MC Ghee Tyson Airport to Blue Grass Airport TYS → LEX
137 nautical miles (157 statute miles) north on a straight line, true course 348°, about 354° magnetic at the departure end (variation 6W). At 120 knots that is 1 h 21 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 19-knot headwind), arriving about 2:33 am EDT (06:33 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now TYS is marginal VFR, wind from the southwest (220°) at 5 knots; LEX is IFR, wind from the south-southwest (210°) at 5 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: 5 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 whole route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the first 68 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 TYS.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
- B738 descending, 0 nm west, 11:15 pm EDT (03:15 UTC): remarks: multiple layers from from 5,200 ft to 4,700 ft overcast at at 2,300 ft. At the departure end, 0 nm west of the line.
as filed, and in English
TYS UA /OV KTYS/TM 0315/FLDURD/TP B738/RM MULTIPLE LAYERS FROM 052-047 OVC AT 023
- Report
- a routine report filed through TYS
- Where
- over KTYS
- Time
- 03:15 UTC
- Height
- during the descent
- Aircraft
- B738
- Remarks
- multiple layers from from 5,200 ft to 4,700 ft overcast at at 2,300 ft
- A319 descending, 0 nm west, 10:52 pm EDT (02:52 UTC): remarks: tops 6,800 ft bases 2,300 ft. At the departure end, 0 nm west of the line.
as filed, and in English
TYS UA /OV KTYS/TM 0252/FLDURD/TP A319/RM TOPS 068 BASES 023
- Report
- a routine report filed through TYS
- Where
- over KTYS
- Time
- 02:52 UTC
- Height
- during the descent
- Aircraft
- A319
- Remarks
- tops 6,800 ft bases 2,300 ft
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 2 forecast points nearest it (TYS, LOU). 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 | 330° at 20 kt | +19 kt | 101 kt | 1 h 21 min | 2:33 am EDT (06:33 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 340° at 23 kt | +22 kt | 12 °C | 98 kt | 1 h 24 min | 2:36 am EDT (06:36 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 340° at 29 kt | +29 kt | 10 °C | 91 kt | 1 h 30 min | 2:42 am EDT (06:42 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 340° at 32 kt | +32 kt | 6 °C | 88 kt | 1 h 33 min | 2:45 am EDT (06:45 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 340° at 33 kt | +33 kt | 3 °C | 87 kt | 1 h 34 min | 2:46 am EDT (06:46 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 340° at 33 kt | +33 kt | -1 °C | 87 kt | 1 h 34 min | 2:46 am EDT (06:46 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 330° at 34 kt | +33 kt | -4 °C | 87 kt | 1 h 34 min | 2:46 am EDT (06:46 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 330° at 34 kt | +33 kt | -7 °C | 87 kt | 1 h 34 min | 2:46 am EDT (06:46 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 330° at 38 kt | +37 kt | -19 °C | 83 kt | 1 h 39 min | 2:51 am EDT (06:51 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 330° at 52 kt | +50 kt | -34 °C | 70 kt | 1 h 57 min | 3:09 am EDT (07:09 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 330° at 57 kt | +54 kt | -39 °C | 66 kt | 2 h 05 min | 3:17 am EDT (07:17 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 330° at 43 kt | +41 kt | -48 °C | 79 kt | 1 h 44 min | 2:56 am EDT (06:56 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TYS | used from 0 nm out; 24 nm from the line | 320/20 | 340/18 11° | 340/32 9° | 340/36 4° | 330/37 -7° | 330/38 -19° | 330/50 -34° | 330/53 -38° | 330/44 -48° |
| LOU | used from 98 nm out; 62 nm from the line | 310/18 | 340/28 16° | 340/29 10° | 350/27 3° | 330/27 -7° | 340/39 -19° | 330/58 -33° | 330/67 -41° | 330/40 -49° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TYS Knoxville, TN | departure | marginal VFR Sky: overcast at 2,700 feet | from the southwest (220°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | 2,700 ft | 986 ft | 12:53 am EDT (04:53 UTC) |
| JAU Jacksboro, TN | 29 nm out, 3 nm northwest of the line | marginal VFR Sky: a broken layer at 1,100 feet, a broken layer at 1,600 feet, overcast at 2,900 feet | variable at 6 knots, gusting to 15 | 10+ mi | 1,100 ft | 1,179 ft | 04:50 UTC |
| BYL Williamsburg, KY | 59 nm out, 3 nm northeast of the line | IFR Sky: a broken layer at 900 feet, overcast at 1,500 feet Weather: mist | from the west (280°) at 3 knots | 1.5 mi | 900 ft | 1,177 ft | 04:55 UTC |
| RGA Richmond, KY | 108 nm out, 8 nm northeast of the line | marginal VFR Sky: overcast at 2,800 feet | from the south-southwest (210°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | 2,800 ft | 1,002 ft | 04:55 UTC |
| LEX Lexington, KY | destination | IFR Weather: mist | from the south-southwest (210°) at 5 knots | 1.25 mi | none | 979 ft | 12:54 am EDT (04:54 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,179 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At LEX when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 2:33 am EDT (06:33 UTC)
Wind from the west at 4 knots, visibility 1 mile, mist, clear skies IFR
The whole forecast for LEX
- From Mon 1:00 am EDT (05:00 UTC): wind from the west at 4 knots, visibility 1 mile, mist, clear skies
- From Mon 4:00 am EDT (08:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 3 knots, visibility 2 miles, mist, clear skies
- At times between Mon 5:00 am EDT (09:00 UTC) and 9:00 am EDT (13:00 UTC): visibility ¼ mile, fog, overcast at 100 feet
- From Mon 9:00 am EDT (13:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
The forecast for TYS, the departure
- From Sun 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the west-southwest at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 1,000 feet, a broken layer at 1,500 feet
- From Mon 3:00 am EDT (07:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 2,500 feet
- From Mon 8:00 am EDT (12:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 3,500 feet, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
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 TYS 7:04 pm EDT (23:04 UTC), at LEX 7:05 pm EDT (23:05 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:31 pm EDT (23:31 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at LEX is before sunrise there (7:43 am EDT (11:43 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: MC Ghee Tyson Airport, Blue Grass Airport.