OpenFreeMap, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Warnings the route crosses SIGMETs and AIRMETs whose area the line passes through or comes within 25 nm of
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: low-level wind shear (due to air speed loss or gain of 20 knots or more below 2,000 ft above the ground). Over the route from 210 to 410 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the last 80 nm of the route.
A SIGMET warns of weather hazardous to all aircraft; an AIRMET of weather that matters to small aircraft and to flying without instruments. "From 60 to 180 nm out" is measured along the route from MWA.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
No pilot reports within 50 nautical miles of the line in the last three hours.
Winds aloft along the route, and the time en route the forecast for use 02:00–09:00 UTC · at 120 knots true airspeed
The westbound cruising heights for this course (VFR: even thousands plus 500 ft; above 18,000 ft the forecast levels), with the wind averaged along the line from the 7 forecast points nearest it (CGI, STL, SPI, BRL, MCW, MSP, AXN). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.
| Height | Average wind | Head- or tailwind | Temperature | Ground speed | Time en route | Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4,500 ft | 240° at 22 kt | −1 kt | 121 kt | 5 h 22 min | 7:09 am CDT (12:09 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 250° at 24 kt | +4 kt | 15 °C | 116 kt | 5 h 36 min | 7:23 am CDT (12:23 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 250° at 19 kt | +5 kt | 12 °C | 115 kt | 5 h 39 min | 7:26 am CDT (12:26 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 250° at 18 kt | +5 kt | 8 °C | 115 kt | 5 h 39 min | 7:26 am CDT (12:26 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 250° at 19 kt | +6 kt | 4 °C | 114 kt | 5 h 42 min | 7:29 am CDT (12:29 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 260° at 22 kt | +7 kt | 0 °C | 113 kt | 5 h 45 min | 7:32 am CDT (12:32 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 260° at 24 kt | +9 kt | -4 °C | 111 kt | 5 h 51 min | 7:38 am CDT (12:38 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 260° at 26 kt | +10 kt | -8 °C | 110 kt | 5 h 54 min | 7:41 am CDT (12:41 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 260° at 32 kt | +15 kt | -20 °C | 105 kt | 6 h 11 min | 7:58 am CDT (12:58 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 260° at 35 kt | +13 kt | -34 °C | 107 kt | 6 h 04 min | 7:51 am CDT (12:51 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 270° at 47 kt | +26 kt | -43 °C | 94 kt | 6 h 54 min | 8:41 am CDT (13:41 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 270° at 54 kt | +31 kt | -51 °C | 89 kt | 7 h 18 min | 9:05 am CDT (14:05 UTC) |
Based on data from the 12th at 00:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 06:00 UTC for use 02:00 to 09:00 UTC; temperatures above 24,000 ft are below zero. Heights are above sea level; a height is left out when the forecast has no wind for it over most of the line (the ground is higher). Ground speed is the airspeed less the headwind; the time en route is for the straight line and ignores climb, descent and routing around weather.
The forecast points as issued
| Point | From | 3,000 | 6,000 | 9,000 | 12,000 | 18,000 | 24,000 | 30,000 | 34,000 | 39,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CGI | used from 0 nm out; 55 nm from the line | 240/20 | 270/15 15° | 280/15 11° | 300/13 6° | 290/20 -6° | 280/24 -18° | 300/34 -32° | 300/47 -41° | 310/49 -51° |
| STL | used from 50 nm out; 27 nm from the line | 250/24 | 250/24 16° | 260/23 9° | 270/16 6° | 260/25 -6° | 270/29 -19° | 290/34 -33° | 290/48 -41° | 290/54 -51° |
| SPI | used from 100 nm out; 35 nm from the line | 220/21 | 250/23 16° | 260/27 9° | 270/14 6° | 270/23 -7° | 270/31 -19° | 270/28 -33° | 290/48 -42° | 300/55 -52° |
| BRL | used from 150 nm out; 32 nm from the line | 230/24 | 240/29 15° | 290/16 10° | 280/15 4° | 260/23 -7° | 260/32 -19° | 260/36 -33° | 280/48 -41° | 280/59 -52° |
| MCW | used from 300 nm out; 55 nm from the line | 220/44 | 250/30 17° | 230/14 12° | 240/17 6° | 250/22 -8° | 270/29 -20° | 250/34 -34° | 260/52 -43° | 260/59 -51° |
| MSP | used from 450 nm out; 58 nm from the line | 230/26 | 240/30 17° | 240/24 12° | 250/22 5° | 250/35 -10° | 260/36 -21° | 250/41 -36° | 250/49 -45° | 260/58 -52° |
| AXN | used from 500 nm out; 41 nm from the line | 100/14 | 250/21 14° | 240/24 12° | 240/31 5° | 260/36 -10° | 260/40 -21° | 250/42 -36° | 260/48 -45° | 260/53 -50° |
The weather now: both ends and the airports along the way public airports with a weather report within 25 nm of the line, one for each stretch
| Airport | Where | Conditions | Wind | Visibility | Ceiling | Elevation | Reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MWA Marion, IL | departure | VFR | from the south (190°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 471 ft | 1:35 am CDT (06:35 UTC) |
| BLV Belleville, IL | 60 nm out, 10 nm southwest of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southwest (200°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 459 ft | 05:55 UTC |
| ALN Alton/St Louis, IL | 80 nm out, 9 nm west of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southwest (200°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 543 ft | 06:35 UTC |
| IJX Jacksonville, IL | 130 nm out, 12 nm northeast of the line | VFR | from the south (190°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | none | 623 ft | 06:35 UTC |
| MPZ Mount Pleasant, IA | 220 nm out, 5 nm west of the line | VFR | from the south (190°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 730 ft | 06:35 UTC |
| CID Cedar Rapids, IA | 280 nm out, 19 nm east of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (180°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 869 ft | 02:52 UTC |
| ALO Waterloo, IA | 330 nm out, 14 nm east of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (180°) at 8 knots | 10+ mi | none | 873 ft | 05:54 UTC |
| FXY Forest City, IA | 390 nm out, 10 nm southwest of the line | VFR | from the south-southeast (160°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,229 ft | 06:30 UTC |
| ULM New Ulm, MN | 470 nm out, 8 nm southwest of the line | VFR | from the west (280°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,011 ft | 06:35 UTC |
| BDH Willmar, MN | 520 nm out, 3 nm west of the line | VFR | from the west-northwest (290°) at 7 knots | 9 mi | none | 1,126 ft | 06:35 UTC |
| FFM Fergus Falls, MN | 600 nm out, 3 nm northwest of the line | marginal VFR Sky: overcast at 1,000 feet | from the north-northeast (030°) at 5 knots, gusting to 11 | 10+ mi | 1,000 ft | 1,182 ft | 06:35 UTC |
| FAR Fargo, ND | destination | low IFR Sky: overcast at 300 feet Weather: mist | from the north (360°) at 12 knots | 3 mi | 300 ft | 901 ft | 12:53 am CDT (05:53 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,229 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At FAR when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 7:09 am CDT (12:09 UTC)
Wind from the north at 13 knots, visibility 6 miles, mist, overcast at 700 feet IFR
The whole forecast for FAR
- From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the north at 14 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 300 feet
- At times between Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC) and 3:00 am CDT (08:00 UTC): visibility 2 miles, mist
- From Mon 3:00 am CDT (08:00 UTC): wind from the north at 13 knots, visibility 6 miles, mist, overcast at 700 feet
- From Mon 11:00 am CDT (16:00 UTC): wind from the north-northeast at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 1,000 feet
- 30% chance between Mon 11:00 am CDT (16:00 UTC) and 5:00 pm CDT (22:00 UTC): light rain showers
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
No temporary flight restriction on or near this route right now.
Daylight
Sunset at MWA 6:23 pm CDT (23:23 UTC), at FAR 6:45 pm CDT (23:45 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:16 pm CDT (00:16 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at FAR is before sunrise there (7:40 am CDT (12:40 UTC)).
Each restriction opens the FAA's own page with the exact area, heights and times. Ordinary notices to air missions (closed runways, lights out) are not shown: the FAA's notice search is not open to sites like this one at this time.
Radar and forecast charts for the regions crossed government pictures, the latest each time the page loads
Sources: the Aviation Weather Center's data service (SIGMETs, AIRMETs, graphical AIRMETs, pilot reports, winds and temperatures aloft, observations and terminal forecasts), the National Weather Service radar, the Weather Prediction Center's charts, the FAA's temporary flight restriction list and shapes, and the FAA's airport file for the positions, elevations and magnetic variation. Fetched when the page is viewed and kept a few minutes. Each leg is the straight line between its two airports; airways, terrain and airspace are not considered. The airports in detail: Veterans Airport Of Southern Illinois, Hector International.