The Eastern Iowa Airport to General Mitchell International CID → MKE
181 nautical miles (208 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 068°, about 066° magnetic at the departure end (variation 2E). At 120 knots that is 1 h 04 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 50-knot tailwind), arriving about 9:08 am CDT (14:08 UTC). Right now CID is VFR, wind from the south (180°) at 10 knots; MKE is VFR, wind from the south-southwest (210°) at 11 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: 6 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 TANGO 2W: 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 first 29 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 CID.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
- A321 at 32,000 ft, 10 nm north, 7:25 am CDT (12:25 UTC): light chop turbulence. At the departure end, 10 nm north of the line.
as filed, and in English
CID UA /OV CID360010/TM 1225/FL320/TP A321/TB INTMT LGT CHOP CONS LGT CHOP
- Report
- a routine report filed through CID
- Where
- 10 nm north (360°) of CID
- Time
- 12:25 UTC
- Height
- at 32,000 ft
- Aircraft
- A321
- Turbulence
- intermittent light chop continuous light chop
- B752 at 34,000 ft, 29 nm north, 7:23 am CDT (12:23 UTC): light chop turbulence. 38 nm along the route, 29 nm north of the line.
as filed, and in English
DBQ UA /OV DBQ300020/TM 1223/FL340/TP B752/TB OCNL LGT CHOP
- Report
- a routine report filed through DBQ
- Where
- 20 nm northwest (300°) of DBQ
- Time
- 12:23 UTC
- Height
- at 34,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B752
- Turbulence
- occasional light chop
- B739 at 34,000 ft, 16 nm northwest, 5:58 am CDT (10:58 UTC): no turbulence. 171 nm along the route, 16 nm northwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
UES UA /OV BAE/TM 1058/FL340/TP B739/TB NEG
- Report
- a routine report filed through UES
- Where
- over BAE
- Time
- 10:58 UTC
- Height
- at 34,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B739
- Turbulence
- none
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 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 2 forecast points nearest it (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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3,500 ft | 250° at 26 kt | −26 kt | 146 kt | 1 h 14 min | 9:18 am CDT (14:18 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 260° at 23 kt | −23 kt | 143 kt | 1 h 16 min | 9:20 am CDT (14:20 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 250° at 23 kt | −23 kt | 14 °C | 143 kt | 1 h 16 min | 9:20 am CDT (14:20 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 250° at 24 kt | −24 kt | 9 °C | 144 kt | 1 h 15 min | 9:19 am CDT (14:19 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 260° at 27 kt | −27 kt | 5 °C | 147 kt | 1 h 14 min | 9:18 am CDT (14:18 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 270° at 27 kt | −26 kt | 1 °C | 146 kt | 1 h 14 min | 9:18 am CDT (14:18 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 270° at 27 kt | −25 kt | -4 °C | 145 kt | 1 h 15 min | 9:19 am CDT (14:19 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 280° at 26 kt | −23 kt | -8 °C | 143 kt | 1 h 16 min | 9:20 am CDT (14:20 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 280° at 26 kt | −23 kt | -9 °C | 143 kt | 1 h 16 min | 9:20 am CDT (14:20 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 280° at 36 kt | −31 kt | -21 °C | 151 kt | 1 h 12 min | 9:16 am CDT (14:16 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 270° at 41 kt | −38 kt | -36 °C | 158 kt | 1 h 09 min | 9:13 am CDT (14:13 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 280° at 53 kt | −45 kt | -41 °C | 165 kt | 1 h 06 min | 9:10 am CDT (14:10 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 290° at 67 kt | −50 kt | -48 °C | 170 kt | 1 h 04 min | 9:08 am CDT (14:08 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DBQ | used from 0 nm out; 32 nm from the line | 250/27 | 260/23 17° | 240/26 10° | 260/30 4° | 280/26 -9° | 280/36 -21° | 270/41 -36° | 280/52 -41° | 290/67 -48° |
| JOT | used from 143 nm out; 80 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CID Cedar Rapids, IA | departure | VFR Sky: a broken layer at 11,000 feet | from the south (180°) at 10 knots | 10+ mi | 11,000 ft | 869 ft | 7:52 am CDT (12:52 UTC) |
| MXO Monticello, IA | 29 nm out, 10 nm north of the line | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 11,000 feet | from the south (180°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 833 ft | 12:55 UTC |
| DBQ Dubuque, IA | 57 nm out, 13 nm northwest of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southwest (200°) at 9 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,076 ft | 12:53 UTC |
| JVL Janesville, WI | 124 nm out, 3 nm east of the line, tower | VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 23,000 feet | from the south-southwest (200°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 807 ft | 12:45 UTC |
| BUU Burlington, WI | 162 nm out, 9 nm south of the line | VFR | from the south-southwest (200°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 780 ft | 12:55 UTC |
| MKE Milwaukee, WI | destination | VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 18,000 feet, a broken layer at 23,000 feet | from the south-southwest (210°) at 11 knots | 10+ mi | 23,000 ft | 728 ft | 7:52 am CDT (12:52 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,076 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, 9:08 am CDT (14:08 UTC)
Wind from the southwest at 12 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 25,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for MKE
- From Mon 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 12 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 12 knots, gusting to 20, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 9:00 pm CDT (02:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, scattered clouds at 10,000 feet
- From Tue 3:00 am CDT (08:00 UTC): wind from the west at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
The forecast for CID, the departure
- From Mon 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, a broken layer at 20,000 feet
- From Mon 9:00 am CDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 12 knots, gusting to 22, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 20,000 feet
- From Mon 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, clear skies
- From Tue 12:00 am CDT (05:00 UTC): wind from the west-southwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
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 CID 6:30 pm CDT (23:30 UTC), at MKE 6:14 pm CDT (23:14 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:42 pm CDT (23:42 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
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: The Eastern Iowa Airport, General Mitchell International.