The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Plan a flight · Sun 5:31 pm MST (00:31 UTC)

Tucson International to Minneapolis-St Paul Intl/Wold-Chamberlain Airport TUS → MSP

1,127 nautical miles (1,297 statute miles) northeast on a straight line, true course 042°, about 033° magnetic at the departure end (variation 9E). At 120 knots that is 6 h 12 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 62-knot tailwind), arriving about 1:43 am CDT (06:43 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now TUS is VFR, wind from the south-southwest (210°) at 12 knots, gusting to 21; MSP is VFR, wind from the south-southeast (150°) 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: 461 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

  • SIGMET W69W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 34,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 6:55 pm MST (01:55 UTC). Over the first 219 nm of the route.
    as issued
    WSUS33 KKCI 112355
    MKCW WST 112355
    CONVECTIVE SIGMET 69W
    VALID UNTIL 0155Z
    TX NM AZ
    FROM 50ENE PGS-60SE ABQ-20ENE ELP-70SSW SSO-50SE BZA-50ENE PGS
    AREA TS MOV FROM 23040KT. TOPS TO FL340.
  • SIGMET W68W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 36,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 6:55 pm MST (01:55 UTC). Over the route from 229 to 479 nm out.
    as issued
    WSUS33 KKCI 112355
    MKCW WST 112355
    CONVECTIVE SIGMET 68W
    VALID UNTIL 0155Z
    CO NM AZ UT
    FROM 30W CHE-20NNW TBE-60SE ABQ-40N SJN-30SW MTU-30W CHE
    AREA TS MOV FROM 23040KT. TOPS TO FL360.
  • AIRMET TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 35,000 ft to 45,000 ft. Over the first 259 nm of the route.
  • AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the route from 10 to 499 nm out.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 20 to 239 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 36,000 ft. Near the route, 598 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 TUS.

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 9 forecast points nearest it (TUS, ABQ, ALS, PUB, GLD, GRI, ONL, FSD, MSP). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

HeightAverage windHead- or tailwindTemperatureGround speedTime en routeArrival
5,500 ft210° at 23 kt−22 kt17 °C142 kt7 h 56 min3:27 am CDT (08:27 UTC)
7,500 ft210° at 25 kt−24 kt14 °C144 kt7 h 50 min3:21 am CDT (08:21 UTC)
9,500 ft220° at 26 kt−26 kt12 °C146 kt7 h 43 min3:14 am CDT (08:14 UTC)
11,500 ft220° at 26 kt−26 kt7 °C146 kt7 h 43 min3:14 am CDT (08:14 UTC)
13,500 ft220° at 28 kt−28 kt3 °C148 kt7 h 37 min3:08 am CDT (08:08 UTC)
15,500 ft230° at 31 kt−31 kt-2 °C151 kt7 h 28 min2:59 am CDT (07:59 UTC)
17,500 ft230° at 34 kt−35 kt-7 °C155 kt7 h 16 min2:47 am CDT (07:47 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180230° at 35 kt−36 kt-8 °C156 kt7 h 13 min2:44 am CDT (07:44 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240240° at 40 kt−40 kt-19 °C160 kt7 h 03 min2:34 am CDT (07:34 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300230° at 61 kt−61 kt-31 °C181 kt6 h 14 min1:45 am CDT (06:45 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340240° at 64 kt−62 kt-39 °C182 kt6 h 12 min1:43 am CDT (06:43 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390250° at 61 kt−57 kt-49 °C177 kt6 h 22 min1:53 am CDT (06:53 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
TUSused from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line220/17 15°210/32 7°210/43 5°210/49 -7°220/64 -18°220/83 -26°230/81 -36°230/72 -48°
ABQused from 150 nm out; 108 nm from the line200/28 13°210/28 5°210/44 -7°230/46 -20°230/80 -28°240/74 -35°240/58 -47°
ALSused from 349 nm out; 48 nm from the line210/32 5°230/48 -8°230/49 -20°230/78 -30°240/74 -36°240/61 -47°
PUBused from 449 nm out; 32 nm from the line210/24 16°210/28 8°230/43 -8°240/42 -21°240/77 -30°240/72 -36°250/51 -47°
GLDused from 549 nm out; 54 nm from the line190/29200/30 15°240/23 8°250/39 -7°230/39 -19°230/57 -31°240/67 -39°250/62 -49°
GRIused from 698 nm out; 94 nm from the line210/31 19°240/21 14°240/17 6°260/27 -7°260/34 -18°240/45 -32°250/56 -40°260/62 -51°
ONLused from 798 nm out; 45 nm from the line200/20 17°230/26 14°240/21 7°250/27 -9°260/32 -19°240/44 -34°240/56 -41°250/62 -51°
FSDused from 898 nm out; 49 nm from the line200/16220/20 17°240/26 13°230/19 6°240/25 -9°240/28 -20°250/39 -33°250/44 -43°260/63 -52°
MSPused from 1047 nm out; 55 nm from the line200/28240/30 19°240/24 12°240/17 5°270/24 -10°270/33 -20°280/48 -35°290/55 -45°280/84 -54°

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
TUS Tucson, AZ departure VFR Sky: a few clouds at 6,000 feet from the south-southwest (210°) at 12 knots, gusting to 21 10+ mi none 2,643 ft 4:53 pm MST (23:53 UTC)
SAD Safford, AZ 80 nm out, 19 nm southeast of the line VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 11,000 feet from the north-northwest (340°) at 4 knots 10+ mi none 3,178 ft 23:51 UTC
JTC Springerville, AZ 140 nm out, 22 nm northwest of the line VFR Sky: a few clouds at 7,000 feet, a few clouds at 8,000 feet, scattered clouds at 9,000 feet from the south-southwest (200°) at 16 knots 10+ mi none 7,055 ft 00:15 UTC
GNT Grants, NM 239 nm out, 14 nm northwest of the line VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 11,000 feet from the south (180°) at 20 knots, gusting to 24 10+ mi none 6,536 ft 23:35 UTC
SKX Taos, NM 369 nm out, 10 nm southeast of the line no report just now 7,094 ft
LHX La Junta, CO 509 nm out, 14 nm southeast of the line VFR from the southwest (230°) at 6 knots 10+ mi none 4,228 ft 15:53 UTC
ITR Burlington, CO 598 nm out, 2 nm east of the line VFR from the south (190°) at 12 knots 10+ mi none 4,218 ft 23:53 UTC
CZD Cozad, NE 748 nm out, 5 nm southwest of the line no report just now 2,503 ft
ODX Ord, NE 808 nm out, 5 nm north of the line VFR from the north-northwest (330°) at 5 knots 10+ mi none 2,070 ft 23:53 UTC
VMR Vermillion, SD 918 nm out, 5 nm northeast of the line VFR from the west-northwest (300°) at 8 knots 10+ mi none 1,146 ft 00:15 UTC
MWM Windom, MN 1027 nm out, 3 nm northwest of the line VFR from the south-southwest (200°) at 5 knots 10+ mi none 1,410 ft 00:21 UTC
MSP Minneapolis, MN destination VFR Sky: a broken layer at 25,000 feet from the south-southeast (150°) at 6 knots 10+ mi 25,000 ft 841 ft 6:53 pm CDT (23:53 UTC)

The highest airport on this list sits at 7,094 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At MSP when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 1:43 am CDT (06:43 UTC)

Wind from the south at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 20,000 feet VFR

The whole forecast for MSP
  • From Sun 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 20,000 feet
  • From Mon 6:00 am CDT (11:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 20,000 feet
  • From Mon 10:00 pm CDT (03:00 UTC): wind from the northwest at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 2,500 feet, a broken layer at 15,000 feet
The forecast for TUS, the departure
  • From Sun 5:00 pm MST (00:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 20 knots, gusting to 30, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 6,000 feet
  • From Sun 7:00 pm MST (02:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 6,000 feet
  • From Mon 12:00 am MST (07:00 UTC): wind from the south-southeast at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 5,000 feet
  • From Mon 7:00 am MST (14:00 UTC): wind from the east-southeast at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, showers nearby, scattered clouds at 5,000 feet
  • From Mon 10:00 am MST (17:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 14 knots, gusting to 22, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 6,000 feet, scattered clouds at 8,000 feet

Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it

  • 6/6656 ANOKA, MN, Monday, October 5, 2026 through Monday, October 19, 2026 Local 19 nm from the route, at the destination end · security · until 19 October · ZMP

Daylight

Sunset at TUS 5:55 pm MST (00:55 UTC), at MSP 6:35 pm CDT (23:35 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:04 pm CDT (00:04 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at MSP is before sunrise there (7:24 am CDT (12:24 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 southern Rockies
Radar now, the southern Rockies · loop National Weather Service
Radar now, the northern Rockies
Radar now, the northern Rockies · loop National Weather Service
Radar now, the upper Mississippi valley
Radar now, the upper Mississippi valley · 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: Tucson International, Minneapolis-St Paul Intl/Wold-Chamberlain Airport.