The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Plan a flight · Sun 9:41 pm EDT (01:41 UTC)

Tampa International to Lakeland Linder International TPA → LAL

27 nautical miles (31 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 088°, about 093° magnetic at the departure end (variation 5W). At 120 knots that is 12 min at the quickest height in today's winds (5,500 ft, a 11-knot tailwind), arriving about 9:53 pm EDT (01:53 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now TPA is VFR, wind calm; LAL 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: 6 flights in the DOT's last twelve reported months, the route's page.

The return flight

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 TPA.

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 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 (PIE). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

HeightAverage windHead- or tailwindTemperatureGround speedTime en routeArrival
3,500 ft300° at 7 kt−6 kt126 kt13 min9:54 pm EDT (01:54 UTC)
5,500 ft270° at 11 kt−11 kt131 kt12 min9:53 pm EDT (01:53 UTC)
7,500 ft270° at 13 kt−13 kt15 °C133 kt12 min9:53 pm EDT (01:53 UTC)
9,500 ft270° at 14 kt−14 kt12 °C134 kt12 min9:53 pm EDT (01:53 UTC)
11,500 ft260° at 14 kt−14 kt9 °C134 kt12 min9:53 pm EDT (01:53 UTC)
13,500 ft250° at 16 kt−15 kt5 °C135 kt12 min9:53 pm EDT (01:53 UTC)
15,500 ft250° at 18 kt−17 kt0 °C137 kt12 min9:53 pm EDT (01:53 UTC)
17,500 ft240° at 21 kt−19 kt-4 °C139 kt12 min9:53 pm EDT (01:53 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180240° at 22 kt−19 kt-5 °C139 kt12 min9:53 pm EDT (01:53 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240230° at 24 kt−19 kt-16 °C139 kt12 min9:53 pm EDT (01:53 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300220° at 26 kt−17 kt-31 °C137 kt12 min9:53 pm EDT (01:53 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340200° at 31 kt−11 kt-41 °C131 kt12 min9:53 pm EDT (01:53 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390180° at 33 kt−1 kt-53 °C121 kt13 min9:54 pm EDT (01:54 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
PointFrom3,0006,0009,00012,00018,00024,00030,00034,00039,000
PIEused from 0 nm out; 22 nm from the line310/7270/12 17°270/14 13°260/14 8°240/22 -5°230/24 -16°220/26 -31°200/31 -41°180/33 -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

AirportWhereConditionsWindVisibilityCeilingElevationReported
TPA Tampa, FL departure VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 20,000 feet, a broken layer at 25,000 feet calm 10+ mi 25,000 ft 26 ft 8:53 pm EDT (00:53 UTC)
LAL Lakeland, FL destination VFR calm 10+ mi none 141 ft 8:50 pm EDT (00:50 UTC)

The highest airport on this list sits at 141 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At LAL when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 9:53 pm EDT (01:53 UTC)

Wind from the north at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 3,000 feet, a broken layer at 25,000 feet VFR

The whole forecast for LAL
  • From Sun 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the north at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 3,000 feet, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
  • From Sun 11:00 pm EDT (03:00 UTC): wind from the north at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
  • From Mon 10:00 am EDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the north at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
The forecast for TPA, the departure
  • From Sun 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the north at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 3,000 feet, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
  • From Sun 11:00 pm EDT (03:00 UTC): wind from the north at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
  • From Mon 10:00 am EDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the north at 8 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 TPA 7:04 pm EDT (23:04 UTC), at LAL 7:02 pm EDT (23:02 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:25 pm EDT (23:25 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at LAL is after sunset there (7:03 pm EDT (23:03 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

Radar now, the Southeast
Radar now, the Southeast · loop National Weather Service
Radar, the whole country
Radar, the whole country · loop National Weather Service
Surface analysis now
Surface analysis now Weather Prediction Center
Forecast chart, 12 hours ahead
Forecast chart, 12 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center
Forecast chart, 24 hours ahead
Forecast chart, 24 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center

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: Tampa International, Lakeland Linder International.