Detroit Metro Wayne County to Capital Region International DTW → LAN
64 nautical miles (74 statute miles) northwest on a straight line, true course 302°, about 309° magnetic at the departure end (variation 7W). At 120 knots that is 35 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 9-knot headwind), arriving about 3:16 am EDT (07:16 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now DTW is marginal VFR, wind from the southwest (230°) at 5 knots; LAN is VFR, wind from the south (190°) at 5 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: 2,076 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 SIERRA 3E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the whole 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 2 forecast points nearest it (CLE, MKG). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.
| Height | Average wind | Head- or tailwind | Temperature | Ground speed | Time en route | Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4,500 ft | 330° at 10 kt | +9 kt | 111 kt | 35 min | 3:16 am EDT (07:16 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 350° at 13 kt | +9 kt | 13 °C | 111 kt | 35 min | 3:16 am EDT (07:16 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 340° at 15 kt | +11 kt | 10 °C | 109 kt | 35 min | 3:16 am EDT (07:16 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 340° at 15 kt | +11 kt | 6 °C | 109 kt | 35 min | 3:16 am EDT (07:16 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 340° at 16 kt | +12 kt | 2 °C | 108 kt | 36 min | 3:17 am EDT (07:17 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 340° at 20 kt | +17 kt | -2 °C | 103 kt | 37 min | 3:18 am EDT (07:18 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 330° at 25 kt | +21 kt | -7 °C | 99 kt | 39 min | 3:20 am EDT (07:20 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 330° at 28 kt | +25 kt | -10 °C | 95 kt | 40 min | 3:21 am EDT (07:21 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 330° at 40 kt | +35 kt | -21 °C | 85 kt | 45 min | 3:26 am EDT (07:26 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 330° at 52 kt | +44 kt | -37 °C | 76 kt | 51 min | 3:32 am EDT (07:32 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 330° at 62 kt | +56 kt | -44 °C | 64 kt | 1 h | 3:41 am EDT (07:41 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 330° at 66 kt | +58 kt | -50 °C | 62 kt | 1 h 02 min | 3:43 am EDT (07:43 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CLE | used from 0 nm out; 106 nm from the line | 340/7 | 010/16 13° | 350/18 8° | 350/20 3° | 340/31 -10° | 340/46 -21° | 340/54 -37° | 330/62 -44° | 340/65 -49° |
| MKG | used from 46 nm out; 85 nm from the line | 260/22 | 290/16 15° | 300/11 10° | 290/5 3° | 300/26 -9° | 300/32 -20° | 320/48 -36° | 320/61 -45° | 310/74 -53° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DTW Detroit, MI | departure | marginal VFR Sky: overcast at 1,100 feet | from the southwest (230°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | 1,100 ft | 645 ft | 1:53 am EDT (05:53 UTC) |
| ARB Ann Arbor, MI | 18 nm out, 9 nm south of the line, tower | reported, no category | calm | none | 839 ft | 05:53 UTC | |
| LAN Lansing, MI | destination | VFR Weather: mist | from the south (190°) at 5 knots | 6 mi | none | 860 ft | 1:53 am EDT (05:53 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 860 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At LAN when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 3:16 am EDT (07:16 UTC)
Wind from the south at 3 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for LAN
- From Mon 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south at 3 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
- At times between Mon 4:00 am EDT (08:00 UTC) and 7:00 am EDT (11:00 UTC): visibility 5 miles, mist
- From Mon 1:00 pm EDT (17:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 12 knots, gusting to 20, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 20,000 feet
- From Mon 6:00 pm EDT (22:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 8,000 feet
- From Tue 12:00 am EDT (04:00 UTC): wind from the south at 8 knots, visibility 4 miles, light rain showers, mist, scattered clouds at 5,000 feet, overcast at 8,000 feet
- 30% chance between Tue 12:00 am EDT (04:00 UTC) and 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC): visibility 2 miles, light thunderstorms with rain, mist, overcast at 3,500 feet (thunderheads)
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 LAN 7:01 pm EDT (23:01 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:29 pm EDT (23:29 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at LAN is before sunrise there (7:47 am EDT (11:47 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: Detroit Metro Wayne County, Capital Region International.