Pensacola International to Smyrna Airport PNS → MQY
334 nautical miles (384 statute miles) north on a straight line, true course 006°, about 008° magnetic at the departure end (variation 2W). At 120 knots that is 2 h 59 min at the quickest height in today's winds (5,500 ft, a 8-knot headwind), arriving about 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC). Right now PNS is VFR, wind from the northwest (310°) at 5 knots; MQY is low IFR, wind calm. 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 SIERRA 3E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist, fog). Over the last 98 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 PNS.
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 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 5 forecast points nearest it (MOB, MGM, BHM, HSV, BNA). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.
| Height | Average wind | Head- or tailwind | Temperature | Ground speed | Time en route | Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3,500 ft | 310° at 16 kt | +9 kt | 111 kt | 3 h 01 min | 7:02 am CDT (12:02 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 310° at 13 kt | +8 kt | 112 kt | 2 h 59 min | 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 320° at 14 kt | +10 kt | 13 °C | 110 kt | 3 h 02 min | 7:03 am CDT (12:03 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 320° at 15 kt | +12 kt | 10 °C | 108 kt | 3 h 06 min | 7:07 am CDT (12:07 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 320° at 12 kt | +8 kt | 6 °C | 112 kt | 2 h 59 min | 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 320° at 14 kt | +10 kt | 2 °C | 110 kt | 3 h 02 min | 7:03 am CDT (12:03 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 320° at 17 kt | +12 kt | -1 °C | 108 kt | 3 h 06 min | 7:07 am CDT (12:07 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 320° at 20 kt | +15 kt | -4 °C | 105 kt | 3 h 11 min | 7:12 am CDT (12:12 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 320° at 21 kt | +16 kt | -5 °C | 104 kt | 3 h 13 min | 7:14 am CDT (12:14 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 310° at 18 kt | +11 kt | -18 °C | 109 kt | 3 h 04 min | 7:05 am CDT (12:05 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 320° at 35 kt | +26 kt | -32 °C | 94 kt | 3 h 33 min | 7:34 am CDT (12:34 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 330° at 44 kt | +35 kt | -41 °C | 85 kt | 3 h 56 min | 7:57 am CDT (12:57 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 340° at 37 kt | +33 kt | -51 °C | 87 kt | 3 h 50 min | 7:51 am CDT (12:51 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MOB | used from 0 nm out; 58 nm from the line | L/V | L/V 18° | 020/8 11° | L/V 6° | 330/12 -5° | 330/23 -17° | 330/30 -32° | 350/39 -41° | 340/40 -53° |
| MGM | used from 49 nm out; 49 nm from the line | 320/19 | 330/16 17° | 340/21 11° | 330/11 5° | 330/27 -6° | 330/21 -17° | 330/37 -32° | 340/44 -40° | 360/30 -52° |
| BHM | used from 147 nm out; 15 nm from the line | 310/19 | 310/15 16° | 320/19 11° | 330/15 5° | 330/23 -5° | 320/14 -18° | 320/36 -32° | 330/44 -40° | 340/36 -51° |
| HSV | used from 196 nm out; 30 nm from the line | 300/20 | 310/14 16° | 310/18 10° | 310/15 4° | 320/19 -5° | 290/16 -18° | 320/36 -32° | 320/47 -41° | 330/42 -50° |
| BNA | used from 295 nm out; 27 nm from the line | 300/20 | 300/14 15° | 300/14 10° | 300/13 4° | 310/22 -5° | 280/24 -18° | 310/37 -33° | 310/50 -41° | 320/49 -51° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PNS Pensacola, FL | departure | VFR | from the northwest (310°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 120 ft | 3:53 am CDT (08:53 UTC) |
| GZH Evergreen, AL | 59 nm out, 3 nm southeast of the line | marginal VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 1,400 feet, a broken layer at 4,800 feet, overcast at 7,500 feet Weather: heavy rain, mist | from the northeast (040°) at 20 knots, gusting to 38 | 4 mi | 4,800 ft | 259 ft | 23:53 UTC |
| SEM Selma, AL | 108 nm out, 5 nm north of the line, tower | reported, no category | from the east (080°) at 27 knots, gusting to 37 | 3,300 ft | 166 ft | 01:30 UTC | |
| EKY Bessemer, AL | 167 nm out, 5 nm northwest of the line | marginal VFR Sky: a few clouds at 4,200 feet, a broken layer at 6,000 feet, overcast at 7,000 feet Weather: rain, mist | from the northeast (050°) at 16 knots, gusting to 23 | 4 mi | 6,000 ft | 699 ft | 03:56 UTC |
| BHM Birmingham, AL | 187 nm out, 4 nm east of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 650 ft | 08:53 UTC |
| CMD Cullman, AL | 226 nm out, 6 nm northwest of the line | VFR | from the northeast (040°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 969 ft | 08:55 UTC |
| HSV Huntsville, AL | 255 nm out, 6 nm southwest of the line, tower | VFR | from the east (090°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 628 ft | 08:53 UTC |
| SYI Shelbyville, TN | 305 nm out, 7 nm east of the line | VFR | from the east-southeast (110°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 799 ft | 08:35 UTC |
| MQY Smyrna, TN | destination | low IFR Sky: sky obscured at 200 feet Weather: fog | calm | 0.25 mi | 200 ft | 543 ft | 3:56 am CDT (08:56 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 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 MQY when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC)
Wind calm, visibility ¼ mile, fog, a broken layer at 200 feet low IFR
The whole forecast for MQY
- From Mon 2:00 am CDT (07:00 UTC): wind calm, visibility ¼ mile, fog, a broken layer at 200 feet
- From Mon 9:00 am CDT (14:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 800 feet
- From Mon 11:00 am CDT (16:00 UTC): wind from the west at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 20,000 feet
The forecast for PNS, the departure
- From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 8:00 am CDT (13:00 UTC): wind from the north at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 1:00 pm CDT (18:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/0708 Goodlettsville, TN, Saturday, August 1, 2026 through Sunday, August 1, 2027 UTC 21 nm from the route, at the destination end · security · until 1 August · ZME
Daylight
Sunset at PNS 6:21 pm CDT (23:21 UTC), at MQY 6:14 pm CDT (23:14 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:40 pm CDT (23:40 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: Pensacola International, Smyrna Airport.