Des Moines International to Gary/Chicago International DSM → GYY
281 nautical miles (323 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 087°, about 086° magnetic at the departure end (variation 1E). At 120 knots that is 1 h 36 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 56-knot tailwind), arriving about 12:08 pm CDT (17:08 UTC). Right now DSM is VFR, wind from the south-southwest (210°) at 13 knots, gusting to 21; GYY is VFR, wind from the south-southwest (210°) at 6 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: 10 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 39 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 DSM.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
- C17 at 2,000 ft, 9 nm north, 10:06 am CDT (15:06 UTC): overcast above 2,000 ft, remarks: during the descent. 232 nm along the route, 9 nm north of the line.
as filed, and in English
KADW UA /OV 1L ARR/TM 1506/FL020/TP C17/SK OVC020/WV 23KT HEAD WIND/RM DURD
- Report
- a routine report filed through KADW
- Where
- 1L arrival
- Time
- 15:06 UTC
- Height
- at 2,000 ft
- Aircraft
- C17
- Sky
- overcast from 2,000 ft
- Wind
- 23 knots head wind
- Remarks
- during the descent
- B39M at 36,000 ft, 36 nm north, 8:18 am CDT (13:18 UTC): no turbulence. 252 nm along the route, 36 nm north of the line.
as filed, and in English
PWK UA /OV OBK/TM 1318/FL360/TP B39M/TB NEG
- Report
- a routine report filed through PWK
- Where
- over OBK
- Time
- 13:18 UTC
- Height
- at 36,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B39M
- Turbulence
- none
Winds aloft along the route, and the time en route the forecast for use 14:00–21:00 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 4 forecast points nearest it (DSM, BRL, 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 | 240° at 29 kt | −25 kt | 145 kt | 1 h 56 min | 12:28 pm CDT (17:28 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 240° at 29 kt | −25 kt | 145 kt | 1 h 56 min | 12:28 pm CDT (17:28 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 250° at 29 kt | −27 kt | 15 °C | 147 kt | 1 h 55 min | 12:27 pm CDT (17:27 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 250° at 30 kt | −29 kt | 10 °C | 149 kt | 1 h 53 min | 12:25 pm CDT (17:25 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 260° at 33 kt | −32 kt | 6 °C | 152 kt | 1 h 51 min | 12:23 pm CDT (17:23 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 260° at 33 kt | −33 kt | 2 °C | 153 kt | 1 h 50 min | 12:22 pm CDT (17:22 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 270° at 32 kt | −33 kt | -3 °C | 153 kt | 1 h 50 min | 12:22 pm CDT (17:22 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 270° at 32 kt | −32 kt | -7 °C | 152 kt | 1 h 51 min | 12:23 pm CDT (17:23 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 270° at 32 kt | −32 kt | -8 °C | 152 kt | 1 h 51 min | 12:23 pm CDT (17:23 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 270° at 38 kt | −38 kt | -21 °C | 158 kt | 1 h 47 min | 12:19 pm CDT (17:19 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 280° at 47 kt | −47 kt | -34 °C | 167 kt | 1 h 41 min | 12:13 pm CDT (17:13 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 280° at 55 kt | −53 kt | -37 °C | 173 kt | 1 h 37 min | 12:09 pm CDT (17:09 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 280° at 58 kt | −56 kt | -46 °C | 176 kt | 1 h 36 min | 12:08 pm CDT (17:08 UTC) |
Based on data from the 12th at 12:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 18:00 UTC for use 14:00 to 21:00 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DSM | used from 0 nm out; 24 nm from the line | 230/34 | 230/32 20° | 220/33 12° | 240/35 5° | 250/39 -7° | 250/43 -21° | 280/61 -31° | 280/73 -37° | 280/67 -47° |
| BRL | used from 48 nm out; 64 nm from the line | 240/28 | 240/25 18° | 250/26 12° | 260/29 5° | 260/24 -8° | 270/36 -20° | 280/57 -33° | 290/65 -37° | 290/54 -46° |
| DBQ | used from 97 nm out; 49 nm from the line | 250/26 | 240/32 19° | 250/35 11° | 260/37 5° | 270/35 -9° | 270/40 -21° | 270/43 -35° | 280/49 -37° | 280/58 -46° |
| JOT | used from 194 nm out; 30 nm from the line | 230/30 | 250/26 16° | 270/27 11° | 280/34 5° | 290/32 -8° | 280/37 -21° | 280/40 -36° | 290/46 -37° | 290/56 -47° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DSM Des Moines, IA | departure | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 10,000 feet, a few clouds at 20,000 feet, a broken layer at 25,000 feet | from the south-southwest (210°) at 13 knots, gusting to 21 | 10+ mi | 25,000 ft | 957 ft | 9:54 am CDT (14:54 UTC) |
| TNU Newton, IA | 29 nm out, 7 nm north of the line | VFR | from the south-southwest (200°) at 12 knots, gusting to 17 | 10+ mi | none | 952 ft | 15:15 UTC |
| TZT Belle Plaine, IA | 58 nm out, 18 nm north of the line | no report just now | 771 ft | ||||
| CID Cedar Rapids, IA | 87 nm out, 17 nm north of the line, tower | VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 10,000 feet | from the south (190°) at 10 knots | 10+ mi | none | 869 ft | 14:52 UTC |
| MLI Moline, IL | 145 nm out, 11 nm south of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 12,000 feet | from the south-southwest (210°) at 10 knots | 10+ mi | none | 589 ft | 14:52 UTC |
| SQI Sterling/Rockfalls, IL | 184 nm out, 8 nm northwest of the line | VFR | variable at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 647 ft | 14:56 UTC |
| ARR Chicago/Aurora, IL | 232 nm out, 9 nm north of the line, tower | VFR | from the southwest (220°) at 10 knots | 9 mi | none | 712 ft | 14:52 UTC |
| LOT Chicago/Romeoville, IL | 252 nm out, 2 nm southwest of the line, tower | VFR | from the southwest (220°) at 8 knots | 10+ mi | none | 679 ft | 14:45 UTC |
| GYY Gary/Chicago, IN | destination | VFR | from the south-southwest (210°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 596 ft | 8:50 am CDT (13:50 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 957 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, 12:08 pm CDT (17:08 UTC)
Wind from the southwest at 13 knots, gusting to 23, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 25,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for GYY
- From Mon 10:00 am CDT (15:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 12:00 pm CDT (17:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 13 knots, gusting to 23, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 12 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 12,000 feet
- From Mon 11:00 pm CDT (04:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 11 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, a few clouds at 10,000 feet
- From Tue 6:00 am CDT (11:00 UTC): wind from the west at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 20,000 feet
The forecast for DSM, the departure
- From Mon 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, scattered clouds at 10,000 feet
- From Mon 9:00 am CDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 12 knots, gusting to 20, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 10,000 feet
- From Tue 12:00 am CDT (05:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 20,000 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 DSM 6:38 pm CDT (23:38 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: Des Moines International, Gary/Chicago International.