Southwest Florida International to Frederick W Smith Intl/Memphis Airport RSW → MEM
663 nautical miles (763 statute miles) northwest on a straight line, true course 322°, about 326° magnetic at the departure end (variation 4W). At 120 knots that is 6 h 12 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 13-knot headwind), arriving about 4:17 am CDT (09:17 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now RSW is VFR, wind calm; MEM is VFR, wind from the south (170°) at 3 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: 475 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
No SIGMET or AIRMET covers any part of this route right now.
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 RSW.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
- CRJ7 at 28,000 ft, 18 nm northeast, 10:41 pm EDT (02:41 UTC): moderate turbulence, remarks: produced by skypath. 386 nm along the route, 18 nm northeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
TOI UA /OV MGM157029 /TM 0241 /FL280 /TP CRJ7 /TB MOD /RM PRODUCED BY SKYPATH
- Report
- a routine report filed through TOI
- Where
- 29 nm southeast (157°) of MGM
- Time
- 02:41 UTC
- Height
- at 28,000 ft
- Aircraft
- CRJ7
- Turbulence
- moderate
- Remarks
- produced by skypath
- B747 at 33,000 ft, 50 nm northeast, 9:02 pm EDT (01:02 UTC): no turbulence. 287 nm along the route, 50 nm northeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
TLH UA /OV TLH360025/TM 0102/FL330/TP B747/TB NEG
- Report
- a routine report filed through TLH
- Where
- 25 nm north (360°) of TLH
- Time
- 01:02 UTC
- Height
- at 33,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B747
- Turbulence
- none
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 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 5 forecast points nearest it (PIE, TLH, MGM, BHM, MEM). 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 | 320° at 13 kt | +13 kt | 107 kt | 6 h 12 min | 4:17 am CDT (09:17 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 330° at 15 kt | +14 kt | 16 °C | 106 kt | 6 h 15 min | 4:20 am CDT (09:20 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 320° at 16 kt | +16 kt | 13 °C | 104 kt | 6 h 22 min | 4:27 am CDT (09:27 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 320° at 15 kt | +15 kt | 10 °C | 105 kt | 6 h 19 min | 4:24 am CDT (09:24 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 310° at 13 kt | +13 kt | 7 °C | 107 kt | 6 h 12 min | 4:17 am CDT (09:17 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 300° at 15 kt | +14 kt | 2 °C | 106 kt | 6 h 15 min | 4:20 am CDT (09:20 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 290° at 17 kt | +14 kt | -3 °C | 106 kt | 6 h 15 min | 4:20 am CDT (09:20 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 280° at 18 kt | +14 kt | -6 °C | 106 kt | 6 h 15 min | 4:20 am CDT (09:20 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 300° at 24 kt | +21 kt | -17 °C | 99 kt | 6 h 42 min | 4:47 am CDT (09:47 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 300° at 29 kt | +27 kt | -32 °C | 93 kt | 7 h 08 min | 5:13 am CDT (10:13 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 300° at 28 kt | +27 kt | -41 °C | 93 kt | 7 h 08 min | 5:13 am CDT (10:13 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 300° at 26 kt | +24 kt | -51 °C | 96 kt | 6 h 54 min | 4:59 am CDT (09:59 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PIE | used from 0 nm out; 72 nm from the line | 350/6 | L/V 18° | 290/6 14° | 280/9 9° | 250/18 -6° | 250/23 -17° | 240/30 -31° | 220/31 -41° | 220/30 -52° |
| TLH | used from 198 nm out; 57 nm from the line | 320/18 | 350/31 18° | 340/24 13° | 310/17 8° | 280/22 -7° | 300/25 -17° | 320/28 -33° | 320/24 -41° | 320/25 -50° |
| MGM | used from 346 nm out; 57 nm from the line | 310/19 | 340/24 17° | 340/28 11° | 330/16 7° | 300/23 -7° | 320/32 -16° | 330/46 -33° | 330/55 -42° | 330/41 -50° |
| BHM | used from 495 nm out; 69 nm from the line | 310/19 | 330/20 17° | 320/28 11° | 340/21 6° | 310/22 -7° | 330/33 -17° | 330/50 -32° | 330/57 -41° | 330/41 -50° |
| MEM | used from 544 nm out; 94 nm from the line | 230/19 | 260/16 15° | 270/17 12° | 300/13 6° | 300/15 -5° | 300/26 -18° | 300/34 -32° | 300/41 -40° | 310/46 -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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RSW Fort Myers, FL | departure | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 29 ft | 10:53 pm EDT (02:53 UTC) |
| PGD Punta Gorda, FL | 30 nm out, 6 nm east of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 25 ft | 02:53 UTC |
| SRQ Sarasota/Bradenton, FL | 69 nm out, 3 nm south of the line, tower | VFR | from the north (010°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 29 ft | 02:53 UTC |
| AAF Apalachicola, FL | 257 nm out, 17 nm southwest of the line | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 19 ft | 02:53 UTC |
| ECP Panama City, FL | 317 nm out, 24 nm southwest of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 68 ft | 02:53 UTC |
| EDN Enterprise, AL | 356 nm out, 9 nm northeast of the line | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 360 ft | 02:55 UTC |
| SEM Selma, AL | 445 nm out, 7 nm east 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 | |
| TCL Tuscaloosa, AL | 505 nm out, 16 nm northeast of the line, tower | VFR | from the north-northeast (030°) at 3 knots | 8 mi | none | 169 ft | 02:53 UTC |
| GTR Columbus/W Point/Starkville, MS | 544 nm out, 12 nm southwest of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (180°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 264 ft | 02:56 UTC |
| UOX Oxford, MS | 624 nm out, 11 nm southwest of the line | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 452 ft | 02:55 UTC |
| MEM Memphis, TN | destination | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 25,000 feet | from the south (170°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 340 ft | 9:54 pm CDT (02:54 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 452 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At MEM when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 4:17 am CDT (09:17 UTC)
Wind from the south-southwest at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for MEM
- From Sun 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 11:00 am CDT (16:00 UTC): wind from the west-southwest at 9 knots, gusting to 17, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 10,000 feet
The forecast for RSW, the departure
- From Sun 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the east-northeast at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 3,000 feet, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 1:00 am EDT (05:00 UTC): wind from the north-northeast at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 9:00 am EDT (13:00 UTC): wind from the north-northeast at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
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 RSW 7:02 pm EDT (23:02 UTC), at MEM 6:29 pm CDT (23:29 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:54 pm CDT (23:54 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at MEM is before sunrise there (7:03 am CDT (12:03 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: Southwest Florida International, Frederick W Smith Intl/Memphis Airport.