Louisville Muhammad Ali International to Thief River Falls Regional SDF → TVF
748 nautical miles (861 statute miles) northwest on a straight line, true course 326°, about 331° magnetic at the departure end (variation 5W). At 120 knots that is 6 h 30 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 5-knot headwind), arriving about 7:45 am CDT (12:45 UTC). Right now SDF is VFR, wind from the east-southeast (120°) at 3 knots; TVF is IFR, wind from the northeast (040°) at 12 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: 395 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). Over the first 120 nm of the route.
- 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 route from 329 to 479 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the last 100 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
- B38M at 29,000 ft, 10 nm west, 12:52 am EDT (04:52 UTC): no turbulence from 23,000 ft to 29,000 ft. 180 nm along the route, 10 nm west of the line.
as filed, and in English
TIP UA /OV RBS/TM 0452/FL290/TP B38M/TB NEG 230-290
- Report
- a routine report filed through TIP
- Where
- over RBS
- Time
- 04:52 UTC
- Height
- at 29,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B38M
- Turbulence
- no from 23,000 ft to 29,000 ft
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 8 forecast points nearest it (LOU, IND, JOT, DBQ, LSE, MSP, AXN, GFK). 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 | 250° at 18 kt | +5 kt | 115 kt | 6 h 30 min | 7:45 am CDT (12:45 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 260° at 18 kt | +9 kt | 15 °C | 111 kt | 6 h 44 min | 7:59 am CDT (12:59 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 260° at 16 kt | +8 kt | 11 °C | 112 kt | 6 h 41 min | 7:56 am CDT (12:56 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 260° at 15 kt | +7 kt | 7 °C | 113 kt | 6 h 37 min | 7:52 am CDT (12:52 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 260° at 15 kt | +8 kt | 3 °C | 112 kt | 6 h 41 min | 7:56 am CDT (12:56 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 270° at 19 kt | +11 kt | -1 °C | 109 kt | 6 h 52 min | 8:07 am CDT (13:07 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 270° at 22 kt | +14 kt | -5 °C | 106 kt | 7 h 03 min | 8:18 am CDT (13:18 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 270° at 25 kt | +17 kt | -8 °C | 103 kt | 7 h 16 min | 8:31 am CDT (13:31 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 270° at 29 kt | +20 kt | -20 °C | 100 kt | 7 h 29 min | 8:44 am CDT (13:44 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 280° at 33 kt | +23 kt | -35 °C | 97 kt | 7 h 43 min | 8:58 am CDT (13:58 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 280° at 44 kt | +33 kt | -44 °C | 87 kt | 8 h 36 min | 9:51 am CDT (14:51 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 280° at 54 kt | +43 kt | -52 °C | 77 kt | 9 h 43 min | 10:58 am CDT (15:58 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LOU | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 310/18 | 340/28 16° | 340/29 10° | 350/27 3° | 330/27 -7° | 340/39 -19° | 330/58 -33° | 330/67 -41° | 330/40 -49° |
| IND | used from 50 nm out; 35 nm from the line | 290/16 | 310/20 16° | 320/21 10° | 330/13 3° | 300/25 -7° | 320/32 -19° | 330/46 -34° | 320/61 -43° | 320/63 -50° |
| JOT | used from 150 nm out; 59 nm from the line | 250/23 | 270/22 15° | 250/16 10° | 240/9 4° | 280/22 -7° | 280/29 -19° | 300/29 -34° | 290/50 -43° | 300/64 -52° |
| DBQ | used from 299 nm out; 39 nm from the line | 230/33 | 250/30 16° | 280/15 9° | 260/15 5° | 260/21 -7° | 260/24 -20° | 250/37 -33° | 270/42 -43° | 280/63 -52° |
| LSE | used from 349 nm out; 50 nm from the line | 230/40 | 240/24 17° | 240/13 10° | 250/13 6° | 280/22 -9° | 250/28 -21° | 250/41 -34° | 260/42 -44° | 270/62 -53° |
| MSP | used from 499 nm out; 30 nm from the line | 230/26 | 240/30 17° | 240/24 12° | 250/22 5° | 250/35 -10° | 260/36 -21° | 250/41 -36° | 250/49 -45° | 260/58 -52° |
| AXN | used from 599 nm out; 62 nm from the line | 100/14 | 250/21 14° | 240/24 12° | 240/31 5° | 260/36 -10° | 260/40 -21° | 250/42 -36° | 260/48 -45° | 260/53 -50° |
| GFK | used from 699 nm out; 57 nm from the line | 070/18 | 100/10 9° | 250/11 6° | 250/27 1° | 250/34 -10° | 260/43 -21° | 260/39 -36° | 260/36 -46° | 260/59 -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 Weather: mist | from the east-southeast (120°) at 3 knots | 6 mi | none | 500 ft | 1:56 am EDT (05:56 UTC) |
| BMG Bloomington, IN | 70 nm out, 2 nm west of the line, tower | low IFR Sky: sky obscured at 100 feet Weather: mist | calm | 0.75 mi | 100 ft | 845 ft | 06:08 UTC |
| HUF Terre Haute, IN | 110 nm out, 18 nm southwest of the line, tower | low IFR Weather: fog | calm | 0.5 mi | none | 589 ft | 06:04 UTC |
| DNV Danville, IL | 150 nm out, 2 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 696 ft | ||||
| RFD Chicago/Rockford, IL | 289 nm out, 14 nm east of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a broken layer at 25,000 feet | calm | 10+ mi | 25,000 ft | 742 ft | 05:54 UTC |
| MRJ Mineral Point, WI | 349 nm out, 2 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 1,170 ft | ||||
| LSE La Crosse, WI | 419 nm out, 5 nm northwest of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southwest (200°) at 12 knots | 10+ mi | none | 655 ft | 05:53 UTC |
| STP St Paul, MN | 519 nm out, 23 nm southwest of the line, tower | VFR | from the east-southeast (120°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 705 ft | 05:53 UTC |
| ANE Minneapolis, MN | 539 nm out, 20 nm southwest of the line, tower | VFR Sky: overcast at 16,000 feet | from the south-southwest (210°) at 8 knots | 9 mi | 16,000 ft | 912 ft | 05:55 UTC |
| BRD Brainerd, MN | 619 nm out, 1 nm southwest of the line | VFR | from the northeast (050°) at 10 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,232 ft | 05:53 UTC |
| FSE Fosston, MN | 719 nm out, 7 nm southwest of the line | low IFR Sky: overcast at 400 feet | from the northeast (040°) at 13 knots | 10+ mi | 400 ft | 1,278 ft | 05:55 UTC |
| TVF Thief River Falls, MN | destination | IFR Sky: overcast at 700 feet | from the northeast (040°) at 12 knots | 10+ mi | 700 ft | 1,118 ft | 12:56 am CDT (05:56 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,278 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At TVF when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 7:45 am CDT (12:45 UTC)
Wind from the northeast at 12 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 700 feet IFR
30% chance between Mon 5:00 am CDT (10:00 UTC) and 11:00 am CDT (16:00 UTC): visibility 3 miles, light drizzle, overcast at 300 feet low IFR
The whole forecast for TVF
- From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the northeast at 12 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 700 feet
- 30% chance between Mon 5:00 am CDT (10:00 UTC) and 11:00 am CDT (16:00 UTC): visibility 3 miles, light drizzle, overcast at 300 feet
- From Mon 1:00 pm CDT (18:00 UTC): wind from the northeast at 12 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, light rain showers, overcast at 700 feet
The forecast for SDF, the departure
- From Mon 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south at 3 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- At times between Mon 5:00 am EDT (09:00 UTC) and 9:00 am EDT (13:00 UTC): visibility ½ mile, fog, clear skies
- From Mon 10:00 am EDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south at 3 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/6656 ANOKA, MN, Monday, October 5, 2026 through Monday, October 19, 2026 Local 22 nm from the route, 539 nm along the route · security · until 19 October · ZMP
Daylight
Sunset at SDF 7:09 pm EDT (23:09 UTC), at TVF 6:42 pm CDT (23:42 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:13 pm CDT (00:13 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, Thief River Falls Regional.