The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Plan a flight · Mon 7:03 am CDT (12:03 UTC)

Eglin Afb/Destin-Ft Walton Beach Airport to Dane County Rgnl/Truax Field VPS → MSN

772 nautical miles (888 statute miles) north on a straight line, true course 351°, about 354° magnetic at the departure end (variation 3W). At 120 knots that is 6 h 46 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 6-knot headwind), arriving about 1:49 pm CDT (18:49 UTC). Right now VPS is VFR, wind from the northwest (320°) at 5 knots; MSN is VFR, wind from the south (190°) at 7 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: 1 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

  • AIRMET SIERRA 1E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, mist, fog). Over the route from 30 to 188 nm out.

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 VPS.

Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first

  • B737 at 36,000 ft, 11 nm west, 6:14 am CDT (11:14 UTC): no turbulence, remarks: ZME33. 435 nm along the route, 11 nm west of the line.
    as filed, and in English
    EVV UA /OV PXV225030/TM 1114/FL360/TP B737/TB NEG/RM ZME33
    Report
    a routine report filed through EVV
    Where
    30 nm southwest (225°) of PXV
    Time
    11:14 UTC
    Height
    at 36,000 ft
    Aircraft
    B737
    Turbulence
    none
    Remarks
    ZME33
  • E550 at 8,700 ft, 26 nm east, 5:30 am CDT (10:30 UTC): clear from 8,700 ft to 60,000 ft, remarks: visual conditions clear during the climb. 455 nm along the route, 26 nm east of the line.
    as filed, and in English
    EVV UA /OV EVV/TM 1030/FL087/TP E550/SK SKC/RM VMC CLR DURC
    Report
    a routine report filed through EVV
    Where
    over EVV
    Time
    10:30 UTC
    Height
    at 8,700 ft
    Aircraft
    E550
    Sky
    clear
    Remarks
    visual conditions clear during the climb
  • B739 at 34,000 ft, 45 nm east, 5:58 am CDT (10:58 UTC): no turbulence. At the destination end, 45 nm east of the line.
    as filed, and in English
    UES UA /OV BAE/TM 1058/FL340/TP B739/TB NEG
    Report
    a routine report filed through UES
    Where
    over BAE
    Time
    10:58 UTC
    Height
    at 34,000 ft
    Aircraft
    B739
    Turbulence
    none

Winds aloft along the route, and the time en route the forecast for use 08:00–15:00 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 (MOB, MGM, BHM, HSV, BNA, EVV, SPI, JOT, DBQ). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

HeightAverage windHead- or tailwindTemperatureGround speedTime en routeArrival
4,500 ft280° at 17 kt+6 kt114 kt6 h 46 min1:49 pm CDT (18:49 UTC)
6,500 ft290° at 14 kt+7 kt15 °C113 kt6 h 50 min1:53 pm CDT (18:53 UTC)
8,500 ft290° at 13 kt+6 kt11 °C114 kt6 h 46 min1:49 pm CDT (18:49 UTC)
10,500 ft290° at 13 kt+6 kt7 °C114 kt6 h 46 min1:49 pm CDT (18:49 UTC)
12,500 ft290° at 15 kt+7 kt4 °C113 kt6 h 50 min1:53 pm CDT (18:53 UTC)
14,500 ft290° at 18 kt+10 kt0 °C110 kt7 h 01 min2:04 pm CDT (19:04 UTC)
16,500 ft300° at 21 kt+12 kt-3 °C108 kt7 h 09 min2:12 pm CDT (19:12 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180300° at 23 kt+14 kt-6 °C106 kt7 h 17 min2:20 pm CDT (19:20 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240290° at 26 kt+13 kt-19 °C107 kt7 h 13 min2:16 pm CDT (19:16 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300300° at 35 kt+22 kt-33 °C98 kt7 h 53 min2:56 pm CDT (19:56 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340310° at 46 kt+33 kt-41 °C87 kt8 h 52 min3:55 pm CDT (20:55 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390310° at 46 kt+37 kt-51 °C83 kt9 h 18 min4:21 pm CDT (21:21 UTC)

Based on data from the 12th at 06:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 12:00 UTC for use 08:00 to 15:00 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
MOBused from 0 nm out; 85 nm from the lineL/VL/V 18°020/8 11°L/V 6°330/12 -5°330/23 -17°330/30 -32°350/39 -41°340/40 -53°
MGMused from 49 nm out; 40 nm from the line320/19330/16 17°340/21 11°330/11 5°330/27 -6°330/21 -17°330/37 -32°340/44 -40°360/30 -52°
BHMused from 148 nm out; 22 nm from the line310/19310/15 16°320/19 11°330/15 5°330/23 -5°320/14 -18°320/36 -32°330/44 -40°340/36 -51°
HSVused from 198 nm out; 38 nm from the line300/20310/14 16°310/18 10°310/15 4°320/19 -5°290/16 -18°320/36 -32°320/47 -41°330/42 -50°
BNAused from 297 nm out; 49 nm from the line300/20300/14 15°300/14 10°300/13 4°310/22 -5°280/24 -18°310/37 -33°310/50 -41°320/49 -51°
EVVused from 396 nm out; 44 nm from the line270/25290/17 15°260/10 8°270/16 5°280/29 -6°280/33 -19°290/38 -33°300/53 -41°310/54 -51°
SPIused from 544 nm out; 54 nm from the line260/28250/22 15°250/14 9°260/20 6°280/27 -7°280/34 -19°280/48 -32°280/59 -41°300/60 -49°
JOTused from 594 nm out; 58 nm from the line250/25260/22 14°250/17 9°270/21 5°280/28 -8°280/36 -20°270/41 -35°280/57 -42°290/65 -50°
DBQused from 742 nm out; 70 nm from the line250/27260/23 17°240/26 10°260/30 4°280/26 -9°280/36 -21°270/41 -36°280/52 -41°290/67 -48°

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
VPS Valparaiso/Destin-Ft Walton Beach, FL departure VFR from the northwest (320°) at 5 knots 10+ mi none 84 ft 6:55 am CDT (11:55 UTC)
CEW Crestview, FL 20 nm out, 4 nm southeast of the line marginal VFR Weather: mist calm 4 mi none 213 ft 11:53 UTC
SEM Selma, AL 119 nm out, 7 nm southwest of the line, tower reported, no category from the east (080°) at 27 knots, gusting to 37 3,300 ft 166 ft 01:30 UTC
BHM Birmingham, AL 188 nm out, 19 nm east of the line, tower VFR Sky: a few clouds at 4,000 feet, a few clouds at 8,000 feet, a few clouds at 25,000 feet calm 8 mi none 650 ft 11:53 UTC
MSL Muscle Shoals, AL 257 nm out, 12 nm west of the line marginal VFR Weather: mist calm 4 mi none 550 ft 11:53 UTC
GHM Centerville, TN 326 nm out, 8 nm east of the line no report just now 765 ft
TWT Sturgis, KY 425 nm out, 4 nm north of the line VFR calm 7 mi none 372 ft 11:55 UTC
CUL Carmi, IL 465 nm out, 2 nm southwest of the line no report just now 387 ft
BMI Bloomington/Normal, IL 613 nm out, 12 nm west of the line, tower VFR from the south-southwest (210°) at 7 knots 10+ mi none 871 ft 11:56 UTC
ARR Chicago/Aurora, IL 683 nm out, 22 nm east of the line, tower VFR calm 9 mi none 712 ft 11:52 UTC
RFD Chicago/Rockford, IL 712 nm out, 2 nm north of the line, tower VFR Sky: a broken layer at 25,000 feet from the south-southeast (150°) at 4 knots 10+ mi 25,000 ft 742 ft 11:54 UTC
MSN Madison, WI destination VFR Sky: a broken layer at 24,000 feet from the south (190°) at 7 knots 10+ mi 24,000 ft 886 ft 6:53 am CDT (11:53 UTC)

The highest airport on this list sits at 886 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, 1:49 pm CDT (18:49 UTC)

Wind from the southwest at 10 knots, gusting to 20, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet VFR

The whole forecast for MSN
  • From Mon 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
  • From Mon 9:00 am CDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 10 knots, gusting to 20, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
  • From Mon 9:00 pm CDT (02:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, a few clouds at 10,000 feet
  • From Tue 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the west at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
The forecast for VPS, the departure
  • From Mon 4:00 am CDT (09:00 UTC): wind from the northwest at 6 knots, 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 VPS 6:18 pm CDT (23:18 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

Radar now, the Southeast
Radar now, the Southeast · loop National Weather Service
Radar now, the lower Mississippi valley
Radar now, the lower Mississippi valley · loop National Weather Service
Radar now, the central Great Lakes
Radar now, the central Great Lakes · 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: Eglin Afb/Destin-Ft Walton Beach Airport, Dane County Rgnl/Truax Field.