Ralph M Calhoun Memorial to Takotna Airport TAL → TCT
167 nautical miles (192 statute miles) southwest on a straight line, true course 220°, about 201° magnetic at the departure end (variation 19E). At 120 knots that is 1 h 27 min at the quickest height in today's winds (30,000 ft, a 5-knot headwind), arriving about 2:03 am AKDT (10:03 UTC), after sunset at the destination. 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: 1 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.
Turbulence No turbulence warning in force along the route. No pilot has reported turbulence near the line in the last three hours. The government's turbulence forecast map ↗
Icing No icing warning in force along the route. No pilot has reported icing near the line in the last three hours. The freezing level is below 6,500 ft, the lowest forecast height, so any cloud could carry ice. The government's icing forecast map ↗
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
Not fetched just now.
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 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 2 forecast points nearest it (GAL, MCG). 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 | 180° at 10 kt | +8 kt | 112 kt | 1 h 29 min | 2:05 am AKDT (10:05 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 180° at 11 kt | +9 kt | -9 °C | 111 kt | 1 h 30 min | 2:06 am AKDT (10:06 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 180° at 10 kt | +8 kt | -14 °C | 112 kt | 1 h 29 min | 2:05 am AKDT (10:05 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 170° at 11 kt | +8 kt | -18 °C | 112 kt | 1 h 29 min | 2:05 am AKDT (10:05 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 180° at 11 kt | +8 kt | -23 °C | 112 kt | 1 h 29 min | 2:05 am AKDT (10:05 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 180° at 11 kt | +9 kt | -27 °C | 111 kt | 1 h 30 min | 2:06 am AKDT (10:06 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 180° at 11 kt | +9 kt | -31 °C | 111 kt | 1 h 30 min | 2:06 am AKDT (10:06 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 180° at 11 kt | +9 kt | -34 °C | 111 kt | 1 h 30 min | 2:06 am AKDT (10:06 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 170° at 10 kt | +7 kt | -40 °C | 113 kt | 1 h 29 min | 2:05 am AKDT (10:05 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 150° at 13 kt | +5 kt | -50 °C | 115 kt | 1 h 27 min | 2:03 am AKDT (10:03 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 160° at 13 kt | +7 kt | -58 °C | 113 kt | 1 h 29 min | 2:05 am AKDT (10:05 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 210° at 19 kt | +19 kt | -54 °C | 101 kt | 1 h 39 min | 2:15 am AKDT (10:15 UTC) |
Based on data from the 13th at 06:00 UTC; valid on the 13th 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GAL | used from 0 nm out; 108 nm from the line | 170/8 | 170/10 -8° | 170/10 -15° | 170/11 -22° | 180/11 -34° | 200/8 -38° | 200/15 -50° | 210/14 -58° | 220/21 -56° |
| MCG | used from 98 nm out; 41 nm from the line | 200/11 | 200/14 -8° | 180/11 -15° | 180/12 -22° | 190/11 -34° | 150/16 -42° | 110/24 -49° | 120/23 -57° | 200/18 -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
| Airport | Where | Conditions | Wind | Visibility | Ceiling | Elevation | Reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TAL Tanana, AK | departure | reported, no category | calm | none | 242 ft | 11:52 pm AKDT (07:52 UTC) | |
| TCT Takotna, AK | destination | no report just now | 423 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 423 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
The codes as issued, and in English, for every airport in the table
TAL Tanana, AK
the observation and the forecast as issued, and in English
METAR PATA 130752Z AUTO A2965 RMK AO2 SLPNO PWINO FZRANO TSNO
- METAR
- a routine hourly observation
- PATA
- the station, PATA
- 130752Z
- observed 11:52 pm AKDT (07:52 UTC)
- AUTO
- fully automated report, nobody checked it
- A2965
- altimeter setting 29.65 inches of mercury
- RMK
- remarks follow
- AO2 SLPNO PWINO FZRANO TSNO
- automated station with a precipitation sensor, sea-level pressure not available, the present-weather sensor is not working, the freezing-rain sensor is not working, the thunderstorm sensor is not working
TAF PATA 130526Z 1306/1406 09004KT 6SM BR OVC005 FM131200 09003KT 6SM BR VCSH BKN008 OVC015 FM131600 08002KT 5SM -SHSN BR SCT008 OVC015 AMD NOT SKED
- TAF
- a terminal aerodrome forecast: the weather expected at the airport, usually for the next 24 or 30 hours
- PATA
- the station, PATA
- 130526Z
- issued 9:26 pm AKDT (05:26 UTC)
- 1306/1406 09004KT 6SM BR OVC005
- valid from Mon 10:00 pm AKDT (06:00 UTC) to Tue 10:00 pm AKDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the east at 4 knots, visibility 6 miles, mist, overcast at 500 feet
- FM131200 09003KT 6SM BR VCSH BKN008 OVC015
- from Tue 4:00 am AKDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the east at 3 knots, visibility 6 miles, mist, vcsh, a broken layer at 800 feet, overcast at 1,500 feet
- FM131600 08002KT 5SM -SHSN BR SCT008 OVC015 AMD NOT SKED
- from Tue 8:00 am AKDT (16:00 UTC): wind from the east at 2 knots, visibility 5 miles, light snow showers, mist, scattered clouds at 800 feet, overcast at 1,500 feet, amd, not, sked
At TCT when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 2:03 am AKDT (10:03 UTC)
TCT has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
The forecast for TAL, the departure
- From Mon 10:00 pm AKDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the east at 4 knots, visibility 6 miles, mist, overcast at 500 feet
- From Tue 4:00 am AKDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the east at 3 knots, visibility 6 miles, mist, showers nearby, a broken layer at 800 feet, overcast at 1,500 feet
- From Tue 8:00 am AKDT (16:00 UTC): wind from the east at 2 knots, visibility 5 miles, light snow showers, mist, scattered clouds at 800 feet, overcast at 1,500 feet
TAL: the forecast as issued, and in English
TAF PATA 130526Z 1306/1406 09004KT 6SM BR OVC005 FM131200 09003KT 6SM BR VCSH BKN008 OVC015 FM131600 08002KT 5SM -SHSN BR SCT008 OVC015 AMD NOT SKED
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
No temporary flight restriction on or near this route right now.
Notices to air missions closures and things out of service at both ends; airspace, navigation aids and obstructions near the line
TAL: 5 notices in force. all of them, grouped →
TCT: no notice in force.
No airspace, navigation-aid or obstruction notice near the line.
From the FAA's notice service (NOTAMs), the site's copy refreshed every few minutes; last checked 2 minutes ago. The FAA has so far issued eFlight its test feed, which misses some notices (checked against the FAA's own search on 12 October: about a third missing at Santa Barbara and Burbank, none at Atlanta or Las Vegas); the request for the full feed is with the FAA. Times are local to the field. This is for planning; the legal briefing comes from Flight Service or the FAA's own tools.
Daylight
Sunset at TAL 6:48 pm AKDT (02:48 UTC), at TCT 7:10 pm AKDT (03:10 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:57 pm AKDT (03:57 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at TCT is before sunrise there (9:05 am AKDT (17:05 UTC)).
Each restriction opens the FAA's own page with the exact area, heights and times.
The wind over the route live wind map, from Windy.com · drag the time bar for the coming hours; the level menu changes the height
Colours show wind speed, the moving lines its direction, at the surface unless you pick a height. Map and forecast by Windy.com; a second opinion beside the government's winds-aloft table above.
Radar and forecast charts for the regions crossed government pictures, the latest each time the page loads · the turbulence and icing forecasts: turbulence ↗ · icing ↗
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, Takotna Airport.