The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Plan a flight · Mon 1:20 am EDT (05:20 UTC)

Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International to Detroit Metro Wayne County AZO → DTW

98 nautical miles (112 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 090°, about 093° magnetic at the departure end (variation 3W). At 120 knots that is 38 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 33-knot tailwind), arriving about 1:58 am EDT (05:58 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now AZO is VFR, wind from the south (170°) at 4 knots; DTW is marginal VFR, wind from the west (280°) at 3 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: 2,095 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 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.

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 AZO.

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

  • B738 at 1,300 ft, 38 nm south, 12:45 am EDT (04:45 UTC): overcast from 1,300 ft to 3,000 ft, remarks: during the descent. 78 nm along the route, 38 nm south of the line.
    as filed, and in English
    TOL UA /OV KTOL/TM 0445/FL013/TP B738/SK OVC013-TOP030/RM DURD
    Report
    a routine report filed through TOL
    Where
    over KTOL
    Time
    04:45 UTC
    Height
    at 1,300 ft
    Aircraft
    B738
    Sky
    overcast from 1,300 ft, tops 3,000 ft
    Remarks
    during the descent
  • PA44 descending, 38 nm south, 10:27 pm EDT (02:27 UTC): a broken layer from 900 ft to 1,500 ft; a broken layer from 2,600 ft to 3,500 ft, fog. 78 nm along the route, 38 nm south of the line.
    as filed, and in English
    TOL UA /OV TOL/TM 0227/FLDURD/TP PA44/SK BKN009 TOPS015 BKN026 TOPS035/WX FG
    Report
    a routine report filed through TOL
    Where
    over TOL
    Time
    02:27 UTC
    Height
    during the descent
    Aircraft
    PA44
    Sky
    BKN009 TOPS015 BKN026 TOPS035
    Weather
    fog
  • B739 descending, 0 nm south, 12:54 am EDT (04:54 UTC): a routine report with nothing remarked on. At the destination end, 0 nm south of the line.
    as filed, and in English
    DTW UA /OV DTW/TM 0454/FLDURD/TP B739/SK BASES 011
    Report
    a routine report filed through DTW
    Where
    over DTW
    Time
    04:54 UTC
    Height
    during the descent
    Aircraft
    B739
    Sky
    bases 1,100 ft
  • A320 descending, 0 nm south, 11:27 pm EDT (03:27 UTC): overcast above 1,400 ft. At the destination end, 0 nm south of the line.
    as filed, and in English
    DTW UA /OV DTW/TM 0327/FLDURD/TP A320/SK 014 OVC
    Report
    a routine report filed through DTW
    Where
    over DTW
    Time
    03:27 UTC
    Height
    during the descent
    Aircraft
    A320
    Sky
    at 1,400 ft overcast
  • C560 at 3,000 ft, 27 nm north, 10:28 pm EDT (02:28 UTC): a routine report with nothing remarked on. At the destination end, 27 nm north of the line.
    as filed, and in English
    PTK UA /OV 6 W/TM 0228/FL030/TP C560/SK BASES 019 TOPS 030 OVC
    Report
    a routine report filed through PTK
    Where
    6 west
    Time
    02:28 UTC
    Height
    at 3,000 ft
    Aircraft
    C560
    Sky
    bases 1,900 ft tops 3,000 ft overcast

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 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 1 forecast point nearest it (FWA). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

HeightAverage windHead- or tailwindTemperatureGround speedTime en routeArrival
3,500 ft300° at 17 kt−14 kt134 kt44 min2:04 am EDT (06:04 UTC)
5,500 ft320° at 19 kt−13 kt133 kt44 min2:04 am EDT (06:04 UTC)
7,500 ft320° at 20 kt−12 kt13 °C132 kt45 min2:05 am EDT (06:05 UTC)
9,500 ft330° at 19 kt−9 kt9 °C129 kt46 min2:06 am EDT (06:06 UTC)
11,500 ft340° at 16 kt−6 kt4 °C126 kt47 min2:07 am EDT (06:07 UTC)
13,500 ft330° at 17 kt−9 kt0 °C129 kt46 min2:06 am EDT (06:06 UTC)
15,500 ft320° at 21 kt−14 kt-3 °C134 kt44 min2:04 am EDT (06:04 UTC)
17,500 ft310° at 26 kt−20 kt-7 °C140 kt42 min2:02 am EDT (06:02 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180310° at 27 kt−21 kt-8 °C141 kt42 min2:02 am EDT (06:02 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240320° at 37 kt−24 kt-20 °C144 kt41 min2:01 am EDT (06:01 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300330° at 52 kt−26 kt-36 °C146 kt40 min2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340330° at 65 kt−33 kt-43 °C153 kt38 min1:58 am EDT (05:58 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390330° at 60 kt−30 kt-50 °C150 kt39 min1:59 am EDT (05:59 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
PointFrom3,0006,0009,00012,00018,00024,00030,00034,00039,000
FWAused from 0 nm out; 76 nm from the line300/17320/20 16°330/20 10°340/15 3°310/27 -8°320/37 -20°330/52 -36°330/65 -43°330/60 -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
AZO Kalamazoo, MI departure VFR Weather: mist from the south (170°) at 4 knots 6 mi none 873 ft 12:53 am EDT (04:53 UTC)
RMY Marshall, MI 29 nm out, 3 nm west of the line low IFR Sky: sky obscured at 200 feet Weather: fog from the southwest (220°) at 3 knots 0.25 mi 200 ft 941 ft 05:15 UTC
ARB Ann Arbor, MI 78 nm out, 2 nm east of the line, tower reported, no category calm none 839 ft 04:53 UTC
DTW Detroit, MI destination marginal VFR Sky: overcast at 1,200 feet from the west (280°) at 3 knots 10+ mi 1,200 ft 645 ft 12:53 am EDT (04:53 UTC)

The highest airport on this list sits at 941 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At DTW when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 1:58 am EDT (05:58 UTC)

Wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 1,600 feet marginal VFR

The whole forecast for DTW
  • From Sun 10:00 pm EDT (02:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 1,600 feet
  • From Mon 3:00 am EDT (07:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
  • At times between Mon 5:00 am EDT (09:00 UTC) and 9:00 am EDT (13:00 UTC): visibility 2 miles, mist, a broken layer at 400 feet
  • From Mon 10:00 am EDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 11 knots, gusting to 22, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
  • From Mon 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 9,000 feet, a broken layer at 20,000 feet
The forecast for AZO, the departure
  • From Sun 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
  • From Mon 8:00 am EDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the south at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
  • From Mon 2:00 pm EDT (18:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 11 knots, gusting to 18, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
  • From Mon 6:00 pm EDT (22:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, 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 AZO 7:05 pm EDT (23:05 UTC), at DTW 6:56 pm EDT (22:56 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:24 pm EDT (23:24 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at DTW is before sunrise there (7:42 am EDT (11:42 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 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: Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International, Detroit Metro Wayne County.