Plan a flight · Mon 7:08 am CDT (12:08 UTC)

Rochester International to Manhattan Regional RST → MHK

342 nautical miles (394 statute miles) southwest on a straight line, true course 215°, about 216° magnetic at the departure end (variation 1W). At 120 knots that is 3 h 29 min at the quickest height in today's winds (8,500 ft, a 22-knot headwind), arriving about 10:37 am CDT (15:37 UTC). Right now RST is VFR, wind from the south (180°) at 10 knots; MHK is VFR, wind from the south-southwest (210°) at 6 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 2W: 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 303 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 RST.

Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first

urgent B763 at 2,000 ft, 46 nm southeast, 6:57 am CDT (11:57 UTC): a routine report with nothing remarked on. 323 nm along the route, 46 nm southeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
FOE UUA /OV 130003/TM 1157/FL020/TP B763/WV LLWS
```
Report
an urgent report filed through FOE
Where
wind from 130° at 3 knots
Time
11:57 UTC
Height
at 2,000 ft
Aircraft
B763
Wind
low-level wind shear
B38M at 32,000 ft, 5 nm east, 6:35 am CDT (11:35 UTC): light chop turbulence above 32,000 ft. 88 nm along the route, 5 nm east of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
FOD UA /OV FOD075035/TM 1135/FL320/TP B38M/TB CONS LGT CHOP 320/INTMT LGT CHOP 340
```
Report
a routine report filed through FOD
Where
35 nm east (075°) of FOD
Time
11:35 UTC
Height
at 32,000 ft
Aircraft
B38M
Turbulence
continuous light chop 320/INTMT light chop at 34,000 ft
PC12 at 22,000 ft, 0 nm northeast, 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC): light rime icing, -9 °C, remarks: no icing at FL200 zkcfdc xj. At the destination end, 0 nm northeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
MHK UA /OV MHK/TM 1200/FL220/TP PC12/TA M09/IC LGT RIME/RM NEG ICING AT FL200 /ZKCFDC XJ
```
Report
a routine report filed through MHK
Where
over MHK
Time
12:00 UTC
Height
at 22,000 ft
Aircraft
PC12
Temperature
−9 °C
Icing
light rime
Remarks
no icing at FL200 zkcfdc xj

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 4 forecast points nearest it (MCW, DSM, OMA, SLN). 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 36 kt	+31 kt		89 kt	3 h 51 min	10:59 am CDT (15:59 UTC)
6,500 ft	250° at 28 kt	+24 kt	19 °C	96 kt	3 h 34 min	10:42 am CDT (15:42 UTC)
8,500 ft	240° at 24 kt	+22 kt	13 °C	98 kt	3 h 29 min	10:37 am CDT (15:37 UTC)
10,500 ft	240° at 25 kt	+23 kt	9 °C	97 kt	3 h 32 min	10:40 am CDT (15:40 UTC)
12,500 ft	240° at 27 kt	+25 kt	4 °C	95 kt	3 h 36 min	10:44 am CDT (15:44 UTC)
14,500 ft	240° at 28 kt	+25 kt	0 °C	95 kt	3 h 36 min	10:44 am CDT (15:44 UTC)
16,500 ft	250° at 28 kt	+24 kt	-5 °C	96 kt	3 h 34 min	10:42 am CDT (15:42 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180	250° at 29 kt	+23 kt	-9 °C	97 kt	3 h 32 min	10:40 am CDT (15:40 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240	250° at 38 kt	+29 kt	-21 °C	91 kt	3 h 45 min	10:53 am CDT (15:53 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300	260° at 47 kt	+32 kt	-34 °C	88 kt	3 h 53 min	11:01 am CDT (16:01 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340	270° at 58 kt	+32 kt	-37 °C	88 kt	3 h 53 min	11:01 am CDT (16:01 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390	270° at 62 kt	+31 kt	-47 °C	89 kt	3 h 51 min	10:59 am CDT (15:59 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
MCW	used from 0 nm out; 34 nm from the line	250/36	250/24 19°	240/26 11°	250/30 5°	270/22 -9°	260/30 -21°	260/31 -36°	280/53 -38°	280/66 -48°
DSM	used from 98 nm out; 45 nm from the line	250/47	260/25 20°	240/19 11°	240/31 5°	250/26 -9°	260/38 -20°	260/47 -34°	270/58 -37°	270/61 -47°
OMA	used from 195 nm out; 39 nm from the line	230/47	240/33 21°	230/22 13°	220/27 5°	240/35 -8°	250/43 -21°	260/47 -33°	260/59 -36°	270/58 -46°
SLN	used from 293 nm out; 72 nm from the line	230/49	240/41 22°	230/26 15°	220/21 7°	240/38 -8°	240/44 -21°	260/77 -29°	270/70 -36°	270/63 -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
RST Rochester, MN	departure	VFR	from the south (180°) at 10 knots	8 mi	none	1,317 ft	6:54 am CDT (11:54 UTC)
AUM Austin, MN	20 nm out, 8 nm west of the line	VFR	from the south-southeast (160°) at 6 knots	10+ mi	none	1,233 ft	11:55 UTC
MCW Mason City, IA	59 nm out, 5 nm northwest of the line	VFR	from the south (180°) at 6 knots	10+ mi	none	1,213 ft	11:53 UTC
EBS Webster City, IA	108 nm out, 1 nm northeast of the line	VFR	from the south-southeast (160°) at 6 knots	10+ mi	none	1,121 ft	11:55 UTC
GCT Guthrie Center, IA	156 nm out, 4 nm southeast of the line	no report just now				1,220 ft
AIO Atlantic, IA	186 nm out, 10 nm northwest of the line	VFR	from the south (180°) at 8 knots	10+ mi	none	1,164 ft	11:50 UTC
SDA Shenandoah, IA	225 nm out, 5 nm southwest of the line	VFR	from the south (190°) at 10 knots, gusting to 18	10+ mi	none	971 ft	11:50 UTC
FNB Falls City, NE	264 nm out, 13 nm southeast of the line	VFR	from the south (190°) at 8 knots, gusting to 16	10+ mi	none	983 ft	11:53 UTC
MYZ Marysville, KS	303 nm out, 21 nm northwest of the line	VFR	from the south (180°) at 10 knots	10+ mi	none	1,283 ft	11:55 UTC
MHK Manhattan, KS	destination	VFR	from the south-southwest (210°) at 6 knots	10+ mi	none	1,066 ft	6:52 am CDT (11:52 UTC)

The highest airport on this list sits at 1,317 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At MHK when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 10:37 am CDT (15:37 UTC)

Wind from the south-southwest at 14 knots, gusting to 25, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 20,000 feet VFR

The whole forecast for MHK

From Mon 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 10 knots, gusting to 16, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 20,000 feet
From Mon 10:00 am CDT (15:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 14 knots, gusting to 25, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 20,000 feet
From Mon 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 15,000 feet
From Tue 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 3,000 feet

The forecast for RST, the departure

From Mon 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
From Mon 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the west-southwest at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 15,000 feet
From Tue 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the northwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 4,000 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 RST 6:31 pm CDT (23:31 UTC), at MHK 6:52 pm CDT (23:52 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:19 pm CDT (00:19 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

Radar now, the upper Mississippi valley · loop National Weather Service

Radar now, the northern Rockies · loop National Weather Service

Radar now, the southern Plains · loop National Weather Service

Radar, the whole country · loop National Weather Service

Surface analysis now Weather Prediction Center

Forecast chart, 12 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center

Forecast chart, 24 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center

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: Rochester International, Manhattan Regional.