The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Plan a flight · Mon 1:47 am EDT (05:47 UTC)

Detroit Metro Wayne County to Albuquerque International Sunport DTW → ABQ

1,168 nautical miles (1,344 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 256°, about 263° magnetic at the departure end (variation 7W). At 120 knots that is 11 h 27 min at the quickest height in today's winds (12,500 ft, a 18-knot headwind), arriving about 11:14 am MDT (17:14 UTC). Right now DTW is marginal VFR, wind from the west (280°) at 3 knots; ABQ is VFR, wind from the south (170°) at 4 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 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

  • SIGMET 7C: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 34,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 2:55 am EDT (06:55 UTC). Over the route from 948 to 1128 nm out.
    as issued
    WSUS32 KKCI 120455
    MKCC WST 120455
    CONVECTIVE SIGMET 7C
    VALID UNTIL 0655Z
    TX OK CO NM
    FROM 40NNW PUB-70WSW LBL-40NE CME-40ESE RSK-30ENE HBU-40NNW PUB
    AREA TS MOV FROM 22040KT. TOPS TO FL340.
  • 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 first 190 nm of 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 379 to 988 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the last 180 nm of the route.
  • AIRMET TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 35,000 ft to 45,000 ft. Over the last 130 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 DTW.

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 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 8 forecast points nearest it (FWA, JOT, BRL, MKC, SLN, GCK, TCC, ABQ). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

HeightAverage windHead- or tailwindTemperatureGround speedTime en routeArrival
4,500 ft230° at 32 kt+31 kt21 °C89 kt13 h 07 min12:54 pm MDT (18:54 UTC)
6,500 ft240° at 28 kt+28 kt17 °C92 kt12 h 42 min12:29 pm MDT (18:29 UTC)
8,500 ft240° at 22 kt+23 kt13 °C97 kt12 h 02 min11:49 am MDT (17:49 UTC)
10,500 ft250° at 19 kt+20 kt9 °C100 kt11 h 41 min11:28 am MDT (17:28 UTC)
12,500 ft250° at 18 kt+18 kt5 °C102 kt11 h 27 min11:14 am MDT (17:14 UTC)
14,500 ft250° at 20 kt+21 kt0 °C99 kt11 h 48 min11:35 am MDT (17:35 UTC)
16,500 ft250° at 23 kt+24 kt-4 °C96 kt12 h 10 min11:57 am MDT (17:57 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180250° at 25 kt+26 kt-7 °C94 kt12 h 26 min12:13 pm MDT (18:13 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240250° at 33 kt+34 kt-19 °C86 kt13 h 35 min1:22 pm MDT (19:22 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300260° at 48 kt+48 kt-31 °C72 kt16 h 13 min4:00 pm MDT (22:00 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340270° at 53 kt+51 kt-39 °C69 kt16 h 56 min4:43 pm MDT (22:43 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390280° at 52 kt+48 kt-50 °C72 kt16 h 13 min4:00 pm MDT (22:00 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
PointFrom3,0006,0009,00012,00018,00024,00030,00034,00039,000
FWAused from 0 nm out; 90 nm from the line300/17320/20 16°330/20 10°340/15 3°310/27 -8°320/37 -20°330/52 -36°330/65 -43°330/60 -50°
JOTused from 150 nm out; 48 nm from the line250/23270/22 15°250/16 10°240/9 4°280/22 -7°280/29 -19°300/29 -34°290/50 -43°300/64 -52°
BRLused from 300 nm out; 39 nm from the line230/24240/29 15°290/16 10°280/15 4°260/23 -7°260/32 -19°260/36 -33°280/48 -41°280/59 -52°
MKCused from 449 nm out; 72 nm from the line220/44250/28 18°250/18 13°240/12 6°280/24 -6°240/34 -18°260/47 -30°260/51 -40°270/58 -50°
SLNused from 599 nm out; 61 nm from the line210/53230/41 20°240/26 14°230/16 8°240/25 -7°240/35 -19°250/61 -30°260/65 -38°260/56 -49°
GCKused from 749 nm out; 68 nm from the line220/48 21°230/37 14°250/30 8°230/37 -6°240/37 -20°240/69 -28°250/67 -37°260/58 -48°
TCCused from 948 nm out; 86 nm from the line210/42230/33 14°230/32 6°220/35 -6°230/49 -19°240/72 -27°250/62 -36°250/52 -48°
ABQused from 1098 nm out; 45 nm from the line220/27 11°210/35 5°220/46 -9°230/62 -20°240/78 -25°240/80 -35°240/56 -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

AirportWhereConditionsWindVisibilityCeilingElevationReported
DTW Detroit, MI departure marginal VFR Sky: overcast at 1,200 feet from the west (280°) at 3 knots 10+ mi 1,200 ft 645 ft 12:53 am EDT (04:53 UTC)
ARB Ann Arbor, MI 20 nm out, 6 nm north of the line, tower reported, no category calm none 839 ft 04:53 UTC
EKM Elkhart, IN 120 nm out, 3 nm west of the line, tower marginal VFR Weather: mist calm 4 mi none 777 ft 05:35 UTC
PIA Peoria, IL 300 nm out, 10 nm south of the line, tower VFR from the south-southwest (200°) at 3 knots 10+ mi none 660 ft 04:54 UTC
EOK Keokuk, IA 379 nm out, 3 nm north of the line reported, no category from the south-southwest (200°) at 5 knots 10+ mi none 671 ft 05:35 UTC
MCI Kansas City, MO 549 nm out, 10 nm southeast of the line, tower VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 20,000 feet from the south-southwest (200°) at 13 knots, gusting to 22 10+ mi none 1,027 ft 04:53 UTC
TOP Topeka, KS 589 nm out, 7 nm south of the line, tower VFR from the south-southwest (200°) at 8 knots, gusting to 19 10+ mi none 881 ft 04:53 UTC
HUT Hutchinson, KS 709 nm out, 22 nm south of the line, tower VFR from the south (170°) at 14 knots, gusting to 25 10+ mi none 1,542 ft 04:52 UTC
EHA Elkhart, KS 908 nm out, 2 nm southwest of the line VFR from the south (190°) at 18 knots, gusting to 24 10+ mi none 3,621 ft 05:35 UTC
CAO Clayton, NM 978 nm out, 3 nm south of the line VFR from the south-southwest (210°) at 17 knots 10+ mi none 4,969 ft 04:55 UTC
SAF Santa Fe, NM 1128 nm out, 18 nm northwest of the line, tower VFR Sky: a few clouds at 7,000 feet from the south-southeast (150°) at 5 knots 10+ mi none 6,348 ft 04:53 UTC
ABQ Albuquerque, NM destination VFR Sky: a few clouds at 10,000 feet from the south (170°) at 4 knots 10+ mi none 5,354 ft 10:52 pm MDT (04:52 UTC)

The highest airport on this list sits at 6,348 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At ABQ when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 11:14 am MDT (17:14 UTC)

Wind from the south-southwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 10,000 feet VFR

The whole forecast for ABQ
  • From Mon 12:00 am MDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 10,000 feet
  • From Mon 10:00 am MDT (16:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 10,000 feet
  • From Mon 1:00 pm MDT (19:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 14 knots, gusting to 24, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 6,000 feet, scattered clouds at 10,000 feet
  • From Mon 7:00 pm MDT (01:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 10,000 feet
The forecast for DTW, the departure
  • From Mon 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 1,500 feet
  • From Mon 3:00 am EDT (07:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 4 knots, visibility 5 miles, mist, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
  • At times between Mon 5:00 am EDT (09:00 UTC) and 9:00 am EDT (13:00 UTC): visibility 1 mile, mist, a broken layer at 300 feet
  • From Mon 10:00 am EDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
  • From Mon 1:00 pm EDT (17:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 12 knots, gusting to 22, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
  • From Mon 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 9,000 feet, a broken layer 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 DTW 6:56 pm EDT (22:56 UTC), at ABQ 6:35 pm MDT (00:35 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:01 pm MDT (01:01 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 central Great Lakes
Radar now, the central Great Lakes · loop National Weather Service
Radar now, the upper Mississippi valley
Radar now, the upper Mississippi valley · loop National Weather Service
Radar now, the southern Plains
Radar now, the southern Plains · 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: Detroit Metro Wayne County, Albuquerque International Sunport.