Albert J Ellis Airport to Minneapolis-St Paul Intl/Wold-Chamberlain Airport OAJ → MSP
936 nautical miles (1,077 statute miles) northwest on a straight line, true course 315°, about 323° magnetic at the departure end (variation 8W). At 120 knots that is 9 h 05 min at the quickest height in today's winds (8,500 ft, a 17-knot headwind), arriving about 4:24 pm CDT (21:24 UTC). 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: 1 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 2W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 30,000 ft to 41,000 ft. Over the first 100 nm of the route.
- 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 100 to 179 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 6,000 ft. Over the route from 159 to 239 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, mist). Over the route from 189 to 319 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 3E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 199 to 538 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 5W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) from 29,000 ft to 40,000 ft. Near the route, 219 nm along 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 OAJ.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
Not fetched just now.
Winds aloft along the route, and the time en route the forecast for use 08:00–15:00 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 11 forecast points nearest it (ILM, RDU, ROA, CRW, CMH, CVG, FWA, JOT, DBQ, LSE, MSP). 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 | 290° at 18 kt | +18 kt | 102 kt | 9 h 11 min | 4:30 pm CDT (21:30 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 300° at 17 kt | +18 kt | 14 °C | 102 kt | 9 h 11 min | 4:30 pm CDT (21:30 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 300° at 17 kt | +17 kt | 10 °C | 103 kt | 9 h 05 min | 4:24 pm CDT (21:24 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 300° at 19 kt | +19 kt | 6 °C | 101 kt | 9 h 16 min | 4:35 pm CDT (21:35 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 300° at 22 kt | +22 kt | 3 °C | 98 kt | 9 h 33 min | 4:52 pm CDT (21:52 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 300° at 24 kt | +24 kt | -1 °C | 96 kt | 9 h 45 min | 5:04 pm CDT (22:04 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 300° at 27 kt | +27 kt | -5 °C | 93 kt | 10 h 04 min | 5:23 pm CDT (22:23 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 310° at 29 kt | +29 kt | -8 °C | 91 kt | 10 h 17 min | 5:36 pm CDT (22:36 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 300° at 33 kt | +33 kt | -20 °C | 87 kt | 10 h 46 min | 6:05 pm CDT (23:05 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 300° at 35 kt | +34 kt | -35 °C | 86 kt | 10 h 53 min | 6:12 pm CDT (23:12 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 300° at 45 kt | +45 kt | -42 °C | 75 kt | 12 h 29 min | 7:48 pm CDT (00:48 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 300° at 52 kt | +52 kt | -49 °C | 68 kt | 13 h 46 min | 9:05 pm CDT (02:05 UTC) |
Based on data from the 12th at 06:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 12:00 UTC for use 08:00 to 15:00 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ILM | used from 0 nm out; 51 nm from the line | 300/18 | 300/22 13° | 300/21 8° | 290/28 4° | 280/38 -7° | 270/40 -18° | 250/49 -32° | 250/50 -40° | 270/33 -50° |
| RDU | used from 50 nm out; 11 nm from the line | 330/30 | 340/24 12° | 330/26 7° | 320/30 3° | 330/39 -8° | 310/30 -20° | 300/33 -33° | 310/34 -39° | 310/41 -47° |
| ROA | used from 149 nm out; 30 nm from the line | 310/32 | 340/32 14° | 350/25 9° | 340/24 3° | 340/42 -8° | 340/52 -20° | 350/62 -34° | 350/64 -39° | 310/44 -48° |
| CRW | used from 249 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 320/17 | 340/23 12° | 340/32 8° | 340/35 4° | 330/40 -7° | 340/45 -20° | 340/57 -34° | 340/64 -42° | 320/38 -50° |
| CMH | used from 349 nm out; 58 nm from the line | 320/12 | 340/26 15° | 340/22 9° | 320/24 3° | 320/32 -7° | 320/36 -20° | 330/42 -35° | 320/59 -44° | 320/57 -50° |
| CVG | used from 398 nm out; 44 nm from the line | 300/19 | 310/23 15° | 320/20 9° | 310/18 3° | 300/26 -6° | 290/36 -19° | 310/32 -34° | 310/53 -43° | 310/61 -51° |
| FWA | used from 448 nm out; 50 nm from the line | 270/20 | 300/16 15° | 290/14 10° | 280/17 3° | 290/25 -7° | 280/30 -19° | 280/34 -35° | 290/48 -44° | 300/64 -52° |
| JOT | used from 598 nm out; 35 nm from the line | 250/25 | 260/22 14° | 250/17 9° | 270/21 5° | 280/28 -8° | 280/36 -20° | 270/41 -35° | 280/57 -42° | 290/65 -50° |
| DBQ | used from 697 nm out; 69 nm from the line | 250/27 | 260/23 17° | 240/26 10° | 260/30 4° | 280/26 -9° | 280/36 -21° | 270/41 -36° | 280/52 -41° | 290/67 -48° |
| LSE | used from 797 nm out; 11 nm from the line | 250/25 | 240/21 17° | 240/28 11° | 250/28 5° | 280/24 -10° | 280/31 -21° | 260/35 -37° | 270/45 -43° | 280/59 -47° |
| MSP | used from 896 nm out; 20 nm from the line | 250/12 | 250/17 17° | 240/26 12° | 250/26 5° | 280/26 -9° | 280/32 -22° | 270/37 -38° | 280/47 -41° | 280/55 -48° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OAJ Jacksonville, NC | departure | no report just now | 92 ft | ||||
| RDU Raleigh/Durham, NC | 90 nm out, 6 nm east of the line, tower | no report just now | 435 ft | ||||
| GSO Greensboro, NC | 139 nm out, 25 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 925 ft | ||||
| PSK Dublin, VA | 199 nm out, 6 nm west of the line | no report just now | 2,104 ft | ||||
| HTS Huntington, WV | 319 nm out, 9 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 828 ft | ||||
| ILN Wilmington, OH | 408 nm out, 4 nm southeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,076 ft | ||||
| MIE Muncie, IN | 488 nm out, 12 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 937 ft | ||||
| ORD Chicago, IL | 647 nm out, 2 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 680 ft | ||||
| JVL Janesville, WI | 707 nm out, 4 nm west of the line, tower | no report just now | 807 ft | ||||
| LSE La Crosse, WI | 837 nm out, 4 nm southeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 655 ft | ||||
| ONA Winona, MN | 857 nm out, 2 nm south of the line | no report just now | 656 ft | ||||
| MSP Minneapolis, MN | destination | no report just now | 841 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 2,104 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At MSP when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 4:24 pm CDT (21:24 UTC)
MSP has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/6656 ANOKA, MN, Monday, October 5, 2026 through Monday, October 19, 2026 Local 19 nm from the route, at the destination end · security · until 19 October · ZMP
Daylight
Sunset at OAJ 6:39 pm EDT (22:39 UTC), at MSP 6:33 pm CDT (23:33 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:03 pm CDT (00:03 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: Albert J Ellis Airport, Minneapolis-St Paul Intl/Wold-Chamberlain Airport.