Louisville Muhammad Ali International to Garden City Regional SDF → GCK
708 nautical miles (815 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 273°, about 278° magnetic at the departure end (variation 5W). At 120 knots that is 6 h 33 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 12-knot headwind), arriving about 3:43 am CDT (08:43 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now SDF is VFR, wind from the south-southwest (200°) at 4 knots; GCK is VFR, wind from the south (170°) at 11 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 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 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 259 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 SDF.
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 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 9 forecast points nearest it (LOU, EVV, STL, COU, SGF, MKC, ICT, SLN, GCK). 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 | 220° at 18 kt | +12 kt | 21 °C | 108 kt | 6 h 33 min | 3:43 am CDT (08:43 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 240° at 18 kt | +17 kt | 16 °C | 103 kt | 6 h 52 min | 4:02 am CDT (09:02 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 260° at 21 kt | +21 kt | 12 °C | 99 kt | 7 h 09 min | 4:19 am CDT (09:19 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 270° at 22 kt | +22 kt | 9 °C | 98 kt | 7 h 13 min | 4:23 am CDT (09:23 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 280° at 22 kt | +22 kt | 5 °C | 98 kt | 7 h 13 min | 4:23 am CDT (09:23 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 280° at 22 kt | +22 kt | 1 °C | 98 kt | 7 h 13 min | 4:23 am CDT (09:23 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 280° at 21 kt | +21 kt | -4 °C | 99 kt | 7 h 09 min | 4:19 am CDT (09:19 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 290° at 21 kt | +21 kt | -7 °C | 99 kt | 7 h 09 min | 4:19 am CDT (09:19 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 290° at 22 kt | +21 kt | -18 °C | 99 kt | 7 h 09 min | 4:19 am CDT (09:19 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 290° at 37 kt | +35 kt | -32 °C | 85 kt | 8 h 20 min | 5:30 am CDT (10:30 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 290° at 42 kt | +40 kt | -41 °C | 80 kt | 8 h 51 min | 6:01 am CDT (11:01 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 290° at 47 kt | +43 kt | -50 °C | 77 kt | 9 h 12 min | 6:22 am CDT (11:22 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LOU | used from 0 nm out; 28 nm from the line | 320/15 | 340/24 14° | 330/28 9° | 340/34 4° | 340/37 -9° | 340/42 -20° | 320/39 -35° | 320/45 -39° | 330/40 -47° |
| EVV | used from 50 nm out; 15 nm from the line | 310/13 | 340/26 16° | 330/29 10° | 330/32 4° | 330/30 -9° | 340/38 -20° | 330/60 -35° | 320/57 -41° | 330/39 -48° |
| STL | used from 150 nm out; 52 nm from the line | 210/13 | 260/16 17° | 270/21 10° | 280/24 5° | 310/20 -7° | 320/22 -18° | 320/44 -33° | 320/59 -43° | 310/69 -51° |
| COU | used from 249 nm out; 44 nm from the line | 210/16 | 220/19 15° | 240/33 10° | 250/29 7° | 280/21 -6° | 280/19 -18° | 300/34 -31° | 300/40 -42° | 300/60 -52° |
| SGF | used from 349 nm out; 64 nm from the line | 210/21 | 210/21 16° | 240/28 12° | 260/24 7° | 280/21 -6° | 280/26 -18° | 290/38 -31° | 290/37 -41° | 300/49 -52° |
| MKC | used from 399 nm out; 52 nm from the line | 200/28 | 220/30 16° | 270/20 11° | 280/22 7° | 260/27 -6° | 270/27 -18° | 280/38 -32° | 270/38 -40° | 280/50 -52° |
| ICT | used from 499 nm out; 42 nm from the line | 190/34 | 210/34 18° | 240/28 13° | 260/23 7° | 250/23 -6° | 240/29 -17° | 260/40 -30° | 260/47 -40° | 270/42 -51° |
| SLN | used from 598 nm out; 75 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° |
| GCK | used from 648 nm out; 35 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° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SDF Louisville, KY | departure | VFR | from the south-southwest (200°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 500 ft | 9:56 pm EDT (01:56 UTC) |
| HNB Huntingburg, IN | 60 nm out, 3 nm northeast of the line | VFR | from the south-southeast (150°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 529 ft | 01:56 UTC |
| EVV Evansville, IN | 80 nm out, 13 nm south of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 421 ft | 01:54 UTC |
| BLV Belleville, IL | 189 nm out, 16 nm north of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 459 ft | 01:55 UTC |
| SUS St Louis, MO | 229 nm out, 22 nm north of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 463 ft | 01:54 UTC |
| JEF Jefferson City, MO | 299 nm out, 18 nm north of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 549 ft | 01:53 UTC |
| BUM Butler, MO | 409 nm out, 3 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 893 ft | ||||
| UKL Burlington, KS | 469 nm out, 5 nm northwest of the line | VFR | from the south (190°) at 12 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,174 ft | 01:55 UTC |
| EWK Newton, KS | 548 nm out, 7 nm southeast of the line | VFR | from the south (180°) at 15 knots, gusting to 21 | 10+ mi | none | 1,533 ft | 01:56 UTC |
| HUT Hutchinson, KS | 568 nm out, 5 nm southwest of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (170°) at 14 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,542 ft | 01:52 UTC |
| DDC Dodge City, KS | 678 nm out, 14 nm southeast of the line | VFR | from the south (170°) at 15 knots | 9 mi | none | 2,595 ft | 01:52 UTC |
| GCK Garden City, KS | destination | VFR | from the south (170°) at 11 knots | 10+ mi | none | 2,890 ft | 8:54 pm CDT (01:54 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 2,890 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At GCK when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 3:43 am CDT (08:43 UTC)
Wind from the south-southwest at 16 knots, gusting to 26, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, clear skies VFR
The whole forecast for GCK
- From Sun 9:00 pm CDT (02:00 UTC): wind from the south at 11 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Sun 10:00 pm CDT (03:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 16 knots, gusting to 26, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, clear skies
- From Mon 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 16 knots, gusting to 26, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
The forecast for SDF, the departure
- From Sun 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 2,500 feet
- From Sun 8:30 pm EDT (00:30 UTC): wind from the southwest at 3 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 6:00 am EDT (10:00 UTC): wind from the south-southeast at 3 knots, visibility 4 miles, mist, clear skies
- From Mon 9:00 am EDT (13:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 6 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 SDF 7:09 pm EDT (23:09 UTC), at GCK 7:09 pm CDT (00:09 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:36 pm CDT (00:36 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at GCK is before sunrise there (7:48 am CDT (12:48 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: Louisville Muhammad Ali International, Garden City Regional.