Buffalo Niagara International to General Mitchell International BUF → MKE
403 nautical miles (463 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 273°, about 284° magnetic at the departure end (variation 11W). At 120 knots that is 3 h 30 min at the quickest height in today's winds (10,500 ft, a 5-knot headwind), arriving about 6:15 am CDT (11:15 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now BUF is VFR, wind from the south (170°) at 4 knots; MKE is VFR, wind from the southwest (220°) at 10 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: 11 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 3E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist), from 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC). Over the route from 167 to 314 nm out.
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 BUF.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
Not fetched just now.
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 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 3 forecast points nearest it (BUF, CLE, 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 | 300° at 11 kt | +10 kt | 110 kt | 3 h 40 min | 6:25 am CDT (11:25 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 330° at 12 kt | +6 kt | 12 °C | 114 kt | 3 h 32 min | 6:17 am CDT (11:17 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 330° at 11 kt | +6 kt | 10 °C | 114 kt | 3 h 32 min | 6:17 am CDT (11:17 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 330° at 10 kt | +5 kt | 6 °C | 115 kt | 3 h 30 min | 6:15 am CDT (11:15 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 330° at 11 kt | +6 kt | 2 °C | 114 kt | 3 h 32 min | 6:17 am CDT (11:17 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 320° at 16 kt | +10 kt | -2 °C | 110 kt | 3 h 40 min | 6:25 am CDT (11:25 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 320° at 21 kt | +14 kt | -7 °C | 106 kt | 3 h 48 min | 6:33 am CDT (11:33 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 320° at 25 kt | +17 kt | -10 °C | 103 kt | 3 h 55 min | 6:40 am CDT (11:40 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 310° at 32 kt | +24 kt | -21 °C | 96 kt | 4 h 12 min | 6:57 am CDT (11:57 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 330° at 45 kt | +25 kt | -37 °C | 95 kt | 4 h 15 min | 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 320° at 53 kt | +34 kt | -45 °C | 86 kt | 4 h 41 min | 7:26 am CDT (12:26 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 310° at 59 kt | +43 kt | -51 °C | 77 kt | 5 h 14 min | 7:59 am CDT (12:59 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
| Point | From | 3,000 | 6,000 | 9,000 | 12,000 | 18,000 | 24,000 | 30,000 | 34,000 | 39,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BUF | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 320/10 | 010/16 10° | 360/10 6° | 340/13 2° | 330/22 -11° | 300/25 -23° | 320/31 -38° | 300/29 -44° | 280/36 -50° |
| CLE | used from 98 nm out; 98 nm from the line | 340/7 | 010/16 13° | 350/18 8° | 350/20 3° | 340/31 -10° | 340/46 -21° | 340/54 -37° | 330/62 -44° | 340/65 -49° |
| MKG | used from 196 nm out; 109 nm from the line | 260/22 | 290/16 15° | 300/11 10° | 290/5 3° | 300/26 -9° | 300/32 -20° | 320/48 -36° | 320/61 -45° | 310/74 -53° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BUF Buffalo, NY | departure | VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 3,400 feet, a broken layer at 14,000 feet | from the south (170°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | 14,000 ft | 726 ft | 2:54 am EDT (06:54 UTC) |
| CYSN St Catharines, | 20 nm out, 14 nm north of the line | VFR Sky: a broken layer at 5,000 feet | from the east (080°) at 6 knots | 15 mi | 5,000 ft | 321 ft | 01:00 UTC |
| CYQS St Thomas, | 108 nm out, 15 nm south of the line | no report just now | 776 ft | ||||
| CYZR Sarnia, | 157 nm out, 2 nm south of the line | marginal VFR Sky: overcast at 1,300 feet | from the west-southwest (250°) at 4 knots | 9 mi | 1,300 ft | 594 ft | 07:00 UTC |
| PHN Port Huron, MI | 167 nm out, 7 nm south of the line | marginal VFR Sky: overcast at 1,300 feet | from the west-southwest (250°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | 1,300 ft | 650 ft | 07:35 UTC |
| FNT Flint, MI | 216 nm out, 6 nm southwest of the line, tower | low IFR Sky: a broken layer at 400 feet | from the south-southwest (210°) at 6 knots | 8 mi | 400 ft | 782 ft | 06:53 UTC |
| LAN Lansing, MI | 255 nm out, 15 nm south of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (190°) at 5 knots | 9 mi | none | 860 ft | 06:53 UTC |
| GRR Grand Rapids, MI | 295 nm out, 9 nm southwest of the line, tower | IFR Weather: mist | from the south (170°) at 3 knots | 2.5 mi | none | 793 ft | 07:35 UTC |
| MKG Muskegon, MI | 334 nm out, 11 nm northeast of the line, tower | reported, no category | from the south (190°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 628 ft | 06:55 UTC |
| MKE Milwaukee, WI | destination | VFR Sky: overcast at 25,000 feet | from the southwest (220°) at 10 knots | 10+ mi | 25,000 ft | 728 ft | 1:52 am CDT (06:52 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 860 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At MKE when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 6:15 am CDT (11:15 UTC)
Wind from the southwest at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 25,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for MKE
- From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 10:00 am CDT (15:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 10 knots, gusting to 20, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 8:00 pm CDT (01:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, a few clouds at 4,000 feet, scattered clouds at 11,000 feet
- From Tue 4:00 am CDT (09:00 UTC): wind from the west-southwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
The forecast for BUF, the departure
- From Mon 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility 4 miles, mist, overcast at 2,000 feet
- From Mon 5:00 am EDT (09:00 UTC): wind calm, visibility 5 miles, mist, overcast at 300 feet
- From Mon 10:00 am EDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the west-southwest at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 700 feet
- From Mon 1:00 pm EDT (17:00 UTC): wind from the west-southwest at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 1,500 feet
- From Tue 1:00 am EDT (05:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, a few clouds at 12,000 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 BUF 6:37 pm EDT (22:37 UTC), at MKE 6:14 pm CDT (23:14 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:42 pm CDT (23:42 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at MKE is before sunrise there (7:01 am CDT (12:01 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: Buffalo Niagara International, General Mitchell International.