Tampa International to Dane County Rgnl/Truax Field TPA → MSN
968 nautical miles (1,114 statute miles) north on a straight line, true course 342°, about 347° magnetic at the departure end (variation 5W). At 120 knots that is 9 h 13 min at the quickest height in today's winds (12,500 ft, a 15-knot headwind), arriving about 7:45 am CDT (12:45 UTC). Right now TPA is VFR, wind from the north (350°) at 3 knots; MSN is VFR, wind from the south (180°) at 6 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: 208 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 route from 429 to 719 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Near the route, 449 nm along 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 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 02:00–09:00 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 9 forecast points nearest it (PIE, TLH, CSG, ATL, BNA, EVV, IND, JOT, DBQ). 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 | 310° at 18 kt | +16 kt | 104 kt | 9 h 18 min | 7:50 am CDT (12:50 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 320° at 20 kt | +19 kt | 16 °C | 101 kt | 9 h 35 min | 8:07 am CDT (13:07 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 320° at 21 kt | +20 kt | 12 °C | 100 kt | 9 h 41 min | 8:13 am CDT (13:13 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 320° at 18 kt | +18 kt | 9 °C | 102 kt | 9 h 29 min | 8:01 am CDT (13:01 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 320° at 16 kt | +15 kt | 5 °C | 105 kt | 9 h 13 min | 7:45 am CDT (12:45 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 310° at 19 kt | +16 kt | 1 °C | 104 kt | 9 h 18 min | 7:50 am CDT (12:50 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 300° at 21 kt | +17 kt | -3 °C | 103 kt | 9 h 24 min | 7:56 am CDT (12:56 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 300° at 23 kt | +17 kt | -6 °C | 103 kt | 9 h 24 min | 7:56 am CDT (12:56 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 300° at 26 kt | +21 kt | -18 °C | 99 kt | 9 h 47 min | 8:19 am CDT (13:19 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 320° at 37 kt | +35 kt | -33 °C | 85 kt | 11 h 23 min | 9:55 am CDT (14:55 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 310° at 42 kt | +37 kt | -41 °C | 83 kt | 11 h 40 min | 10:12 am CDT (15:12 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 310° at 40 kt | +35 kt | -50 °C | 85 kt | 11 h 23 min | 9:55 am CDT (14:55 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PIE | used from 0 nm out; 28 nm from the line | 350/6 | L/V 18° | 290/6 14° | 280/9 9° | 250/18 -6° | 250/23 -17° | 240/30 -31° | 220/31 -41° | 220/30 -52° |
| TLH | used from 100 nm out; 62 nm from the line | 320/18 | 350/31 18° | 340/24 13° | 310/17 8° | 280/22 -7° | 300/25 -17° | 320/28 -33° | 320/24 -41° | 320/25 -50° |
| CSG | used from 250 nm out; 39 nm from the line | 310/24 | 340/35 17° | 340/37 12° | 330/22 8° | 310/30 -7° | 290/30 -18° | 340/57 -32° | 340/55 -41° | 320/33 -49° |
| ATL | used from 299 nm out; 33 nm from the line | 320/30 | 330/37 16° | 340/44 11° | 330/35 7° | 310/33 -6° | 300/38 -18° | 330/58 -33° | 330/48 -40° | 320/34 -49° |
| BNA | used from 449 nm out; 69 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 599 nm out; 46 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 699 nm out; 54 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° |
| JOT | used from 799 nm out; 37 nm from the line | 250/23 | 270/22 15° | 250/16 10° | 240/9 4° | 280/22 -7° | 280/29 -19° | 300/29 -34° | 290/50 -43° | 300/64 -52° |
| DBQ | used from 948 nm out; 73 nm from the line | 230/33 | 250/30 16° | 280/15 9° | 260/15 5° | 260/21 -7° | 260/24 -20° | 250/37 -33° | 270/42 -43° | 280/63 -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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TPA Tampa, FL | departure | VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 20,000 feet, a broken layer at 25,000 feet | from the north (350°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | 25,000 ft | 26 ft | 10:53 pm EDT (02:53 UTC) |
| BKV Brooksville, FL | 30 nm out, 13 nm east of the line, tower | VFR | from the southeast (130°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 76 ft | 02:53 UTC |
| VLD Valdosta, GA | 170 nm out, 16 nm northeast of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 203 ft | 02:53 UTC |
| ABY Albany, GA | 230 nm out, 14 nm west of the line, tower | VFR | from the west (280°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 196 ft | 22:53 UTC |
| FTY Atlanta, GA | 359 nm out, 15 nm northeast of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 841 ft | 02:53 UTC |
| CHA Chattanooga, TN | 449 nm out, 8 nm east of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 2,500 feet | calm | 10+ mi | none | 682 ft | 02:53 UTC |
| RNC Mc Minnville, TN | 489 nm out, 10 nm west of the line | low IFR Sky: overcast at 100 feet Weather: fog | calm | 0.25 mi | 100 ft | 1,031 ft | 03:15 UTC |
| TEL Tell City, IN | 639 nm out, 1 nm east of the line | no report just now | 659 ft | ||||
| HUF Terre Haute, IN | 729 nm out, 4 nm east of the line, tower | marginal VFR Weather: mist | calm | 3 mi | none | 589 ft | 03:00 UTC |
| LOT Chicago/Romeoville, IL | 859 nm out, 18 nm northeast of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southeast (150°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 679 ft | 03:15 UTC |
| JVL Janesville, WI | 938 nm out, 4 nm southeast of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 807 ft | 03:15 UTC |
| MSN Madison, WI | destination | VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 25,000 feet | from the south (180°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 886 ft | 9:53 pm CDT (02:53 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,031 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At MSN when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 7:45 am CDT (12:45 UTC)
Wind from the south-southwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for MSN
- From Sun 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Sun 11:00 pm CDT (04:00 UTC): wind from the south at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
The forecast for TPA, the departure
- 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
- 6/6783 Perry, GA, Friday, October 9, 2026 through Monday, October 19, 2026 UTC 25 nm from the route, 270 nm along the route · drones kept away from a public gathering · until 19 October · ZTL
Daylight
Sunset at TPA 7:04 pm EDT (23:04 UTC), at MSN 6:19 pm CDT (23:19 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:48 pm CDT (23:48 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: Tampa International, Dane County Rgnl/Truax Field.