Sioux Gateway/Brig General Bud Day Field to Southern Illinois Airport SUX → MDH
429 nautical miles (494 statute miles) southeast on a straight line, true course 128°, about 125° magnetic at the departure end (variation 3E). At 120 knots that is 2 h 31 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 51-knot tailwind), arriving about 6:32 am CDT (11:32 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now SUX is VFR, wind calm; MDH is VFR, wind from the south-southwest (200°) at 3 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: 2 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 2W: 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 first 279 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 SUX.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
No pilot reports within 50 nautical miles of the line in the last three hours.
Winds aloft along the route, and the time en route the forecast for use 08:00–15:00 UTC · at 120 knots true airspeed
The eastbound cruising heights for this course (VFR: odd thousands plus 500 ft; above 18,000 ft the forecast levels), with the wind averaged along the line from the 5 forecast points nearest it (OMA, DSM, COU, STL, CGI). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.
| Height | Average wind | Head- or tailwind | Temperature | Ground speed | Time en route | Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3,500 ft | 250° at 35 kt | −15 kt | 135 kt | 3 h 11 min | 7:12 am CDT (12:12 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 250° at 25 kt | −12 kt | 132 kt | 3 h 15 min | 7:16 am CDT (12:16 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 240° at 19 kt | −8 kt | 15 °C | 128 kt | 3 h 21 min | 7:22 am CDT (12:22 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 240° at 18 kt | −6 kt | 11 °C | 126 kt | 3 h 24 min | 7:25 am CDT (12:25 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 240° at 21 kt | −7 kt | 7 °C | 127 kt | 3 h 23 min | 7:24 am CDT (12:24 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 240° at 23 kt | −10 kt | 3 °C | 130 kt | 3 h 18 min | 7:19 am CDT (12:19 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 250° at 25 kt | −13 kt | -2 °C | 133 kt | 3 h 14 min | 7:15 am CDT (12:15 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 250° at 27 kt | −15 kt | -7 °C | 135 kt | 3 h 11 min | 7:12 am CDT (12:12 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 260° at 28 kt | −16 kt | -8 °C | 136 kt | 3 h 09 min | 7:10 am CDT (12:10 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 260° at 36 kt | −22 kt | -20 °C | 142 kt | 3 h 01 min | 7:02 am CDT (12:02 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 270° at 49 kt | −39 kt | -32 °C | 159 kt | 2 h 42 min | 6:43 am CDT (11:43 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 270° at 58 kt | −47 kt | -38 °C | 167 kt | 2 h 34 min | 6:35 am CDT (11:35 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 280° at 57 kt | −51 kt | -48 °C | 171 kt | 2 h 31 min | 6:32 am CDT (11:32 UTC) |
Based on data from the 12th at 06:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 12:00 UTC for use 08:00 to 15:00 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OMA | used from 0 nm out; 51 nm from the line | 230/47 | 240/33 21° | 230/22 13° | 220/27 5° | 240/35 -8° | 250/43 -21° | 260/47 -33° | 260/59 -36° | 270/58 -46° |
| DSM | used from 100 nm out; 36 nm from the line | 250/47 | 260/25 20° | 240/19 11° | 240/31 5° | 250/26 -9° | 260/38 -20° | 260/47 -34° | 270/58 -37° | 270/61 -47° |
| COU | used from 200 nm out; 75 nm from the line | 250/36 | 260/14 16° | 250/5 12° | 260/12 6° | 260/24 -7° | 260/35 -19° | 280/58 -31° | 280/62 -40° | 290/60 -49° |
| STL | used from 299 nm out; 28 nm from the line | 250/26 | 240/21 15° | 240/22 11° | 250/23 6° | 270/28 -7° | 260/30 -19° | 280/52 -31° | 280/57 -40° | 300/57 -49° |
| CGI | used from 399 nm out; 43 nm from the line | 260/22 | 250/15 15° | 250/13 11° | 250/16 6° | 270/29 -7° | 280/30 -18° | 290/40 -31° | 290/55 -40° | 300/51 -51° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUX Sioux City, IA | departure | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 1,098 ft | 3:52 am CDT (08:52 UTC) |
| MEY Mapleton, IA | 30 nm out, 6 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 1,116 ft | ||||
| ADU Audubon, IA | 80 nm out, 8 nm north of the line | reported, no category | from the south (170°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,287 ft | 08:55 UTC |
| GFZ Greenfield, IA | 110 nm out, 4 nm north of the line | no report just now | 1,363 ft | ||||
| LWD Lamoni, IA | 150 nm out, 14 nm southwest of the line | VFR | from the south (180°) at 8 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,130 ft | 08:53 UTC |
| TVK Centerville, IA | 190 nm out, 19 nm northeast of the line | VFR | from the south-southwest (200°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,023 ft | 08:35 UTC |
| IRK Kirksville, MO | 220 nm out, 3 nm east of the line | reported, no category | from the south-southwest (200°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 966 ft | 08:55 UTC |
| MYJ Mexico, MO | 279 nm out, 19 nm southwest of the line | VFR | from the south (190°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 822 ft | 08:35 UTC |
| SET St Charles, MO | 339 nm out, 14 nm northeast of the line | VFR | from the east-northeast (070°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 436 ft | 08:54 UTC |
| SUS St Louis, MO | 349 nm out, 7 nm west of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 463 ft | 08:54 UTC |
| SAR Sparta, IL | 399 nm out, 2 nm northeast of the line | VFR | from the south-southwest (200°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 537 ft | 08:35 UTC |
| MDH Carbondale/Murphysboro, IL | destination | VFR | from the south-southwest (200°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 411 ft | 3:52 am CDT (08:52 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,363 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At MDH when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 6:32 am CDT (11:32 UTC)
MDH has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
The forecast for SUX, the departure
- From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 2:00 am CDT (07:00 UTC): wind from the south at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 9:00 am CDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the south at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 12:00 pm CDT (17:00 UTC): wind from the west-southwest at 11 knots, gusting to 18, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 4:00 pm CDT (21:00 UTC): wind from the west at 11 knots, gusting to 19, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the northwest at 11 knots, gusting to 18, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
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 SUX 6:48 pm CDT (23:48 UTC), at MDH 6:24 pm CDT (23:24 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:50 pm CDT (23:50 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at MDH is before sunrise there (7:02 am CDT (12:02 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: Sioux Gateway/Brig General Bud Day Field, Southern Illinois Airport.