Bozeman Yellowstone International to Chicago Midway International BZN → MDW
1,038 nautical miles (1,195 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 095°, about 082° magnetic at the departure end (variation 13E). At 120 knots that is 6 h at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 53-knot tailwind), arriving about 3:42 am CDT (08:42 UTC), after sunset at the destination. 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: 240 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 8W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 35,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 9:55 pm MDT (03:55 UTC). Near the route, 170 nm along the route.
as issued
WSUS33 KKCI 120155 MKCW WST 120155 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 8W VALID UNTIL 0355Z CO MT WY FROM 40N SHR-60WNW RAP-20ENE CYS-30SW CYS-10NW BOY-40N SHR AREA TS MOV FROM 22040KT. TOPS TO FL350.
- 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 469 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 36,000 ft. Over the first 389 nm of the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the first 150 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the route from 70 to 160 nm out.
- AIRMET ZULU 3C: moderate icing up to 22,000 ft. Near the route, 130 nm along the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: low-level wind shear (due to air speed loss or gain of 20 knots or more below 2,000 ft above the ground). Over the route from 729 to 838 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 BZN.
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 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 8 forecast points nearest it (BIL, MLS, RAP, PIR, FSD, MCW, DBQ, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5,500 ft | 210° at 15 kt | −4 kt | 12 °C | 124 kt | 8 h 22 min | 6:04 am CDT (11:04 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 210° at 16 kt | −5 kt | 13 °C | 125 kt | 8 h 18 min | 6:00 am CDT (11:00 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 210° at 19 kt | −7 kt | 8 °C | 127 kt | 8 h 10 min | 5:52 am CDT (10:52 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 220° at 25 kt | −12 kt | 5 °C | 132 kt | 7 h 52 min | 5:34 am CDT (10:34 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 220° at 26 kt | −14 kt | 1 °C | 134 kt | 7 h 45 min | 5:27 am CDT (10:27 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 230° at 27 kt | −17 kt | -3 °C | 137 kt | 7 h 35 min | 5:17 am CDT (10:17 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 230° at 27 kt | −19 kt | -8 °C | 139 kt | 7 h 28 min | 5:10 am CDT (10:10 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 240° at 27 kt | −20 kt | -9 °C | 140 kt | 7 h 25 min | 5:07 am CDT (10:07 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 240° at 31 kt | −23 kt | -21 °C | 143 kt | 7 h 16 min | 4:58 am CDT (09:58 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 230° at 38 kt | −27 kt | -35 °C | 147 kt | 7 h 04 min | 4:46 am CDT (09:46 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 250° at 52 kt | −45 kt | -41 °C | 165 kt | 6 h 17 min | 3:59 am CDT (08:59 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 260° at 58 kt | −53 kt | -48 °C | 173 kt | 6 h | 3:42 am CDT (08:42 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BIL | used from 0 nm out; 84 nm from the line | 080/13 | 180/9 -2° | 210/38 0° | 220/51 -11° | 210/46 -22° | 210/58 -35° | 230/73 -39° | 230/72 -45° | |
| MLS | used from 200 nm out; 66 nm from the line | 150/23 2° | 190/29 4° | 210/44 2° | 220/32 -10° | 210/36 -21° | 200/48 -37° | 230/63 -40° | 240/71 -47° | |
| RAP | used from 299 nm out; 64 nm from the line | 180/23 12° | 200/38 13° | 210/38 6° | 220/28 -10° | 230/34 -21° | 230/37 -36° | 250/52 -38° | 250/59 -46° | |
| PIR | used from 399 nm out; 45 nm from the line | 170/22 19° | 190/25 13° | 210/32 6° | 240/23 -9° | 250/32 -21° | 250/38 -36° | 260/44 -40° | 260/52 -47° | |
| FSD | used from 549 nm out; 58 nm from the line | 190/9 | 230/30 18° | 240/23 13° | 240/20 6° | 260/22 -9° | 250/31 -21° | 250/43 -36° | 260/49 -43° | 270/53 -47° |
| MCW | used from 699 nm out; 54 nm from the line | 220/44 | 250/30 17° | 230/14 12° | 240/17 6° | 250/22 -8° | 270/29 -20° | 250/34 -34° | 260/52 -43° | 260/59 -51° |
| DBQ | used from 848 nm out; 30 nm from the line | 230/33 | 250/30 16° | 280/15 9° | 260/15 5° | 260/21 -7° | 260/24 -20° | 250/37 -33° | 270/42 -43° | 280/63 -52° |
| JOT | used from 948 nm out; 57 nm from the line | 250/23 | 270/22 15° | 250/16 10° | 240/9 4° | 280/22 -7° | 280/29 -19° | 300/29 -34° | 290/50 -43° | 300/64 -52° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BZN Bozeman, MT | departure | no report just now | 4,473 ft | ||||
| LVM Livingston, MT | 30 nm out, 2 nm south of the line | no report just now | 4,659 ft | ||||
| BIL Billings, MT | 110 nm out, 13 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 3,662 ft | ||||
| EFC Belle Fourche, SD | 309 nm out, 22 nm south of the line | no report just now | 3,190 ft | ||||
| MKA Miller, SD | 519 nm out, 10 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 1,569 ft | ||||
| MDS Madison, SD | 609 nm out, 2 nm west of the line | no report just now | 1,718 ft | ||||
| FSD Sioux Falls, SD | 629 nm out, 22 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,430 ft | ||||
| CCY Charles City, IA | 809 nm out, 1 nm east of the line | no report just now | 1,125 ft | ||||
| DBQ Dubuque, IA | 898 nm out, 11 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,076 ft | ||||
| DPA Chicago/West Chicago, IL | 1018 nm out, 4 nm west of the line, tower | no report just now | 758 ft | ||||
| MDW Chicago, IL | destination | no report just now | 619 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 4,659 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At MDW when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 3:42 am CDT (08:42 UTC)
MDW has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
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 BZN 6:44 pm MDT (00:44 UTC), at MDW 6:14 pm CDT (23:14 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:42 pm CDT (23:42 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at MDW is before sunrise there (6:59 am CDT (11:59 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
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: Bozeman Yellowstone International, Chicago Midway International.