The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Plan a flight · Mon 7:12 am CDT (12:12 UTC)

Duluth International to Mbs International DLH → MBS

396 nautical miles (456 statute miles) southeast on a straight line, true course 117°, about 118° magnetic at the departure end (variation 1W). At 120 knots that is 2 h 10 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 63-knot tailwind), arriving about 10:22 am EDT (14:22 UTC). Right now DLH is low IFR, wind from the east-northeast (070°) at 13 knots, gusting to 20; MBS is marginal VFR, wind from the south-southwest (210°) at 7 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: 1 flights in the DOT's last twelve reported months, the route's page.

The return flight

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 69 nm of the route.
  • AIRMET ZULU 3C: moderate icing from 13,000 ft to 24,000 ft. Near the route, 50 nm along the route.
  • 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 route from 287 to 357 nm out.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 3E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the last 10 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 DLH.

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

  • BE20 at 1,600 ft, 8 nm north, 6:45 am CDT (11:45 UTC): a routine report with nothing remarked on. At the departure end, 8 nm north of the line.
    as filed, and in English
    DLH UA /OV 10N DLH /TM 1145/FL016/TP BE20/SK B016 T035
    Report
    a routine report filed through DLH
    Where
    10N dlh
    Time
    11:45 UTC
    Height
    at 1,600 ft
    Aircraft
    BE20
    Sky
    B016 T035
  • B739 at 34,000 ft, 12 nm south, 6:49 am CDT (11:49 UTC): no turbulence. At the destination end, 12 nm south of the line.
    as filed, and in English
    FNT UA /OV FNT340025/TM 1149/FL340/TP B739/TB NEG
    Report
    a routine report filed through FNT
    Where
    25 nm north (340°) of FNT
    Time
    11:49 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 3 forecast points nearest it (DLH, GRB, TVC). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

HeightAverage windHead- or tailwindTemperatureGround speedTime en routeArrival
3,500 ft260° at 16 kt−11 kt131 kt3 h 01 min11:13 am EDT (15:13 UTC)
5,500 ft260° at 18 kt−14 kt134 kt2 h 57 min11:09 am EDT (15:09 UTC)
7,500 ft260° at 20 kt−14 kt12 °C134 kt2 h 57 min11:09 am EDT (15:09 UTC)
9,500 ft250° at 22 kt−15 kt8 °C135 kt2 h 56 min11:08 am EDT (15:08 UTC)
11,500 ft260° at 26 kt−20 kt5 °C140 kt2 h 50 min11:02 am EDT (15:02 UTC)
13,500 ft270° at 28 kt−24 kt1 °C144 kt2 h 45 min10:57 am EDT (14:57 UTC)
15,500 ft270° at 30 kt−27 kt-5 °C147 kt2 h 42 min10:54 am EDT (14:54 UTC)
17,500 ft280° at 32 kt−30 kt-10 °C150 kt2 h 38 min10:50 am EDT (14:50 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180280° at 33 kt−31 kt-11 °C151 kt2 h 37 min10:49 am EDT (14:49 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240280° at 38 kt−36 kt-21 °C156 kt2 h 32 min10:44 am EDT (14:44 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300280° at 39 kt−37 kt-37 °C157 kt2 h 31 min10:43 am EDT (14:43 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340270° at 50 kt−44 kt-46 °C164 kt2 h 25 min10:37 am EDT (14:37 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390290° at 64 kt−63 kt-50 °C183 kt2 h 10 min10:22 am EDT (14:22 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
PointFrom3,0006,0009,00012,00018,00024,00030,00034,00039,000
DLHused from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line090/31250/7 14°250/26 11°250/36 4°280/36 -11°290/35 -22°300/39 -38°280/41 -44°280/66 -49°
GRBused from 99 nm out; 103 nm from the line250/32250/22 17°240/18 8°280/21 6°280/34 -11°280/35 -21°280/39 -37°270/52 -45°290/60 -49°
TVCused from 248 nm out; 40 nm from the line270/31280/23 15°260/22 8°260/29 4°280/29 -11°280/42 -21°270/42 -36°270/54 -47°290/67 -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

AirportWhereConditionsWindVisibilityCeilingElevationReported
DLH Duluth, MN departure low IFR Sky: overcast at 400 feet from the east-northeast (070°) at 13 knots, gusting to 20 10+ mi 400 ft 1,427 ft 6:55 am CDT (11:55 UTC)
OLG Solon Springs, WI 30 nm out, 21 nm southwest of the line IFR Sky: overcast at 500 feet from the northeast (050°) at 11 knots, gusting to 20 10+ mi 500 ft 1,102 ft 11:55 UTC
ASX Ashland, WI 59 nm out, 10 nm north of the line IFR Sky: overcast at 600 feet Weather: light rain from the northeast (040°) at 13 knots, gusting to 23 10+ mi 600 ft 826 ft 11:53 UTC
ARV Minocqua-Woodruff, WI 119 nm out, 3 nm west of the line VFR calm 10+ mi none 1,629 ft 11:55 UTC
RHI Rhinelander, WI 139 nm out, 12 nm southwest of the line VFR calm 10+ mi none 1,623 ft 11:53 UTC
MNM Menominee, MI 218 nm out, 2 nm northwest of the line VFR from the north (360°) at 4 knots 10+ mi none 624 ft 11:57 UTC
SUE Sturgeon Bay, WI 228 nm out, 10 nm south of the line VFR from the southwest (220°) at 5 knots 10+ mi none 724 ft 11:57 UTC
FKS Frankfort, MI 287 nm out, 8 nm north of the line VFR from the southwest (220°) at 4 knots 10+ mi none 633 ft 11:55 UTC
CAD Cadillac, MI 327 nm out, 7 nm north of the line VFR from the southwest (220°) at 6 knots 10+ mi none 1,306 ft 11:55 UTC
MOP Mount Pleasant, MI 367 nm out, 11 nm south of the line VFR from the west-southwest (240°) at 4 knots 10+ mi none 754 ft 11:55 UTC
MBS Saginaw, MI destination marginal VFR Weather: mist from the south-southwest (210°) at 7 knots 4 mi none 668 ft 7:53 am EDT (11:53 UTC)

The highest airport on this list sits at 1,629 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At MBS when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 10:22 am EDT (14:22 UTC)

Wind from the southwest at 11 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 25,000 feet VFR

The whole forecast for MBS
  • From Mon 8:00 am EDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
  • From Mon 10:00 am EDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 11 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
  • From Mon 12:00 pm EDT (16:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 14 knots, gusting to 24, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
  • From Mon 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 9,000 feet, a broken layer at 20,000 feet
  • From Tue 12:00 am EDT (04:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 6,000 feet, a broken layer at 11,000 feet
  • At times between Tue 1:00 am EDT (05:00 UTC) and 4:00 am EDT (08:00 UTC): visibility 5 miles, light rain showers, a broken layer at 5,000 feet
  • From Tue 7:00 am EDT (11:00 UTC): wind from the west-southwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 3,500 feet
The forecast for DLH, the departure
  • From Mon 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the east at 15 knots, gusting to 26, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 400 feet
  • From Mon 5:00 pm CDT (22:00 UTC): wind from the east-northeast at 16 knots, gusting to 27, visibility 4 miles, light rain showers, mist, overcast at 200 feet
  • 30% chance between Mon 5:00 pm CDT (22:00 UTC) and 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): visibility 3 miles, light thunderstorms with rain, a broken layer at 400 feet (thunderheads)
  • From Mon 11:00 pm CDT (04:00 UTC): wind from the east-northeast at 14 knots, gusting to 23, visibility more than 6 miles, showers nearby, overcast at 300 feet
  • From Tue 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the northeast at 11 knots, gusting to 18, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 300 feet
  • From Tue 6:00 am CDT (11:00 UTC): wind from the north at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 500 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 DLH 6:27 pm CDT (23:27 UTC), at MBS 6:58 pm EDT (22:58 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:27 pm EDT (23:27 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
Radar now, the upper Mississippi valley · loop National Weather Service
Radar now, the central Great Lakes
Radar now, the central Great Lakes · loop National Weather Service
Radar, the whole country
Radar, the whole country · loop National Weather Service
Surface analysis now
Surface analysis now Weather Prediction Center
Forecast chart, 12 hours ahead
Forecast chart, 12 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center
Forecast chart, 24 hours ahead
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: Duluth International, Mbs International.