Appleton International to Philadelphia International ATW → PHL
647 nautical miles (744 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 109°, about 111° magnetic at the departure end (variation 2W). At 120 knots that is 3 h 52 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 47-knot tailwind), arriving about 8:32 am EDT (12:32 UTC). 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 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 TANGO 3W: low-level wind shear (due to air speed loss or gain of 20 knots or more below 2,000 ft above the ground). Over the first 129 nm of the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 3E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist, fog). Over the last 458 nm of the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 428 to 567 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 21,000 ft to 33,000 ft. Over the last 50 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 ATW.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
- C560 at 13,000 ft, 2 nm northeast, 1:38 am CDT (06:38 UTC): moderate turbulence, overcast above 19,000 ft, heavy rain, remarks: during the descent. At the destination end, 2 nm northeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
PHL UA /OV 20 NW PHL/TM 0638/FL130 /TP C560/SK OVC190/WX +RA/TB MOD/RM DURD
- Report
- a routine report filed through PHL
- Where
- 20 northwest phl
- Time
- 06:38 UTC
- Height
- at 13,000 ft
- Aircraft
- C560
- Sky
- overcast from 19,000 ft
- Weather
- heavy rain
- Turbulence
- moderate
- Remarks
- during the descent
- A333 descending, 33 nm southwest, 12:44 am CDT (05:44 UTC): a routine report with nothing remarked on. 259 nm along the route, 33 nm southwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
DTW UA /OV DTW/TM 0544/FLDURD/TP A333/SK TOPS 025
- Report
- a routine report filed through DTW
- Where
- over DTW
- Time
- 05:44 UTC
- Height
- during the descent
- Aircraft
- A333
- Sky
- tops 2,500 ft
- K35R at 400 ft, 46 nm south, 2:45 am CDT (07:45 UTC): overcast above 40,000 ft. At the destination end, 46 nm south of the line.
as filed, and in English
DOV UA /OV KDOV /TM 0745 /FL 004 /TP K35R /SK OVC004-TOPUNKN
- Report
- a routine report filed through DOV
- Where
- over KDOV
- Time
- 07:45 UTC
- Height
- at 400 ft
- Aircraft
- K35R
- Sky
- overcast from 400 ft, tops unknown
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 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 7 forecast points nearest it (GRB, MKG, CLE, AGC, PSB, AVP, ACY). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.
| Height | Average wind | Head- or tailwind | Temperature | Ground speed | Time en route | Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3,500 ft | 280° at 14 kt | −14 kt | 134 kt | 4 h 50 min | 9:30 am EDT (13:30 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 320° at 11 kt | −11 kt | 12 °C | 131 kt | 4 h 56 min | 9:36 am EDT (13:36 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 320° at 12 kt | −11 kt | 11 °C | 131 kt | 4 h 56 min | 9:36 am EDT (13:36 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 320° at 13 kt | −12 kt | 7 °C | 132 kt | 4 h 54 min | 9:34 am EDT (13:34 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 310° at 17 kt | −16 kt | 4 °C | 136 kt | 4 h 45 min | 9:25 am EDT (13:25 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 310° at 20 kt | −19 kt | 0 °C | 139 kt | 4 h 39 min | 9:19 am EDT (13:19 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 310° at 23 kt | −22 kt | -4 °C | 142 kt | 4 h 33 min | 9:13 am EDT (13:13 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 310° at 26 kt | −25 kt | -8 °C | 145 kt | 4 h 28 min | 9:08 am EDT (13:08 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 310° at 27 kt | −26 kt | -9 °C | 146 kt | 4 h 26 min | 9:06 am EDT (13:06 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 310° at 28 kt | −28 kt | -21 °C | 148 kt | 4 h 22 min | 9:02 am EDT (13:02 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 310° at 35 kt | −34 kt | -36 °C | 154 kt | 4 h 12 min | 8:52 am EDT (12:52 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 300° at 43 kt | −42 kt | -44 °C | 162 kt | 4 h | 8:40 am EDT (12:40 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 310° at 48 kt | −47 kt | -51 °C | 167 kt | 3 h 52 min | 8:32 am EDT (12:32 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GRB | used from 0 nm out; 23 nm from the line | 250/32 | 250/22 17° | 240/18 8° | 280/21 6° | 280/34 -11° | 280/35 -21° | 280/39 -37° | 270/52 -45° | 290/60 -49° |
| MKG | used from 50 nm out; 49 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° |
| CLE | used from 249 nm out; 80 nm from the line | 310/7 | 350/20 14° | 340/16 9° | 320/21 2° | 320/32 -8° | 330/34 -20° | 330/45 -36° | 320/60 -45° | 320/64 -51° |
| AGC | used from 398 nm out; 74 nm from the line | 340/11 | 350/12 11° | 360/25 7° | 340/30 2° | 340/41 -8° | 340/44 -21° | 350/59 -36° | 340/68 -42° | 340/50 -51° |
| PSB | used from 448 nm out; 31 nm from the line | 020/21 12° | 360/28 7° | 360/29 1° | 350/33 -10° | 350/42 -22° | 350/49 -37° | 340/63 -43° | 350/39 -52° | |
| AVP | used from 547 nm out; 69 nm from the line | 010/20 | 020/24 11° | 360/19 8° | 350/23 2° | 320/24 -11° | 330/25 -22° | 330/27 -37° | 310/28 -42° | 290/30 -50° |
| ACY | used from 597 nm out; 64 nm from the line | 350/12 | 340/12 11° | 340/12 6° | 340/13 2° | 270/10 -10° | 240/17 -23° | 230/46 -33° | 230/46 -40° | 240/46 -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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATW Appleton, WI | departure | no report just now | 918 ft | ||||
| MTW Manitowoc, WI | 40 nm out, 6 nm north of the line | no report just now | 650 ft | ||||
| FFX Fremont, MI | 119 nm out, 8 nm south of the line | no report just now | 771 ft | ||||
| LAN Lansing, MI | 189 nm out, 22 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 860 ft | ||||
| FNT Flint, MI | 219 nm out, 3 nm east of the line, tower | no report just now | 782 ft | ||||
| DET Detroit, MI | 269 nm out, 16 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 624 ft | ||||
| ERI Erie, PA | 388 nm out, 18 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 732 ft | ||||
| GKJ Meadville, PA | 398 nm out, 8 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 1,399 ft | ||||
| UNV State College, PA | 517 nm out, 5 nm west of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,231 ft | ||||
| MDT Harrisburg, PA | 577 nm out, 16 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 310 ft | ||||
| LNS Lancaster, PA | 597 nm out, 9 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 402 ft | ||||
| PHL Philadelphia, PA | destination | no report just now | 35 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,399 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At PHL when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 8:32 am EDT (12:32 UTC)
PHL has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/8829 Youngstown, OH, Monday, October 12, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local 10 nm from the route, 388 nm along the route · a VIP movement · today · ZOB
- 6/8587 Youngstown, OH, Monday, October 12, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local 10 nm from the route, 388 nm along the route · a VIP movement · today · ZOB
Daylight
Sunset at ATW 6:15 pm CDT (23:15 UTC), at PHL 6:26 pm EDT (22:26 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:53 pm EDT (22:53 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: Appleton International, Philadelphia International.