Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall to Gary/Chicago International BWI → GYY
512 nautical miles (590 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 290°, about 301° magnetic at the departure end (variation 11W). At 120 knots that is 4 h 39 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 10-knot headwind), arriving about 9:20 am CDT (14:20 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
- SIGMET E31E: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 30,000 ft, until 6:55 am EDT (10:55 UTC). Near the route, at the departure end.
as issued
WSUS31 KKCI 120855 MKCE WST 120855 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 31E VALID UNTIL 1055Z MD VA DC FROM 20NNE DCA-30WSW SBY-RIC-CSN-20NNE DCA AREA TS MOV LTL. TOPS TO FL300.
- 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 first 453 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 24,000 ft to 33,000 ft. Over the first 10 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 6,000 ft. Over the route from 20 to 128 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, mist). Over the route from 49 to 187 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 BWI.
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 08:00–15:00 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 5 forecast points nearest it (PSB, AGC, CMH, FWA, JOT). 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 | 330° at 13 kt | +10 kt | 12 °C | 110 kt | 4 h 39 min | 9:20 am CDT (14:20 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 340° at 16 kt | +10 kt | 12 °C | 110 kt | 4 h 39 min | 9:20 am CDT (14:20 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 340° at 18 kt | +11 kt | 9 °C | 109 kt | 4 h 42 min | 9:23 am CDT (14:23 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 330° at 20 kt | +14 kt | 5 °C | 106 kt | 4 h 50 min | 9:31 am CDT (14:31 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 330° at 22 kt | +17 kt | 1 °C | 103 kt | 4 h 58 min | 9:39 am CDT (14:39 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 330° at 25 kt | +20 kt | -2 °C | 100 kt | 5 h 07 min | 9:48 am CDT (14:48 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 330° at 28 kt | +22 kt | -5 °C | 98 kt | 5 h 13 min | 9:54 am CDT (14:54 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 330° at 30 kt | +24 kt | -8 °C | 96 kt | 5 h 20 min | 10:01 am CDT (15:01 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 320° at 34 kt | +28 kt | -20 °C | 92 kt | 5 h 34 min | 10:15 am CDT (15:15 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 330° at 40 kt | +30 kt | -36 °C | 90 kt | 5 h 41 min | 10:22 am CDT (15:22 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 320° at 55 kt | +45 kt | -43 °C | 75 kt | 6 h 50 min | 11:31 am CDT (16:31 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 320° at 51 kt | +42 kt | -51 °C | 78 kt | 6 h 34 min | 11:15 am CDT (16:15 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSB | used from 0 nm out; 103 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° | |
| AGC | used from 99 nm out; 46 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° |
| CMH | used from 246 nm out; 46 nm from the line | 320/12 | 340/26 15° | 340/22 9° | 320/24 3° | 320/32 -7° | 320/36 -20° | 330/42 -35° | 320/59 -44° | 320/57 -50° |
| FWA | used from 345 nm out; 39 nm from the line | 270/20 | 300/16 15° | 290/14 10° | 280/17 3° | 290/25 -7° | 280/30 -19° | 280/34 -35° | 290/48 -44° | 300/64 -52° |
| JOT | used from 493 nm out; 44 nm from the line | 250/25 | 260/22 14° | 250/17 9° | 270/21 5° | 280/28 -8° | 280/36 -20° | 270/41 -35° | 280/57 -42° | 290/65 -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
| Airport | Where | Conditions | Wind | Visibility | Ceiling | Elevation | Reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BWI Baltimore, MD | departure | no report just now | 143 ft | ||||
| FDK Frederick, MD | 39 nm out, 4 nm east of the line, tower | no report just now | 308 ft | ||||
| MRB Martinsburg, WV | 59 nm out, 8 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 564 ft | ||||
| LBE Latrobe, PA | 138 nm out, 21 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,198 ft | ||||
| HLG Wheeling, WV | 197 nm out, 4 nm southeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,194 ft | ||||
| PHD New Philadelphia, OH | 236 nm out, 6 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 894 ft | ||||
| MFD Mansfield, OH | 286 nm out, 10 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,297 ft | ||||
| OWX Ottawa, OH | 355 nm out, 4 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 763 ft | ||||
| FWA Fort Wayne, IN | 404 nm out, 13 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 814 ft | ||||
| EKM Elkhart, IN | 453 nm out, 21 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 777 ft | ||||
| SBN South Bend, IN | 463 nm out, 17 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 798 ft | ||||
| GYY Gary/Chicago, IN | destination | no report just now | 596 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,297 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At GYY when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 9:20 am CDT (14:20 UTC)
GYY has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/8800 Baltimore, MD, Saturday, October 17, 2026 through Sunday, October 18, 2026 UTC 6 nm from the route, at the departure end · drones kept away from a public gathering · starts Saturday 17 October · ZDC
- 4/9383 WASHINGTON, DC., USA 11 nm from the route, at the departure end · security · ZDC
- 6/8600 Sterling, VA, Monday, October 12, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local 12 nm from the route, 30 nm along the route · a VIP movement · today · ZDC
- 6/8829 Youngstown, OH, Monday, October 12, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local 22 nm from the route, 217 nm along the route · a VIP movement · today · ZOB
- 6/8587 Youngstown, OH, Monday, October 12, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local 22 nm from the route, 217 nm along the route · a VIP movement · today · ZOB
Daylight
Sunset at BWI 6:32 pm EDT (22:32 UTC), at GYY 6:13 pm CDT (23:13 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:41 pm CDT (23:41 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: Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall, Gary/Chicago International.