Louisville Muhammad Ali International to Lafayette Rgnl/Paul Fournet Field SDF → LFT
570 nautical miles (656 statute miles) southwest on a straight line, true course 215°, about 220° magnetic at the departure end (variation 5W). At 120 knots that is 3 h 59 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 23-knot tailwind), arriving about 12:38 am CDT (05:38 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now SDF is VFR, wind from the southwest (220°) at 4 knots; LFT is VFR, wind from the south (180°) 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: 443 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 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 7 forecast points nearest it (LOU, BNA, HSV, MEM, JAN, MSY, LCH). 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 | 310° at 12 kt | −2 kt | 122 kt | 4 h 40 min | 1:19 am CDT (06:19 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 320° at 19 kt | −7 kt | 16 °C | 127 kt | 4 h 29 min | 1:08 am CDT (06:08 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 320° at 20 kt | −4 kt | 12 °C | 124 kt | 4 h 36 min | 1:15 am CDT (06:15 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 320° at 23 kt | −5 kt | 8 °C | 125 kt | 4 h 34 min | 1:13 am CDT (06:13 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 320° at 26 kt | −6 kt | 4 °C | 126 kt | 4 h 31 min | 1:10 am CDT (06:10 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 320° at 27 kt | −7 kt | 0 °C | 127 kt | 4 h 29 min | 1:08 am CDT (06:08 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 320° at 27 kt | −9 kt | -3 °C | 129 kt | 4 h 25 min | 1:04 am CDT (06:04 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 320° at 28 kt | −10 kt | -6 °C | 130 kt | 4 h 23 min | 1:02 am CDT (06:02 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 320° at 31 kt | −11 kt | -18 °C | 131 kt | 4 h 21 min | 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 320° at 45 kt | −14 kt | -33 °C | 134 kt | 4 h 15 min | 12:54 am CDT (05:54 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 330° at 50 kt | −23 kt | -41 °C | 143 kt | 3 h 59 min | 12:38 am CDT (05:38 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 330° at 43 kt | −17 kt | -49 °C | 137 kt | 4 h 10 min | 12:49 am CDT (05:49 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; 29 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° |
| BNA | used from 49 nm out; 62 nm from the line | 280/13 | 340/34 16° | 330/38 10° | 330/44 5° | 330/39 -8° | 330/38 -19° | 320/49 -34° | 330/53 -40° | 330/35 -47° |
| HSV | used from 197 nm out; 81 nm from the line | 290/15 | 330/34 16° | 330/38 11° | 330/40 5° | 320/36 -7° | 320/31 -18° | 320/44 -34° | 330/53 -41° | 330/34 -48° |
| MEM | used from 246 nm out; 67 nm from the line | 240/9 | 280/14 17° | 280/20 12° | 290/25 5° | 320/25 -6° | 330/31 -18° | 320/52 -32° | 330/58 -41° | 320/42 -50° |
| JAN | used from 344 nm out; 46 nm from the line | 260/6 | 310/14 17° | 280/13 12° | 290/19 6° | 310/22 -5° | 310/28 -17° | 320/44 -32° | 330/48 -41° | 320/52 -51° |
| MSY | used from 491 nm out; 85 nm from the line | L/V | 020/6 18° | L/V 12° | 300/11 7° | 330/15 -4° | 320/22 -16° | 330/38 -32° | 350/47 -42° | 340/56 -52° |
| LCH | used from 541 nm out; 74 nm from the line | 190/6 | 180/8 18° | 170/13 12° | 220/12 7° | 290/10 -4° | 280/15 -14° | 320/30 -31° | 320/32 -40° | 320/39 -53° |
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 Sky: a few clouds at 3,300 feet | from the southwest (220°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 500 ft | 8:56 pm EDT (00:56 UTC) |
| EKX Elizabethtown, KY | 29 nm out, 9 nm southeast of the line | VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 2,800 feet | calm | 10+ mi | none | 775 ft | 23:35 UTC |
| BWG Bowling Green, KY | 79 nm out, 14 nm southeast of the line | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 547 ft | 00:53 UTC |
| JWN Nashville, TN | 128 nm out, 22 nm southeast of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 501 ft | 00:50 UTC |
| SNH Savannah, TN | 216 nm out, 2 nm southeast of the line | reported, no category | calm | none | 472 ft | 01:10 UTC | |
| TUP Tupelo, MS | 275 nm out, 9 nm southeast of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 346 ft | 00:53 UTC |
| GNF Grenada, MS | 324 nm out, 20 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 207 ft | ||||
| GWO Greenwood, MS | 354 nm out, 22 nm northwest of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 162 ft | 00:53 UTC |
| HKS Jackson, MS | 413 nm out, 10 nm southeast of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 341 ft | 00:53 UTC |
| HEZ Natchez, MS | 482 nm out, 14 nm northwest of the line | VFR | from the southeast (140°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 272 ft | 00:56 UTC |
| HZR New Roads, LA | 531 nm out, 6 nm southeast of the line | VFR | calm | 8 mi | none | 39 ft | 22:15 UTC |
| LFT Lafayette, LA | destination | VFR | from the south (180°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 40 ft | 7:53 pm CDT (00:53 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 775 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At LFT when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 12:38 am CDT (05:38 UTC)
Wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies VFR
The whole forecast for LFT
- From Sun 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Sun 9:00 pm CDT (02:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 10:00 am CDT (15:00 UTC): wind from the southeast at 6 knots, 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
- 6/0708 Goodlettsville, TN, Saturday, August 1, 2026 through Sunday, August 1, 2027 UTC 23 nm from the route, 118 nm along the route · security · until 1 August · ZME
Daylight
Sunset at SDF 7:09 pm EDT (23:09 UTC), at LFT 6:40 pm CDT (23:40 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:04 pm CDT (00:04 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at LFT is before sunrise there (7:07 am CDT (12:07 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, Lafayette Rgnl/Paul Fournet Field.