Fresno Yosemite International to Chicago/Rockford International FAT → RFD
1,447 nautical miles (1,666 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 068°, about 055° magnetic at the departure end (variation 13E). At 120 knots that is 8 h 28 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 51-knot tailwind), arriving about 10:28 am CDT (15:28 UTC). Right now FAT is VFR, wind from the southeast (140°) at 14 knots; RFD is VFR, wind from the south (170°) at 3 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 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 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the route from 160 to 799 nm out.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Over the route from 220 to 539 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 230 to 619 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 38,000 ft. Over the route from 399 to 839 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: 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 539 to 709 nm out.
- 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 819 to 1398 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 FAT.
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 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 11 forecast points nearest it (FAT, BIH, ELY, BCE, GJT, DEN, BFF, GRI, OMA, DSM, DBQ). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.
| Height | Average wind | Head- or tailwind | Temperature | Ground speed | Time en route | Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5,500 ft | 230° at 24 kt | −20 kt | 21 °C | 140 kt | 10 h 20 min | 12:20 pm CDT (17:20 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 220° at 25 kt | −21 kt | 11 °C | 141 kt | 10 h 16 min | 12:16 pm CDT (17:16 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 230° at 23 kt | −20 kt | 8 °C | 140 kt | 10 h 20 min | 12:20 pm CDT (17:20 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 230° at 25 kt | −22 kt | 4 °C | 142 kt | 10 h 11 min | 12:11 pm CDT (17:11 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 230° at 27 kt | −24 kt | -1 °C | 144 kt | 10 h 03 min | 12:03 pm CDT (17:03 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 230° at 30 kt | −26 kt | -5 °C | 146 kt | 9 h 55 min | 11:55 am CDT (16:55 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 230° at 32 kt | −28 kt | -10 °C | 148 kt | 9 h 47 min | 11:47 am CDT (16:47 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 230° at 33 kt | −29 kt | -11 °C | 149 kt | 9 h 43 min | 11:43 am CDT (16:43 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 230° at 42 kt | −37 kt | -22 °C | 157 kt | 9 h 13 min | 11:13 am CDT (16:13 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 230° at 49 kt | −45 kt | -31 °C | 165 kt | 8 h 46 min | 10:46 am CDT (15:46 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 240° at 52 kt | −51 kt | -37 °C | 171 kt | 8 h 28 min | 10:28 am CDT (15:28 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 240° at 51 kt | −51 kt | -46 °C | 171 kt | 8 h 28 min | 10:28 am CDT (15:28 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FAT | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 130/16 | 160/20 5° | 190/28 -1° | 210/25 -5° | 220/27 -15° | 230/21 -26° | 220/42 -29° | 220/44 -35° | 220/44 -44° |
| BIH | used from 50 nm out; 9 nm from the line | L/V | 240/7 1° | 190/13 -3° | 200/26 -16° | 210/43 -26° | 220/54 -28° | 220/51 -35° | 220/47 -43° | |
| ELY | used from 200 nm out; 74 nm from the line | 200/39 3° | 210/27 -2° | 210/45 -15° | 220/56 -24° | 210/60 -28° | 210/63 -34° | 220/61 -43° | ||
| BCE | used from 299 nm out; 80 nm from the line | 220/27 -1° | 210/40 -13° | 220/54 -21° | 220/64 -30° | 220/64 -34° | 220/52 -44° | |||
| GJT | used from 449 nm out; 83 nm from the line | 210/43 7° | 230/45 1° | 220/49 -12° | 220/62 -22° | 220/59 -28° | 230/60 -33° | 220/55 -45° | ||
| DEN | used from 649 nm out; 70 nm from the line | 240/21 14° | 250/44 6° | 220/49 -8° | 220/49 -21° | 230/54 -30° | 240/57 -35° | 240/49 -45° | ||
| BFF | used from 799 nm out; 69 nm from the line | 180/28 | 220/33 15° | 210/31 7° | 230/32 -9° | 220/41 -21° | 220/40 -33° | 240/47 -36° | 250/54 -46° | |
| GRI | used from 898 nm out; 110 nm from the line | 230/35 21° | 230/23 13° | 220/20 7° | 240/25 -8° | 240/37 -20° | 250/49 -33° | 260/57 -38° | 260/58 -47° | |
| OMA | used from 1098 nm out; 31 nm from the line | 220/47 | 240/33 19° | 250/18 11° | 230/17 6° | 260/29 -8° | 250/33 -19° | 250/51 -33° | 260/61 -40° | 270/62 -49° |
| DSM | used from 1198 nm out; 30 nm from the line | 230/40 | 250/33 17° | 250/18 12° | 240/17 5° | 260/28 -8° | 270/34 -19° | 260/41 -33° | 260/55 -41° | 270/62 -51° |
| DBQ | used from 1298 nm out; 56 nm from the line | 230/33 | 250/30 16° | 280/15 9° | 260/15 5° | 260/21 -7° | 260/24 -20° | 250/37 -33° | 270/42 -43° | 280/63 -52° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FAT Fresno, CA | departure | VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 9,500 feet, a broken layer at 12,000 feet, a broken layer at 15,000 feet | from the southeast (140°) at 14 knots | 9 mi | 12,000 ft | 335 ft | 11:53 pm PDT (06:53 UTC) |
| BIH Bishop, CA | 70 nm out, 10 nm north of the line | VFR | from the south-southeast (150°) at 13 knots | 10+ mi | none | 4,124 ft | 06:56 UTC |
| FOM Fillmore, UT | 369 nm out, 4 nm northeast of the line | VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 7,500 feet, a broken layer at 11,000 feet | from the south-southwest (210°) at 10 knots | 10+ mi | 11,000 ft | 4,984 ft | 06:35 UTC |
| PUC Price, UT | 459 nm out, 18 nm northwest of the line | marginal VFR Sky: overcast at 2,400 feet | from the east-southeast (110°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | 2,400 ft | 5,957 ft | 06:53 UTC |
| FNL Fort Collins/Loveland, CO | 719 nm out, 6 nm east of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (170°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | none | 5,020 ft | 06:56 UTC |
| GXY Greeley, CO | 739 nm out, 8 nm south of the line | VFR | from the south (170°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | none | 4,696 ft | 06:56 UTC |
| OGA Ogallala, NE | 878 nm out, 5 nm northwest of the line | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 3,279 ft | 06:35 UTC |
| TQE Tekamah, NE | 1128 nm out, 3 nm northeast of the line | VFR | from the southeast (130°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,026 ft | 06:54 UTC |
| DSM Des Moines, IA | 1238 nm out, 25 nm south of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 21,000 feet | from the south (190°) at 10 knots | 10+ mi | none | 957 ft | 06:54 UTC |
| CID Cedar Rapids, IA | 1328 nm out, 12 nm south of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (180°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 869 ft | 02:52 UTC |
| RFD Chicago/Rockford, IL | destination | VFR Sky: a broken layer at 25,000 feet | from the south (170°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | 25,000 ft | 742 ft | 1:54 am CDT (06:54 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 5,957 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At RFD when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 10:28 am CDT (15:28 UTC)
Wind from the south at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for RFD
- From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 12:00 pm CDT (17:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 13 knots, gusting to 23, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 6:00 pm CDT (23:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 12 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 12,000 feet
The forecast for FAT, the departure
- From Sun 11:00 pm PDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the southeast at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 3,000 feet, scattered clouds at 20,000 feet
- From Mon 2:00 am PDT (09:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 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 FAT 6:25 pm PDT (01:25 UTC), at RFD 6:19 pm CDT (23:19 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:47 pm CDT (23:47 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: Fresno Yosemite International, Chicago/Rockford International.