Ralph M Calhoun Memorial to Fairbanks International TAL → FAI
110 nautical miles (127 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 099°, about 080° magnetic at the departure end (variation 19E). At 120 knots that is 47 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 20-knot tailwind), arriving about 7:26 pm AKDT (03:26 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now TAL is VFR, wind calm; FAI is marginal VFR, wind from the south-southwest (200°) at 8 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: 837 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 TAL.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
- C208 at 9,000 ft, 11 nm north, 4:35 pm AKDT (00:35 UTC): no icing above 9,000 ft, haze, snow, remarks: fai atct akfss. 101 nm along the route, 11 nm north of the line.
as filed, and in English
FAI UA /OV PAFA315015 /TM 0035 /FL090 /TP C208 /WX HZ SN /IC NEG 090 /RM FAI ATCT AKFSS
- Report
- a routine report filed through FAI
- Where
- 15 nm northwest (315°) of PAFA
- Time
- 00:35 UTC
- Height
- at 9,000 ft
- Aircraft
- C208
- Weather
- haze, snow
- Icing
- no at 9,000 ft
- Remarks
- fai atct akfss
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 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 1 forecast point nearest it (FAI). 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 | 270° at 12 kt | −12 kt | 132 kt | 50 min | 7:29 pm AKDT (03:29 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 280° at 14 kt | −14 kt | 134 kt | 49 min | 7:28 pm AKDT (03:28 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 280° at 15 kt | −15 kt | -8 °C | 135 kt | 49 min | 7:28 pm AKDT (03:28 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 270° at 14 kt | −14 kt | -12 °C | 134 kt | 49 min | 7:28 pm AKDT (03:28 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 290° at 11 kt | −11 kt | -17 °C | 131 kt | 50 min | 7:29 pm AKDT (03:29 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 290° at 8 kt | −7 kt | -21 °C | 127 kt | 52 min | 7:31 pm AKDT (03:31 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 290° at 4 kt | −4 kt | -25 °C | 124 kt | 53 min | 7:32 pm AKDT (03:32 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | light and variable | −1 kt | -29 °C | 121 kt | 55 min | 7:34 pm AKDT (03:34 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | light and variable | 0 | -30 °C | 120 kt | 55 min | 7:34 pm AKDT (03:34 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 230° at 6 kt | −4 kt | -43 °C | 124 kt | 53 min | 7:32 pm AKDT (03:32 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 300° at 15 kt | −14 kt | -54 °C | 134 kt | 49 min | 7:28 pm AKDT (03:28 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 280° at 18 kt | −18 kt | -53 °C | 138 kt | 48 min | 7:27 pm AKDT (03:27 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 240° at 26 kt | −20 kt | -48 °C | 140 kt | 47 min | 7:26 pm AKDT (03:26 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FAI | used from 0 nm out; 87 nm from the line | 270/11 | 280/15 -5° | 270/15 -11° | 290/10 -18° | L/V -30° | 230/6 -43° | 300/15 -54° | 280/18 -53° | 240/26 -48° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TAL Tanana, AK | departure | VFR Sky: overcast at 7,000 feet | calm | 10+ mi | 7,000 ft | 242 ft | 5:52 pm AKDT (01:52 UTC) |
| MLY Manley Hot Springs, AK | 37 nm out, 5 nm south of the line | no report just now | 275 ft | ||||
| 51Z Minto, AK | 64 nm out, 12 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 499 ft | ||||
| FAI Fairbanks, AK | destination | marginal VFR Sky: a broken layer at 2,700 feet, a broken layer at 3,300 feet, a broken layer at 4,500 feet Weather: light rain, mist | from the south-southwest (200°) at 8 knots | 6 mi | 2,700 ft | 439 ft | 6:10 pm AKDT (02:10 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 499 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At FAI when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 7:26 pm AKDT (03:26 UTC)
Wind from the southwest at 3 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, light rain showers, scattered clouds at 1,500 feet, overcast at 4,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for FAI
- From Sun 4:00 pm AKDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 3 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, showers nearby, a broken layer at 6,000 feet
- From Sun 7:00 pm AKDT (03:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 3 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, light rain showers, scattered clouds at 1,500 feet, overcast at 4,000 feet
- From Mon 2:00 am AKDT (10:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 4,000 feet
- At times between Mon 6:00 am AKDT (14:00 UTC) and 10:00 am AKDT (18:00 UTC): visibility 5 miles, mist, overcast at 700 feet
The forecast for TAL, the departure
- From Sun 4:00 pm AKDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the east at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 4,000 feet
- From Sun 10:00 pm AKDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the east-southeast at 3 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 2,500 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 TAL 6:55 pm AKDT (02:55 UTC), at FAI 6:39 pm AKDT (02:39 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:29 pm AKDT (03:29 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at FAI is after sunset there (6:43 pm AKDT (02:43 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: Ralph M Calhoun Memorial, Fairbanks International.