Phoenix Sky Harbor International to Dane County Rgnl/Truax Field PHX → MSN
1,212 nautical miles (1,394 statute miles) northeast on a straight line, true course 055°, about 043° magnetic at the departure end (variation 12E). At 120 knots that is 6 h 31 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 66-knot tailwind), arriving about 9:52 am CDT (14:52 UTC). Right now PHX is VFR, wind from the east (090°) at 3 knots; MSN is VFR, wind from the south-southwest (200°) at 5 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: 1,256 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 SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 10 to 79 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 2E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Near the route, 70 nm along the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 42,000 ft. Over the route from 79 to 487 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the route from 79 to 516 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 last 636 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 PHX.
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 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 11 forecast points nearest it (PHX, PRC, FMN, ALS, PUB, GLD, GRI, OMA, DSM, MCW, 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 | 230° at 34 kt | −34 kt | 21 °C | 154 kt | 7 h 52 min | 11:13 am CDT (16:13 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 230° at 27 kt | −27 kt | 12 °C | 147 kt | 8 h 15 min | 11:36 am CDT (16:36 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 230° at 24 kt | −24 kt | 10 °C | 144 kt | 8 h 25 min | 11:46 am CDT (16:46 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 220° at 26 kt | −25 kt | 6 °C | 145 kt | 8 h 22 min | 11:43 am CDT (16:43 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 230° at 28 kt | −28 kt | 2 °C | 148 kt | 8 h 11 min | 11:32 am CDT (16:32 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 230° at 31 kt | −31 kt | -3 °C | 151 kt | 8 h 02 min | 11:23 am CDT (16:23 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 230° at 35 kt | −35 kt | -7 °C | 155 kt | 7 h 49 min | 11:10 am CDT (16:10 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 230° at 35 kt | −35 kt | -8 °C | 155 kt | 7 h 49 min | 11:10 am CDT (16:10 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 230° at 43 kt | −43 kt | -20 °C | 163 kt | 7 h 26 min | 10:47 am CDT (15:47 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 240° at 61 kt | −61 kt | -30 °C | 181 kt | 6 h 42 min | 10:03 am CDT (15:03 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 250° at 66 kt | −66 kt | -37 °C | 186 kt | 6 h 31 min | 9:52 am CDT (14:52 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 250° at 60 kt | −61 kt | -47 °C | 181 kt | 6 h 42 min | 10:03 am CDT (15:03 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PHX | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 150/5 | 200/21 12° | 200/27 6° | 200/35 3° | 220/58 -8° | 220/69 -19° | 220/87 -26° | 230/93 -35° | 230/79 -47° |
| PRC | used from 99 nm out; 121 nm from the line | 210/25 5° | 200/30 1° | 220/55 -10° | 220/61 -21° | 220/84 -28° | 230/90 -34° | 230/73 -45° | ||
| FMN | used from 149 nm out; 109 nm from the line | 220/28 9° | 220/40 2° | 220/53 -10° | 220/62 -22° | 230/79 -28° | 240/91 -34° | 230/71 -45° | ||
| ALS | used from 298 nm out; 69 nm from the line | 230/37 4° | 220/54 -9° | 230/62 -22° | 240/77 -26° | 240/74 -33° | 230/59 -45° | |||
| PUB | used from 447 nm out; 44 nm from the line | 230/25 13° | 230/32 6° | 220/44 -8° | 230/49 -21° | 240/70 -28° | 240/67 -34° | 240/58 -46° | ||
| GLD | used from 546 nm out; 53 nm from the line | 230/49 | 230/42 15° | 220/26 8° | 240/18 -7° | 230/27 -21° | 240/62 -30° | 240/61 -35° | 250/57 -47° | |
| GRI | used from 695 nm out; 86 nm from the line | 230/35 21° | 230/23 13° | 220/20 7° | 240/25 -8° | 240/37 -20° | 250/49 -33° | 260/57 -38° | 260/58 -47° | |
| OMA | used from 844 nm out; 35 nm from the line | 220/47 | 240/33 19° | 250/18 11° | 230/17 6° | 260/29 -8° | 250/33 -19° | 250/51 -33° | 260/61 -40° | 270/62 -49° |
| DSM | used from 943 nm out; 33 nm from the line | 230/40 | 250/33 17° | 250/18 12° | 240/17 5° | 260/28 -8° | 270/34 -19° | 260/41 -33° | 260/55 -41° | 270/62 -51° |
| MCW | used from 1043 nm out; 70 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° |
| DBQ | used from 1092 nm out; 29 nm from the line | 230/33 | 250/30 16° | 280/15 9° | 260/15 5° | 260/21 -7° | 260/24 -20° | 250/37 -33° | 270/42 -43° | 280/63 -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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PHX Phoenix, AZ | departure | VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 6,000 feet, scattered clouds at 9,500 feet | from the east (090°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,134 ft | 12:51 am MST (07:51 UTC) |
| TYL Taylor, AZ | 109 nm out, 5 nm east of the line | reported, no category | from the south-southwest (210°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | none | 5,823 ft | 08:15 UTC |
| XNI Zuni, NM | 179 nm out, 6 nm southeast of the line | VFR | from the north-northeast (020°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 6,371 ft | 07:55 UTC |
| SKX Taos, NM | 357 nm out, 22 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 7,094 ft | ||||
| TAD Trinidad, CO | 437 nm out, 14 nm southeast of the line | VFR | from the southwest (230°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 5,761 ft | 07:54 UTC |
| LHX La Junta, CO | 497 nm out, 7 nm north of the line | VFR | from the southwest (230°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 4,228 ft | 15:53 UTC |
| PHG Phillipsburg, KS | 715 nm out, 3 nm northeast of the line | VFR | from the south-southwest (200°) at 8 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,910 ft | 07:55 UTC |
| CEK Crete, NE | 844 nm out, 4 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 1,499 ft | ||||
| LNK Lincoln, NE | 854 nm out, 7 nm northwest of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (190°) at 12 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,218 ft | 07:54 UTC |
| DSM Des Moines, IA | 993 nm out, 16 nm southeast of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 25,000 feet | from the south-southwest (200°) at 9 knots | 10+ mi | none | 957 ft | 07:54 UTC |
| DBQ Dubuque, IA | 1142 nm out, 19 nm south of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southwest (200°) at 9 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,076 ft | 07:53 UTC |
| MSN Madison, WI | destination | VFR | from the south-southwest (200°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 886 ft | 2:53 am CDT (07:53 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 7,094 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, 9:52 am CDT (14:52 UTC)
Wind from the south-southwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for MSN
- From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 8:00 pm CDT (01:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
The forecast for PHX, the departure
- From Sun 11:00 pm MST (06:00 UTC): wind from the east-southeast at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 4,000 feet, scattered clouds at 7,000 feet
- From Mon 9:00 am MST (16:00 UTC): wind from the south at 11 knots, gusting to 20, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 4,000 feet, a broken layer at 7,000 feet
- From Mon 1:00 pm MST (20:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 14 knots, gusting to 23, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 5,000 feet, a broken layer at 7,000 feet
- From Mon 6:00 pm MST (01:00 UTC): wind from the west at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 5,000 feet, a broken layer at 7,000 feet
- From Mon 10:00 pm MST (05:00 UTC): wind from the east-southeast at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, showers nearby, scattered clouds at 5,000 feet, a broken layer at 7,000 feet
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 PHX 5:57 pm MST (00:57 UTC), at MSN 6:19 pm CDT (23:19 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:48 pm CDT (23:48 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: Phoenix Sky Harbor International, Dane County Rgnl/Truax Field.