Alpena County Regional to Gerald R Ford International APN → GRR
157 nautical miles (180 statute miles) southwest on a straight line, true course 213°, about 220° magnetic at the departure end (variation 7W). At 120 knots that is 1 h 26 min at the quickest height in today's winds (6,500 ft, a 11-knot headwind), arriving about 11:35 am EDT (15:35 UTC). Right now APN is VFR, wind calm; GRR is VFR, wind from the south (190°) at 4 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: 3 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
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 APN.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
- E170 at 28,000 ft, 6 nm south, 9:10 am EDT (13:10 UTC): moderate chop turbulence. At the destination end, 6 nm south of the line.
as filed, and in English
GRR UA /OV VIO/TM 1310/FL280/TP E170/TB OCNL MOD CHOP
- Report
- a routine report filed through GRR
- Where
- over VIO
- Time
- 13:10 UTC
- Height
- at 28,000 ft
- Aircraft
- E170
- Turbulence
- occasional moderate chop
- B739 at 34,000 ft, 41 nm southeast, 7:49 am EDT (11:49 UTC): no turbulence. 98 nm along the route, 41 nm southeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
FNT UA /OV FNT340025/TM 1149/FL340/TP B739/TB NEG
- Report
- a routine report filed through FNT
- Where
- 25 nm north (340°) of FNT
- Time
- 11:49 UTC
- Height
- at 34,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B739
- Turbulence
- none
- B752 at 32,000 ft, 36 nm southwest, 9:03 am EDT (13:03 UTC): light chop turbulence. At the destination end, 36 nm southwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
BIV UA /OV PMM/TM 1303/FL320/TP B752/TB CONS LGT CHOP
- Report
- a routine report filed through BIV
- Where
- over PMM
- Time
- 13:03 UTC
- Height
- at 32,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B752
- Turbulence
- continuous light chop
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 2 forecast points nearest it (TVC, MKG). 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 | 270° at 25 kt | +14 kt | 106 kt | 1 h 29 min | 11:38 am EDT (15:38 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 270° at 21 kt | +11 kt | 14 °C | 109 kt | 1 h 26 min | 11:35 am EDT (15:35 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 260° at 20 kt | +14 kt | 9 °C | 106 kt | 1 h 29 min | 11:38 am EDT (15:38 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 260° at 23 kt | +16 kt | 6 °C | 104 kt | 1 h 31 min | 11:40 am EDT (15:40 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 260° at 27 kt | +17 kt | 3 °C | 103 kt | 1 h 31 min | 11:40 am EDT (15:40 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 270° at 27 kt | +15 kt | -2 °C | 105 kt | 1 h 30 min | 11:39 am EDT (15:39 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 280° at 29 kt | +13 kt | -7 °C | 107 kt | 1 h 28 min | 11:37 am EDT (15:37 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 280° at 30 kt | +12 kt | -10 °C | 108 kt | 1 h 27 min | 11:36 am EDT (15:36 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 280° at 39 kt | +17 kt | -21 °C | 103 kt | 1 h 31 min | 11:40 am EDT (15:40 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 270° at 43 kt | +23 kt | -36 °C | 97 kt | 1 h 37 min | 11:46 am EDT (15:46 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 270° at 50 kt | +27 kt | -46 °C | 93 kt | 1 h 41 min | 11:50 am EDT (15:50 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 290° at 65 kt | +14 kt | -51 °C | 106 kt | 1 h 29 min | 11:38 am EDT (15:38 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
| Point | From | 3,000 | 6,000 | 9,000 | 12,000 | 18,000 | 24,000 | 30,000 | 34,000 | 39,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TVC | used from 0 nm out; 73 nm from the line | 270/31 | 280/23 15° | 260/22 8° | 260/29 4° | 280/29 -11° | 280/42 -21° | 270/42 -36° | 270/54 -47° | 290/67 -51° |
| MKG | used from 98 nm out; 51 nm from the line | 260/28 | 260/18 15° | 250/16 9° | 260/22 4° | 280/31 -9° | 270/35 -21° | 270/44 -35° | 270/42 -45° | 290/61 -51° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| APN Alpena, MI | departure | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 689 ft | 9:54 am EDT (13:54 UTC) |
| GDW Gladwin, MI | 78 nm out, 4 nm east of the line | VFR | from the south-southwest (200°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 774 ft | 13:55 UTC |
| AMN Alma, MI | 118 nm out, 17 nm southeast of the line | VFR | from the south-southwest (210°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 754 ft | 13:55 UTC |
| GRR Grand Rapids, MI | destination | VFR Sky: a broken layer at 25,000 feet | from the south (190°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | 25,000 ft | 793 ft | 9:53 am EDT (13:53 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 793 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At GRR when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 11:35 am EDT (15:35 UTC)
Wind from the south at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for GRR
- From Mon 8:00 am EDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the south at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 1:00 pm EDT (17:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 12 knots, gusting to 20, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 20,000 feet
- From Mon 6:00 pm EDT (22:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 8,000 feet
- From Mon 11:00 pm EDT (03:00 UTC): wind from the south at 8 knots, visibility 4 miles, light rain showers, mist, scattered clouds at 5,000 feet, overcast at 8,000 feet
- 30% chance between Mon 11:00 pm EDT (03:00 UTC) and 3:00 am EDT (07:00 UTC): visibility 2 miles, light thunderstorms with rain, mist, overcast at 3,500 feet (thunderheads)
- From Tue 3:00 am EDT (07:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 8,000 feet
The forecast for APN, the departure
- From Mon 8:00 am EDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 2:00 pm EDT (18:00 UTC): wind from the east-northeast at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 10,000 feet
- From Mon 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the east at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 2,500 feet
- From Mon 10:00 pm EDT (02:00 UTC): wind from the east-northeast at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 800 feet
- From Tue 1:00 am EDT (05:00 UTC): wind from the east-northeast at 8 knots, visibility 4 miles, rain, mist, overcast at 300 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 APN 6:54 pm EDT (22:54 UTC), at GRR 7:04 pm EDT (23:04 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:33 pm EDT (23:33 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: Alpena County Regional, Gerald R Ford International.