Plan a flight · Sun 7:28 pm CDT (00:28 UTC)

Bemidji Regional to Chippewa County International BJI → CIU

436 nautical miles (501 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 096°, about 095° magnetic at the departure end (variation 1E). At 120 knots that is 2 h 15 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 74-knot tailwind), arriving about 10:43 pm EDT (02:43 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now BJI is IFR, wind from the north-northeast (030°) at 8 knots, gusting to 14; CIU is VFR, wind from the south-southeast (160°) at 6 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 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 SIERRA 4E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the first 20 nm of the route.
AIRMET ZULU 4C: moderate icing up to 20,000 ft. Over the first 59 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 BJI.

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

C56X at 39,000 ft, 47 nm north, 6:25 pm CDT (23:25 UTC): light turbulence. 40 nm along the route, 47 nm north of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
HIB UA /OV 7Y9/TM 2325/FL390/TP C56X/TB CONS LGT
```
Report
a routine report filed through HIB
Where
over 7Y9
Time
23:25 UTC
Height
at 39,000 ft
Aircraft
C56X
Turbulence
continuous light
PC12 at 20,000 ft, 33 nm south, 6:55 pm CDT (23:55 UTC): light rime icing, -13 °C. 69 nm along the route, 33 nm south of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
GPZ UA /OV GPZ160020/TM 2355/FL200/TP PC12/SK TOP200/TA M13/IC LGT RIME
```
Report
a routine report filed through GPZ
Where
20 nm south (160°) of GPZ
Time
23:55 UTC
Height
at 20,000 ft
Aircraft
PC12
Sky
TOP200
Temperature
−13 °C
Icing
light rime

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 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 4 forecast points nearest it (INL, DLH, GRB, TVC). 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	230° at 9 kt	−6 kt		126 kt	3 h 28 min	11:56 pm EDT (03:56 UTC)
5,500 ft	250° at 14 kt	−13 kt		133 kt	3 h 17 min	11:45 pm EDT (03:45 UTC)
7,500 ft	260° at 18 kt	−18 kt	12 °C	138 kt	3 h 10 min	11:38 pm EDT (03:38 UTC)
9,500 ft	260° at 20 kt	−20 kt	9 °C	140 kt	3 h 07 min	11:35 pm EDT (03:35 UTC)
11,500 ft	260° at 19 kt	−17 kt	4 °C	137 kt	3 h 11 min	11:39 pm EDT (03:39 UTC)
13,500 ft	260° at 21 kt	−20 kt	0 °C	140 kt	3 h 07 min	11:35 pm EDT (03:35 UTC)
15,500 ft	270° at 24 kt	−25 kt	-5 °C	145 kt	3 h	11:28 pm EDT (03:28 UTC)
17,500 ft	280° at 29 kt	−29 kt	-10 °C	149 kt	2 h 56 min	11:24 pm EDT (03:24 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180	280° at 30 kt	−30 kt	-11 °C	150 kt	2 h 54 min	11:22 pm EDT (03:22 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240	290° at 39 kt	−39 kt	-21 °C	159 kt	2 h 45 min	11:13 pm EDT (03:13 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300	290° at 54 kt	−53 kt	-38 °C	173 kt	2 h 31 min	10:59 pm EDT (02:59 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340	300° at 57 kt	−55 kt	-48 °C	175 kt	2 h 29 min	10:57 pm EDT (02:57 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390	290° at 75 kt	−74 kt	-53 °C	194 kt	2 h 15 min	10:43 pm EDT (02:43 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

Point	From	3,000	6,000	9,000	12,000	18,000	24,000	30,000	34,000	39,000
INL	used from 0 nm out; 76 nm from the line	060/19	300/13 11°	240/19 7°	230/43 1°	260/54 -11°	260/50 -22°	270/66 -38°	280/70 -49°	270/79 -56°
DLH	used from 50 nm out; 49 nm from the line	240/6	230/22 15°	250/28 11°	230/22 4°	270/33 -12°	280/47 -21°	280/59 -37°	290/65 -47°	290/88 -55°
GRB	used from 248 nm out; 141 nm from the line	240/24	260/18 16°	270/20 11°	290/14 4°	280/24 -9°	300/34 -21°	310/51 -38°	310/54 -48°	300/71 -51°
TVC	used from 297 nm out; 133 nm from the line	210/17	290/14 15°	310/20 9°	310/18 2°	310/24 -11°	320/35 -22°	320/53 -39°	310/45 -49°	290/58 -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
BJI Bemidji, MN	departure	IFR Sky: overcast at 700 feet	from the north-northeast (030°) at 8 knots, gusting to 14	10+ mi	700 ft	1,391 ft	7:15 pm CDT (00:15 UTC)
GPZ Grand Rapids, MN	59 nm out, 11 nm south of the line	VFR	from the north (350°) at 11 knots	10+ mi	none	1,355 ft	23:56 UTC
HIB Hibbing, MN	89 nm out, 5 nm northwest of the line	VFR	from the north (360°) at 10 knots, gusting to 16	10+ mi	none	1,353 ft	23:53 UTC
BFW Silver Bay, MN	149 nm out, 5 nm northwest of the line	no report just now				1,088 ft
OGM Ontonagon, MI	228 nm out, 8 nm south of the line	no report just now				665 ft
SAW Marquette, MI	317 nm out, 21 nm south of the line, tower	VFR	from the south-southwest (200°) at 11 knots	10+ mi	none	1,204 ft	23:48 UTC
ERY Newberry, MI	396 nm out, 6 nm south of the line	VFR	from the southwest (220°) at 11 knots	10+ mi	none	869 ft	00:15 UTC
CIU Sault Ste Marie, MI	destination	VFR	from the south-southeast (160°) at 6 knots	10+ mi	none	799 ft	7:56 pm EDT (23:56 UTC)

The highest airport on this list sits at 1,391 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At CIU when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 10:43 pm EDT (02:43 UTC)

Wind from the south at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies VFR

The whole forecast for CIU

From Sun 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
From Mon 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
From Mon 7:00 am EDT (11:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 9,000 feet
From Mon 9:00 am EDT (13:00 UTC): wind from the east at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 1,100 feet
From Mon 11:00 am EDT (15:00 UTC): wind from the east at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 1,300 feet
From Mon 2:00 pm EDT (18:00 UTC): wind from the east at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 1,500 feet

The forecast for BJI, the departure

From Sun 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the north at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 700 feet
From Mon 6:00 am CDT (11:00 UTC): wind from the northeast at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 500 feet
From Mon 1:00 pm CDT (18:00 UTC): wind from the east at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 1,500 feet
30% chance between Mon 1:00 pm CDT (18:00 UTC) and 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): light rain showers

Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it

6/8665 9NM E HERMAN, MI, Friday, October 9, 2026 through Tuesday, October 13, 2026 UTC 6 nm from the route, 277 nm along the route · a hazard on the ground (fire-fighting, a chemical spill, rescue work) · until 13 October · ZMP
6/8771 NW NEGAUNEE, MI, Saturday, October 10, 2026 through Thursday, October 15, 2026 UTC 4 nm from the route, 307 nm along the route · a hazard on the ground (fire-fighting, a chemical spill, rescue work) · until 15 October · ZMP

Daylight

Sunset at BJI 6:39 pm CDT (23:39 UTC), at CIU 6:57 pm EDT (22:57 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:27 pm EDT (23:27 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at CIU is after sunset there (6:59 pm EDT (22:59 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 · loop National Weather Service

Radar now, the central Great Lakes · loop National Weather Service

Radar, the whole country · loop National Weather Service

Surface analysis now Weather Prediction Center

Forecast chart, 12 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center

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: Bemidji Regional, Chippewa County International.