The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Plan a flight · Sun 11:17 pm EDT (03:17 UTC)

Louisville Muhammad Ali International to Eglin Afb/Destin-Ft Walton Beach Airport SDF → VPS

463 nautical miles (533 statute miles) south on a straight line, true course 185°, about 190° magnetic at the departure end (variation 5W). At 120 knots that is 2 h 46 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 47-knot tailwind), arriving about 1:03 am CDT (06:03 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now SDF is VFR, wind from the south-southeast (160°) at 3 knots; VPS is VFR, wind from the west (280°) 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: 261 flights in the DOT's last twelve reported months, the route's page.

The return flight

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 217 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

  • CRJ7 at 28,000 ft, 14 nm east, 10:41 pm EDT (02:41 UTC): moderate turbulence, remarks: produced by skypath. 385 nm along the route, 14 nm east 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
  • B38M at 21,000 ft, 9 nm southeast, 9:09 pm EDT (01:09 UTC): no turbulence, no icing. At the departure end, 9 nm southeast of the line.
    as filed, and in English
    SDF UA /OV IIU/TM 0109/FL210/TP B38M/TB NEG/IC NEG
    Report
    a routine report filed through SDF
    Where
    over IIU
    Time
    01:09 UTC
    Height
    at 21,000 ft
    Aircraft
    B38M
    Turbulence
    none
    Icing
    none
  • B739 at 34,000 ft, 36 nm west, 9:51 pm EDT (01:51 UTC): light to moderate chop turbulence, remarks: zme. 79 nm along the route, 36 nm west of the line.
    as filed, and in English
    BWG UA /OV BWG270010/TM 0151/FL340/TP B739/TB CONS LGT OCNL MOD CHOP/RM ZME
    Report
    a routine report filed through BWG
    Where
    10 nm west (270°) of BWG
    Time
    01:51 UTC
    Height
    at 34,000 ft
    Aircraft
    B739
    Turbulence
    continuous light occasional moderate chop
    Remarks
    zme
  • E170 at 33,000 ft, 44 nm east, 9:53 pm EDT (01:53 UTC): light chop turbulence, remarks: ZTLFD-22. 266 nm along the route, 44 nm east of the line.
    as filed, and in English
    ATL UA /OV ATL280045/TM 0153/FL330/TP E170/TB CONS LGT CHOP /RM ZTLFD-22
    Report
    a routine report filed through ATL
    Where
    45 nm west (280°) of ATL
    Time
    01:53 UTC
    Height
    at 33,000 ft
    Aircraft
    E170
    Turbulence
    continuous light chop
    Remarks
    ZTLFD-22

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 6 forecast points nearest it (LOU, BNA, HSV, BHM, MGM, MOB). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

HeightAverage windHead- or tailwindTemperatureGround speedTime en routeArrival
4,500 ft320° at 20 kt−15 kt135 kt3 h 26 min1:43 am CDT (06:43 UTC)
6,500 ft340° at 22 kt−19 kt16 °C139 kt3 h 20 min1:37 am CDT (06:37 UTC)
8,500 ft330° at 25 kt−21 kt12 °C141 kt3 h 17 min1:34 am CDT (06:34 UTC)
10,500 ft330° at 23 kt−20 kt8 °C140 kt3 h 18 min1:35 am CDT (06:35 UTC)
12,500 ft340° at 20 kt−18 kt5 °C138 kt3 h 21 min1:38 am CDT (06:38 UTC)
14,500 ft330° at 21 kt−17 kt0 °C137 kt3 h 23 min1:40 am CDT (06:40 UTC)
16,500 ft320° at 22 kt−16 kt-4 °C136 kt3 h 24 min1:41 am CDT (06:41 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180320° at 23 kt−15 kt-7 °C135 kt3 h 26 min1:43 am CDT (06:43 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240330° at 31 kt−26 kt-17 °C146 kt3 h 10 min1:27 am CDT (06:27 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300330° at 49 kt−40 kt-33 °C160 kt2 h 54 min1:11 am CDT (06:11 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340330° at 59 kt−47 kt-41 °C167 kt2 h 46 min1:03 am CDT (06:03 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390340° at 42 kt−37 kt-50 °C157 kt2 h 57 min1:14 am CDT (06:14 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
PointFrom3,0006,0009,00012,00018,00024,00030,00034,00039,000
LOUused from 0 nm out; 28 nm from the line310/18340/28 16°340/29 10°350/27 3°330/27 -7°340/39 -19°330/58 -33°330/67 -41°330/40 -49°
BNAused from 49 nm out; 63 nm from the line310/20340/20 17°330/24 10°340/22 5°330/26 -6°340/29 -18°330/52 -33°320/62 -41°340/45 -50°
HSVused from 148 nm out; 54 nm from the line310/20330/20 16°320/27 11°340/23 5°320/23 -7°340/30 -17°320/50 -33°330/61 -41°340/41 -50°
BHMused from 246 nm out; 28 nm from the line310/19330/20 17°320/28 11°340/21 6°310/22 -7°330/33 -17°330/50 -32°330/57 -41°330/41 -50°
MGMused from 296 nm out; 34 nm from the line310/19340/24 17°340/28 11°330/16 7°300/23 -7°320/32 -16°330/46 -33°330/55 -42°330/41 -50°
MOBused from 444 nm out; 89 nm from the line330/5330/6 19°340/6 11°330/10 7°320/16 -5°310/26 -16°340/40 -32°340/47 -42°350/51 -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

AirportWhereConditionsWindVisibilityCeilingElevationReported
SDF Louisville, KY departure VFR from the south-southeast (160°) at 3 knots 10+ mi none 500 ft 10:56 pm EDT (02:56 UTC)
EKX Elizabethtown, KY 30 nm out, 6 nm west of the line low IFR Sky: a broken layer at 300 feet Weather: fog calm 0.5 mi 300 ft 775 ft 02:55 UTC
GLW Glasgow, KY 69 nm out, 4 nm west of the line low IFR Sky: overcast at 200 feet Weather: fog calm 0.25 mi 200 ft 716 ft 02:55 UTC
MBT Murfreesboro, TN 138 nm out, 19 nm west of the line VFR calm 8 mi none 614 ft 02:55 UTC
BGF Winchester, TN 177 nm out, 3 nm south of the line low IFR Sky: sky obscured at 500 feet Weather: fog calm 0.5 mi 500 ft 978 ft 02:55 UTC
MDQ Huntsville, AL 197 nm out, 23 nm west of the line VFR Weather: mist calm 7 mi none 763 ft 02:55 UTC
PLR Pell City, AL 276 nm out, 2 nm southwest of the line VFR calm 9 mi none 484 ft 02:55 UTC
SCD Sylacauga, AL 306 nm out, 5 nm north of the line VFR calm 9 mi none 568 ft 02:55 UTC
MGM Montgomery, AL 355 nm out, 2 nm northwest of the line, tower VFR calm 10+ mi none 221 ft 02:53 UTC
TOI Troy, AL 375 nm out, 20 nm east of the line, tower VFR Weather: mist calm 6 mi none 397 ft 02:53 UTC
CEW Crestview, FL 444 nm out, 2 nm southwest of the line marginal VFR Weather: mist calm 4 mi none 213 ft 02:53 UTC
VPS Valparaiso/Destin-Ft Walton Beach, FL destination VFR from the west (280°) at 6 knots 10+ mi none 84 ft 9:55 pm CDT (02:55 UTC)

The highest airport on this list sits at 978 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At VPS when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 1:03 am CDT (06:03 UTC)

Wind from the west-northwest at 6 knots, clear skies

The whole forecast for VPS
  • From Sun 8:00 pm CDT (01:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 6 knots, 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 VPS 6:18 pm CDT (23:18 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:42 pm CDT (23:42 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at VPS is before sunrise there (6:46 am CDT (11:46 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 central Great Lakes
Radar now, the central Great Lakes · loop National Weather Service
Radar now, the lower Mississippi valley
Radar now, the lower Mississippi valley · loop National Weather Service
Radar now, the Southeast
Radar now, the Southeast · loop National Weather Service
Radar, the whole country
Radar, the whole country · loop National Weather Service
Surface analysis now
Surface analysis now Weather Prediction Center
Forecast chart, 12 hours ahead
Forecast chart, 12 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center
Forecast chart, 24 hours ahead
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: Louisville Muhammad Ali International, Eglin Afb/Destin-Ft Walton Beach Airport.