Orlando Sanford International to Des Moines International SFB → DSM
977 nautical miles (1,124 statute miles) northwest on a straight line, true course 325°, about 330° magnetic at the departure end (variation 5W). At 120 knots that is 9 h 08 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 13-knot headwind), arriving about 4:28 am CDT (09:28 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now SFB is VFR, wind from the west (260°) at 4 knots; DSM is VFR, wind from the south (170°) at 9 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: 411 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 6W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 28,000 ft to 40,000 ft. Over the route from 399 to 528 nm out.
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 SFB.
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 12 forecast points nearest it (MLB, JAX, TLH, CSG, ATL, HSV, BNA, CGI, STL, COU, BRL, DSM). 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 | 290° at 15 kt | +13 kt | 107 kt | 9 h 08 min | 4:28 am CDT (09:28 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 310° at 21 kt | +21 kt | 15 °C | 99 kt | 9 h 52 min | 5:12 am CDT (10:12 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 300° at 24 kt | +22 kt | 12 °C | 98 kt | 9 h 58 min | 5:18 am CDT (10:18 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 300° at 25 kt | +24 kt | 9 °C | 96 kt | 10 h 11 min | 5:31 am CDT (10:31 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 300° at 26 kt | +25 kt | 5 °C | 95 kt | 10 h 17 min | 5:37 am CDT (10:37 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 300° at 26 kt | +24 kt | 1 °C | 96 kt | 10 h 11 min | 5:31 am CDT (10:31 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 300° at 25 kt | +22 kt | -4 °C | 98 kt | 9 h 58 min | 5:18 am CDT (10:18 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 290° at 25 kt | +21 kt | -7 °C | 99 kt | 9 h 52 min | 5:12 am CDT (10:12 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 290° at 23 kt | +20 kt | -18 °C | 100 kt | 9 h 46 min | 5:06 am CDT (10:06 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 290° at 31 kt | +26 kt | -33 °C | 94 kt | 10 h 24 min | 5:44 am CDT (10:44 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 290° at 33 kt | +29 kt | -41 °C | 91 kt | 10 h 44 min | 6:04 am CDT (11:04 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 290° at 33 kt | +28 kt | -51 °C | 92 kt | 10 h 37 min | 5:57 am CDT (10:57 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MLB | used from 0 nm out; 76 nm from the line | 240/7 | 240/11 17° | 240/13 13° | 250/15 8° | 230/25 -5° | 210/25 -16° | 210/24 -31° | 190/29 -41° | 190/27 -53° |
| JAX | used from 50 nm out; 46 nm from the line | 280/14 | 300/22 16° | 260/27 15° | 260/26 9° | 240/41 -6° | 230/38 -16° | 220/44 -32° | 200/49 -41° | 200/52 -53° |
| TLH | used from 150 nm out; 75 nm from the line | 300/17 | 340/32 17° | 320/27 13° | 300/27 8° | 280/23 -7° | 250/37 -17° | 230/44 -33° | 220/53 -41° | 220/48 -51° |
| CSG | used from 199 nm out; 73 nm from the line | 300/20 | 330/41 15° | 320/42 11° | 320/41 7° | 300/33 -6° | 290/33 -18° | 270/32 -34° | 260/31 -41° | 260/24 -51° |
| ATL | used from 349 nm out; 56 nm from the line | 300/23 | 320/26 14° | 320/34 10° | 320/41 5° | 290/32 -6° | 290/31 -18° | 280/28 -33° | 260/32 -41° | 250/28 -50° |
| HSV | used from 399 nm out; 33 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° |
| BNA | used from 498 nm out; 41 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° |
| CGI | used from 598 nm out; 43 nm from the line | 250/10 | 290/12 17° | 290/18 11° | 300/22 5° | 320/25 -8° | 330/30 -18° | 320/53 -33° | 320/66 -42° | 320/56 -50° |
| STL | used from 698 nm out; 29 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 798 nm out; 60 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° |
| BRL | used from 847 nm out; 56 nm from the line | 200/20 | 250/21 16° | 240/22 10° | 260/20 5° | 270/16 -7° | 290/22 -18° | 320/41 -34° | 320/56 -43° | 310/68 -53° |
| DSM | used from 897 nm out; 55 nm from the line | 200/32 | 240/27 17° | 260/19 10° | 260/16 5° | 260/19 -7° | 240/22 -19° | 270/20 -32° | 270/38 -42° | 290/58 -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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFB Orlando, FL | departure | VFR | from the west (260°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 54 ft | 7:53 pm EDT (23:53 UTC) |
| GNV Gainesville, FL | 80 nm out, 13 nm southwest of the line, tower | VFR | from the west (270°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 151 ft | 23:53 UTC |
| LCQ Lake City, FL | 110 nm out, 8 nm southwest of the line, tower | VFR | from the southwest (220°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 200 ft | 23:55 UTC |
| CSG Columbus, GA | 289 nm out, 23 nm southwest of the line, tower | VFR | from the west-northwest (290°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 397 ft | 23:51 UTC |
| PYP Centre, AL | 389 nm out, 8 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 594 ft | ||||
| HSV Huntsville, AL | 449 nm out, 18 nm southwest of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 3,000 feet | calm | 10+ mi | none | 628 ft | 23:53 UTC |
| GHM Centerville, TN | 528 nm out, 1 nm east of the line | no report just now | 765 ft | ||||
| PAH Paducah, KY | 628 nm out, 4 nm south of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 410 ft | 23:00 UTC |
| CPS Cahokia/St Louis, IL | 738 nm out, 4 nm northeast of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southeast (150°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 412 ft | 23:53 UTC |
| HAE Hannibal, MO | 827 nm out, 4 nm northeast of the line | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 768 ft | 23:35 UTC |
| TVK Centerville, IA | 917 nm out, 9 nm southwest of the line | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 1,023 ft | 23:55 UTC |
| DSM Des Moines, IA | destination | VFR Sky: a broken layer at 20,000 feet | from the south (170°) at 9 knots | 10+ mi | 20,000 ft | 957 ft | 6:54 pm CDT (23:54 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,023 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At DSM when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 4:28 am CDT (09:28 UTC)
Wind from the south at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for DSM
- From Sun 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south at 12 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
- From Sun 10:00 pm CDT (03:00 UTC): wind from the south at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 9:00 am CDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 12 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 12:00 pm CDT (17:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 12 knots, gusting to 19, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
The forecast for SFB, 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 few clouds at 5,000 feet, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 10:00 am EDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the north-northwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/8792 Lake City, FL, Sunday, October 11, 2026 through Sunday, October 11, 2026 Local 6 nm from the route, 120 nm along the route · a hazard on the ground (fire-fighting, a chemical spill, rescue work) · ended 11 October · ZJX
- 6/6783 Perry, GA, Friday, October 9, 2026 through Monday, October 19, 2026 UTC 23 nm from the route, 259 nm along the route · drones kept away from a public gathering · until 19 October · ZTL
Daylight
Sunset at SFB 6:58 pm EDT (22:58 UTC), at DSM 6:40 pm CDT (23:40 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:07 pm CDT (00:07 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at DSM is before sunrise there (7:23 am CDT (12:23 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: Orlando Sanford International, Des Moines International.