Detroit Metro Wayne County to Tucson International DTW → TUS
1,444 nautical miles (1,662 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 254°, about 261° magnetic at the departure end (variation 7W). At 120 knots that is 13 h 53 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 16-knot headwind), arriving about 8:00 am MST (15:00 UTC). 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: 14 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 first 30 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the route from 1056 to 1434 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 35,000 ft to 45,000 ft. Over the last 339 nm of the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 1235 to 1434 nm out.
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 20:00–03:00 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 12 forecast points nearest it (FWA, JOT, BRL, COU, MKC, SLN, ICT, GCK, AMA, TCC, ABQ, TUS). 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 | 210° at 19 kt | +16 kt | 17 °C | 104 kt | 13 h 53 min | 8:00 am MST (15:00 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 230° at 19 kt | +18 kt | 16 °C | 102 kt | 14 h 09 min | 8:16 am MST (15:16 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 230° at 20 kt | +20 kt | 12 °C | 100 kt | 14 h 26 min | 8:33 am MST (15:33 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 240° at 19 kt | +20 kt | 8 °C | 100 kt | 14 h 26 min | 8:33 am MST (15:33 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 250° at 19 kt | +21 kt | 5 °C | 99 kt | 14 h 35 min | 8:42 am MST (15:42 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 250° at 20 kt | +22 kt | 0 °C | 98 kt | 14 h 44 min | 8:51 am MST (15:51 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 240° at 21 kt | +23 kt | -4 °C | 97 kt | 14 h 53 min | 9:00 am MST (16:00 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 240° at 22 kt | +23 kt | -7 °C | 97 kt | 14 h 53 min | 9:00 am MST (16:00 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 260° at 28 kt | +29 kt | -19 °C | 91 kt | 15 h 52 min | 9:59 am MST (16:59 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 260° at 43 kt | +44 kt | -31 °C | 76 kt | 19 h | 1:07 pm MST (20:07 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 260° at 47 kt | +46 kt | -40 °C | 74 kt | 19 h 31 min | 1:38 pm MST (20:38 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 270° at 47 kt | +44 kt | -50 °C | 76 kt | 19 h | 1:07 pm MST (20:07 UTC) |
Based on data from the 11th at 18:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 00:00 UTC for use 20:00 to 03:00 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FWA | used from 0 nm out; 89 nm from the line | 350/9 | 350/24 15° | 360/25 9° | 360/29 4° | 350/31 -10° | 340/39 -22° | 330/40 -37° | 320/38 -43° | 320/48 -48° |
| JOT | used from 149 nm out; 50 nm from the line | 230/11 | 290/12 16° | 300/19 10° | 320/19 4° | 300/17 -9° | 330/31 -20° | 320/49 -37° | 320/53 -45° | 320/67 -49° |
| BRL | used from 299 nm out; 45 nm from the line | 200/20 | 250/21 16° | 240/22 10° | 260/20 5° | 270/16 -7° | 290/22 -18° | 320/41 -34° | 320/56 -43° | 310/68 -53° |
| COU | used from 398 nm out; 68 nm from the line | 210/16 | 220/19 15° | 240/33 10° | 250/29 7° | 280/21 -6° | 280/19 -18° | 300/34 -31° | 300/40 -42° | 300/60 -52° |
| MKC | used from 498 nm out; 22 nm from the line | 200/28 | 220/30 16° | 270/20 11° | 280/22 7° | 260/27 -6° | 270/27 -18° | 280/38 -32° | 270/38 -40° | 280/50 -52° |
| SLN | used from 597 nm out; 70 nm from the line | 190/37 | 220/39 20° | 240/31 14° | 250/24 7° | 260/25 -7° | 250/26 -17° | 250/44 -31° | 260/47 -40° | 260/47 -50° |
| ICT | used from 697 nm out; 37 nm from the line | 190/34 | 210/34 18° | 240/28 13° | 260/23 7° | 250/23 -6° | 240/29 -17° | 260/40 -30° | 260/47 -40° | 270/42 -51° |
| GCK | used from 797 nm out; 54 nm from the line | 200/35 21° | 220/34 14° | 240/30 8° | 240/27 -6° | 240/31 -17° | 240/53 -30° | 250/55 -39° | 250/60 -50° | |
| AMA | used from 896 nm out; 77 nm from the line | 190/28 | 220/26 14° | 230/27 7° | 250/24 -6° | 250/32 -16° | 240/51 -28° | 250/52 -38° | 250/51 -50° | |
| TCC | used from 946 nm out; 70 nm from the line | 200/26 | 200/28 14° | 220/25 7° | 230/28 -7° | 240/41 -19° | 240/62 -28° | 250/61 -37° | 250/49 -49° | |
| ABQ | used from 1095 nm out; 60 nm from the line | 200/28 13° | 210/28 5° | 210/44 -7° | 230/46 -20° | 230/80 -28° | 240/74 -35° | 240/58 -47° | ||
| TUS | used from 1295 nm out; 125 nm from the line | 220/17 15° | 210/32 7° | 210/43 5° | 210/49 -7° | 220/64 -18° | 220/83 -26° | 230/81 -36° | 230/72 -48° |
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 | no report just now | 645 ft | ||||
| EKM Elkhart, IN | 119 nm out, 6 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 777 ft | ||||
| GYY Gary/Chicago, IN | 179 nm out, 20 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 596 ft | ||||
| PIA Peoria, IL | 299 nm out, 2 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 660 ft | ||||
| MKC Kansas City, MO | 548 nm out, 6 nm southeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 756 ft | ||||
| HUT Hutchinson, KS | 707 nm out, 3 nm west of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,542 ft | ||||
| PTT Pratt, KS | 757 nm out, 1 nm south of the line | no report just now | 1,952 ft | ||||
| GUY Guymon, OK | 906 nm out, 5 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 3,125 ft | ||||
| SXU Santa Rosa, NM | 1085 nm out, 17 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 4,791 ft | ||||
| ONM Socorro, NM | 1215 nm out, 10 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 4,875 ft | ||||
| SAD Safford, AZ | 1364 nm out, 2 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 3,178 ft | ||||
| TUS Tucson, AZ | destination | no report just now | 2,643 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 4,875 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At TUS when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 8:00 am MST (15:00 UTC)
TUS has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/8722 ALAMOGORDO, NM, Tuesday, October 13, 2026 Local 21 nm from the route, 1165 nm along the route · security · starts tomorrow · ZAB
Daylight
Sunset at DTW 6:56 pm EDT (22:56 UTC), at TUS 5:55 pm MST (00:55 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:19 pm MST (01:19 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, Tucson International.