The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Plan a flight · Sun 9:16 pm CDT (02:16 UTC)

Appleton International to General Downing - Peoria International ATW → PIA

222 nautical miles (255 statute miles) south on a straight line, true course 194°, about 196° magnetic at the departure end (variation 2W). At 120 knots that is 1 h 28 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 31-knot tailwind), arriving about 10:44 pm CDT (03:44 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now ATW is VFR, wind from the south (180°) at 8 knots; PIA is VFR, wind calm. 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: 2 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

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 ATW.

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

  • E295 at 37,000 ft, 27 nm east, 7:53 pm CDT (00:53 UTC): light chop turbulence. 68 nm along the route, 27 nm east of the line.
    as filed, and in English
    UES UA /OV BAE/TM 0053/FL370/TP E295/TB OCNL LGT CHOP
    Report
    a routine report filed through UES
    Where
    over BAE
    Time
    00:53 UTC
    Height
    at 37,000 ft
    Aircraft
    E295
    Turbulence
    occasional light chop
  • A321 at 32,000 ft, 10 nm west, 8:56 pm CDT (01:56 UTC): light turbulence, remarks: pocket continuous light turbulence. 145 nm along the route, 10 nm west of the line.
    as filed, and in English
    RPJ UA /OV PLL/TM 0156/FL320/TP A321/TB CONS LGT/RM POCKET CONS LGT TB
    Report
    a routine report filed through RPJ
    Where
    over PLL
    Time
    01:56 UTC
    Height
    at 32,000 ft
    Aircraft
    A321
    Turbulence
    continuous light
    Remarks
    pocket continuous light turbulence

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 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 4 forecast points nearest it (GRB, DBQ, JOT, SPI). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

HeightAverage windHead- or tailwindTemperatureGround speedTime en routeArrival
4,500 ft240° at 15 kt+9 kt111 kt2 h11:16 pm CDT (04:16 UTC)
6,500 ft270° at 15 kt+5 kt15 °C115 kt1 h 56 min11:12 pm CDT (04:12 UTC)
8,500 ft270° at 18 kt+3 kt11 °C117 kt1 h 54 min11:10 pm CDT (04:10 UTC)
10,500 ft290° at 17 kt−1 kt7 °C121 kt1 h 50 min11:06 pm CDT (04:06 UTC)
12,500 ft300° at 17 kt−4 kt3 °C124 kt1 h 47 min11:03 pm CDT (04:03 UTC)
14,500 ft290° at 17 kt−3 kt-1 °C123 kt1 h 48 min11:04 pm CDT (04:04 UTC)
16,500 ft290° at 18 kt−3 kt-6 °C123 kt1 h 48 min11:04 pm CDT (04:04 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180290° at 18 kt−2 kt-9 °C122 kt1 h 49 min11:05 pm CDT (04:05 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240310° at 29 kt−15 kt-20 °C135 kt1 h 39 min10:55 pm CDT (03:55 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300320° at 48 kt−25 kt-36 °C145 kt1 h 32 min10:48 pm CDT (03:48 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340320° at 54 kt−31 kt-45 °C151 kt1 h 28 min10:44 pm CDT (03:44 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390310° at 67 kt−31 kt-50 °C151 kt1 h 28 min10:44 pm CDT (03:44 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
GRBused from 0 nm out; 43 nm from the line240/24260/18 16°270/20 11°290/14 4°280/24 -9°300/34 -21°310/51 -38°310/54 -48°300/71 -51°
DBQused from 48 nm out; 89 nm from the line220/23240/22 16°240/24 10°260/18 5°270/16 -8°290/27 -19°310/42 -35°320/55 -44°300/71 -52°
JOTused from 97 nm out; 65 nm from the line230/11290/12 16°300/19 10°320/19 4°300/17 -9°330/31 -20°320/49 -37°320/53 -45°320/67 -49°
SPIused from 193 nm out; 63 nm from the line210/13260/11 17°270/18 10°290/21 4°310/20 -8°330/25 -19°320/49 -34°320/60 -44°320/59 -50°

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
ATW Appleton, WI departure VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 12,000 feet from the south (180°) at 8 knots 10+ mi none 918 ft 8:45 pm CDT (01:45 UTC)
OSH Oshkosh, WI 19 nm out, 4 nm northeast of the line, tower VFR from the south (190°) at 9 knots 10+ mi none 808 ft 01:53 UTC
MSN Madison, WI 77 nm out, 19 nm northwest of the line, tower VFR Sky: a few clouds at 25,000 feet from the south (190°) at 6 knots 10+ mi none 886 ft 01:53 UTC
RFD Chicago/Rockford, IL 125 nm out, 5 nm southeast of the line, tower VFR Sky: a few clouds at 25,000 feet calm 10+ mi none 742 ft 01:54 UTC
RPJ Rochelle, IL 145 nm out, 10 nm east of the line VFR from the south-southeast (160°) at 4 knots 10+ mi none 780 ft 01:55 UTC
EZI Kewanee, IL 193 nm out, 19 nm west of the line no report just now 858 ft
PIA Peoria, IL destination VFR calm 10+ mi none 660 ft 8:54 pm CDT (01:54 UTC)

The highest airport on this list sits at 918 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At PIA when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 10:44 pm CDT (03:44 UTC)

Wind from the south at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet VFR

The whole forecast for PIA
  • From Sun 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
  • From Mon 3:00 am CDT (08:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 18,000 feet, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
  • From Mon 11:00 am CDT (16:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 14 knots, gusting to 21, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 10,000 feet, a broken layer at 18,000 feet
The forecast for ATW, the departure
  • From Sun 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
  • From Sun 9:00 pm CDT (02:00 UTC): wind from the south at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, clear skies
  • From Mon 12:00 am CDT (05:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, scattered clouds at 20,000 feet
  • From Mon 8:00 am CDT (13:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer 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 ATW 6:15 pm CDT (23:15 UTC), at PIA 6:23 pm CDT (23:23 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:50 pm CDT (23:50 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at PIA is after sunset there (6:25 pm CDT (23:25 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 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: Appleton International, General Downing - Peoria International.