Nogales International to Dane County Rgnl/Truax Field OLS → MSN
1,240 nautical miles (1,427 statute miles) northeast on a straight line, true course 049°, about 040° magnetic at the departure end (variation 9E). At 120 knots that is 7 h 18 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 50-knot tailwind), arriving about 4:06 am CDT (09:06 UTC), after sunset at the destination. 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
- SIGMET 2W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 36,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 7:55 pm MST (02:55 UTC). Over the first 250 nm of the route.
as issued
WSUS33 KKCI 120055 MKCW WST 120055 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 2W VALID UNTIL 0255Z TX NM AZ FROM 50NNW SJN-60WNW CME-60E ELP-70SSW SSO-50SW TUS-50NNW SJN AREA SEV TS MOV FROM 23040KT. TOPS TO FL360. HAIL TO 1 IN...WIND GUSTS TO 50KT POSS.
- SIGMET 1W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 34,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 7:55 pm MST (02:55 UTC). Over the route from 260 to 360 nm out.
as issued
WSUS33 KKCI 120055 MKCW WST 120055 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 1W VALID UNTIL 0255Z CO NM WY AZ UT FROM 40NNW CHE-40WNW TBE-60WNW CME-40N SJN-40ESE MTU-40NNW CHE AREA SEV TS MOV FROM 23040KT. TOPS TO FL340. WIND GUSTS TO 60KT POSS.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 50 to 240 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 35,000 ft to 45,000 ft. Over the route from 60 to 420 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the route from 170 to 470 nm out.
- 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 530 to 1080 nm out.
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 OLS.
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 20:00–03:00 UTC · at 120 knots true airspeed
The eastbound cruising heights for this course (VFR: odd thousands plus 500 ft; above 18,000 ft the forecast levels), with the wind averaged along the line from the 10 forecast points nearest it (TUS, ELP, ABQ, TCC, AMA, GCK, SLN, OMA, DSM, DBQ). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.
| Height | Average wind | Head- or tailwind | Temperature | Ground speed | Time en route | Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5,500 ft | 210° at 27 kt | −25 kt | 18 °C | 145 kt | 8 h 33 min | 5:21 am CDT (10:21 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 220° at 26 kt | −25 kt | 15 °C | 145 kt | 8 h 33 min | 5:21 am CDT (10:21 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 220° at 25 kt | −25 kt | 11 °C | 145 kt | 8 h 33 min | 5:21 am CDT (10:21 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 230° at 24 kt | −24 kt | 7 °C | 144 kt | 8 h 37 min | 5:25 am CDT (10:25 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 230° at 25 kt | −25 kt | 3 °C | 145 kt | 8 h 33 min | 5:21 am CDT (10:21 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 230° at 26 kt | −26 kt | -2 °C | 146 kt | 8 h 30 min | 5:18 am CDT (10:18 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 230° at 27 kt | −28 kt | -6 °C | 148 kt | 8 h 23 min | 5:11 am CDT (10:11 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 230° at 27 kt | −28 kt | -7 °C | 148 kt | 8 h 23 min | 5:11 am CDT (10:11 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 240° at 35 kt | −35 kt | -18 °C | 155 kt | 8 h | 4:48 am CDT (09:48 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 240° at 49 kt | −49 kt | -30 °C | 169 kt | 7 h 20 min | 4:08 am CDT (09:08 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 250° at 52 kt | −50 kt | -39 °C | 170 kt | 7 h 18 min | 4:06 am CDT (09:06 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 260° at 54 kt | −50 kt | -50 °C | 170 kt | 7 h 18 min | 4:06 am CDT (09:06 UTC) |
Based on data from the 11th at 18:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 00:00 UTC for use 20:00 to 03:00 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TUS | used from 0 nm out; 35 nm from the line | 220/17 15° | 210/32 7° | 210/43 5° | 210/49 -7° | 220/64 -18° | 220/83 -26° | 230/81 -36° | 230/72 -48° | |
| ELP | used from 150 nm out; 128 nm from the line | 200/15 | 200/16 15° | 200/17 6° | 220/40 -6° | 240/53 -16° | 230/62 -27° | 240/63 -38° | 250/59 -49° | |
| ABQ | used from 200 nm out; 84 nm from the line | 200/28 13° | 210/28 5° | 210/44 -7° | 230/46 -20° | 230/80 -28° | 240/74 -35° | 240/58 -47° | ||
| TCC | used from 350 nm out; 71 nm from the line | 200/26 | 200/28 14° | 220/25 7° | 230/28 -7° | 240/41 -19° | 240/62 -28° | 250/61 -37° | 250/49 -49° | |
| AMA | used from 500 nm out; 106 nm from the line | 190/28 | 220/26 14° | 230/27 7° | 250/24 -6° | 250/32 -16° | 240/51 -28° | 250/52 -38° | 250/51 -50° | |
| GCK | used from 550 nm out; 59 nm from the line | 200/35 21° | 220/34 14° | 240/30 8° | 240/27 -6° | 240/31 -17° | 240/53 -30° | 250/55 -39° | 250/60 -50° | |
| SLN | used from 700 nm out; 68 nm from the line | 190/37 | 220/39 20° | 240/31 14° | 250/24 7° | 260/25 -7° | 250/26 -17° | 250/44 -31° | 260/47 -40° | 260/47 -50° |
| OMA | used from 850 nm out; 75 nm from the line | 190/34 | 230/34 19° | 250/25 12° | 250/18 6° | 250/22 -7° | 250/28 -19° | 260/34 -32° | 260/39 -41° | 280/56 -51° |
| DSM | used from 950 nm out; 51 nm from the line | 200/32 | 240/27 17° | 260/19 10° | 260/16 5° | 260/19 -7° | 240/22 -19° | 270/20 -32° | 270/38 -42° | 290/58 -53° |
| DBQ | used from 1100 nm out; 42 nm from the line | 220/23 | 240/22 16° | 240/24 10° | 260/18 5° | 270/16 -8° | 290/27 -19° | 310/42 -35° | 320/55 -44° | 300/71 -52° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OLS Nogales, AZ | departure | no report just now | 3,955 ft | ||||
| FHU Fort Huachuca Sierra Vista, AZ | 30 nm out, 10 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 4,718 ft | ||||
| ONM Socorro, NM | 250 nm out, 7 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 4,875 ft | ||||
| CAO Clayton, NM | 490 nm out, 3 nm south of the line | no report just now | 4,969 ft | ||||
| ULS Ulysses, KS | 600 nm out, 4 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 3,071 ft | ||||
| GCK Garden City, KS | 630 nm out, 5 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 2,890 ft | ||||
| CNK Concordia, KS | 810 nm out, 3 nm west of the line | no report just now | 1,488 ft | ||||
| ICL Clarinda, IA | 950 nm out, 3 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 995 ft | ||||
| DSM Des Moines, IA | 1030 nm out, 10 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 957 ft | ||||
| DBQ Dubuque, IA | 1170 nm out, 12 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,076 ft | ||||
| MSN Madison, WI | destination | no report just now | 886 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 4,969 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At MSN when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 4:06 am CDT (09:06 UTC)
MSN has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/8722 ALAMOGORDO, NM, Tuesday, October 13, 2026 Local 24 nm from the route, 290 nm along the route · security · starts tomorrow · ZAB
Daylight
Sunset at OLS 5:55 pm MST (00:55 UTC), at MSN 6:19 pm CDT (23:19 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:48 pm CDT (23:48 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at MSN is before sunrise there (7:07 am CDT (12:07 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: Nogales International, Dane County Rgnl/Truax Field.