Tuscaloosa Ntl Airport to Purdue University Airport TCL → LAF
433 nautical miles (498 statute miles) north on a straight line, true course 004°, about 004° magnetic at the departure end (variation 0E). At 120 knots that is 3 h 54 min at the quickest height in today's winds (3,500 ft, a 9-knot headwind), arriving about 5:51 am EDT (09:51 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now TCL is marginal VFR, wind calm; LAF is VFR, wind calm. 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 SIERRA 3E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the last 246 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 TCL.
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 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 5 forecast points nearest it (BHM, HSV, BNA, EVV, IND). 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 | 300° at 17 kt | +9 kt | 111 kt | 3 h 54 min | 5:51 am EDT (09:51 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 320° at 17 kt | +12 kt | 108 kt | 4 h 01 min | 5:58 am EDT (09:58 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 320° at 20 kt | +15 kt | 14 °C | 105 kt | 4 h 07 min | 6:04 am EDT (10:04 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 320° at 22 kt | +16 kt | 9 °C | 104 kt | 4 h 10 min | 6:07 am EDT (10:07 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 330° at 19 kt | +16 kt | 6 °C | 104 kt | 4 h 10 min | 6:07 am EDT (10:07 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 330° at 19 kt | +16 kt | 2 °C | 104 kt | 4 h 10 min | 6:07 am EDT (10:07 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 320° at 21 kt | +15 kt | -2 °C | 105 kt | 4 h 07 min | 6:04 am EDT (10:04 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 320° at 23 kt | +15 kt | -6 °C | 105 kt | 4 h 07 min | 6:04 am EDT (10:04 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 320° at 23 kt | +15 kt | -7 °C | 105 kt | 4 h 07 min | 6:04 am EDT (10:04 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 330° at 29 kt | +24 kt | -18 °C | 96 kt | 4 h 31 min | 6:28 am EDT (10:28 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 330° at 47 kt | +37 kt | -33 °C | 83 kt | 5 h 13 min | 7:10 am EDT (11:10 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 320° at 59 kt | +43 kt | -41 °C | 77 kt | 5 h 37 min | 7:34 am EDT (11:34 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 330° at 49 kt | +40 kt | -50 °C | 80 kt | 5 h 25 min | 7:22 am EDT (11:22 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BHM | used from 0 nm out; 41 nm from the line | 310/19 | 330/20 17° | 320/28 11° | 340/21 6° | 310/22 -7° | 330/33 -17° | 330/50 -32° | 330/57 -41° | 330/41 -50° |
| HSV | used from 49 nm out; 38 nm from the line | 310/20 | 330/20 16° | 320/27 11° | 340/23 5° | 320/23 -7° | 340/30 -17° | 320/50 -33° | 330/61 -41° | 340/41 -50° |
| BNA | used from 148 nm out; 33 nm from the line | 310/20 | 340/20 17° | 330/24 10° | 340/22 5° | 330/26 -6° | 340/29 -18° | 330/52 -33° | 320/62 -41° | 340/45 -50° |
| EVV | used from 246 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 280/15 | 290/12 17° | 310/16 10° | 320/13 5° | 310/22 -6° | 320/26 -18° | 320/38 -33° | 310/56 -41° | 320/55 -51° |
| IND | used from 344 nm out; 41 nm from the line | 290/16 | 310/20 16° | 320/21 10° | 330/13 3° | 300/25 -7° | 320/32 -19° | 330/46 -34° | 320/61 -43° | 320/63 -50° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TCL Tuscaloosa, AL | departure | marginal VFR Weather: mist | calm | 5 mi | none | 169 ft | 12:53 am CDT (05:53 UTC) |
| JFX Jasper, AL | 39 nm out, 12 nm east of the line | VFR Weather: mist | calm | 6 mi | none | 482 ft | 05:35 UTC |
| HAB Hamilton, AL | 49 nm out, 23 nm west of the line | no report just now | 436 ft | ||||
| MSL Muscle Shoals, AL | 89 nm out, 7 nm northwest of the line | marginal VFR Weather: mist | calm | 5 mi | none | 550 ft | 05:53 UTC |
| GHM Centerville, TN | 157 nm out, 3 nm west of the line | no report just now | 765 ft | ||||
| JWN Nashville, TN | 177 nm out, 23 nm east of the line, tower | low IFR Sky: a broken layer at 200 feet Weather: fog | calm | 0.25 mi | 200 ft | 501 ft | 05:35 UTC |
| HVC Hopkinsville, KY | 217 nm out, 8 nm west of the line | VFR | calm | 9 mi | none | 563 ft | 05:35 UTC |
| OWB Owensboro, KY | 276 nm out, 4 nm south of the line, tower | marginal VFR Weather: mist | calm | 4 mi | none | 407 ft | 04:56 UTC |
| DCY Washington, IN | 335 nm out, 5 nm south of the line | VFR | from the southeast (130°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 472 ft | 05:35 UTC |
| HUF Terre Haute, IN | 374 nm out, 13 nm west of the line, tower | low IFR Weather: fog | calm | 0.5 mi | none | 589 ft | 05:53 UTC |
| CFJ Crawfordsville, IN | 403 nm out, 4 nm northeast of the line | VFR | calm | 7 mi | none | 800 ft | 05:55 UTC |
| LAF Lafayette, IN | destination | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 200 feet | calm | 9 mi | none | 605 ft | 1:35 am EDT (05:35 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 800 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At LAF when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 5:51 am EDT (09:51 UTC)
Wind calm, visibility 3 miles, mist, shallow fog, a few clouds at 25,000 feet marginal VFR
At times between Mon 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC) and 6:00 am EDT (10:00 UTC): visibility 1 mile, mist, shallow fog, overcast at 200 feet low IFR
The whole forecast for LAF
- From Mon 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC): wind calm, visibility 3 miles, mist, shallow fog, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
- At times between Mon 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC) and 6:00 am EDT (10:00 UTC): visibility 1 mile, mist, shallow fog, overcast at 200 feet
- From Mon 8:00 am EDT (12:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility 6 miles, mist, shallow fog, a few clouds at 200 feet
- From Mon 10:00 am EDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 20,000 feet
- From Mon 2:00 pm EDT (18:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 11 knots, gusting to 19, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 20,000 feet
The forecast for TCL, the departure
- From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind calm, visibility 4 miles, mist, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
- At times between Mon 4:00 am CDT (09:00 UTC) and 8:00 am CDT (13:00 UTC): visibility 2 miles, mist
- From Mon 11:00 am CDT (16:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 5 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 TCL 6:20 pm CDT (23:20 UTC), at LAF 7:12 pm EDT (23:12 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:40 pm EDT (23:40 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at LAF is before sunrise there (7:55 am EDT (11:55 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: Tuscaloosa Ntl Airport, Purdue University Airport.