Fayetteville Rgnl/Grannis Field to Quad Cities International FAY → MLI
671 nautical miles (772 statute miles) northwest on a straight line, true course 309°, about 316° magnetic at the departure end (variation 7W). At 120 knots that is 6 h 43 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 20-knot headwind), arriving about 10:45 am CDT (15:45 UTC). Right now FAY is VFR, wind from the west-southwest (240°) at 8 knots; MLI is VFR, wind from the south-southwest (200°) 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: 1 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: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 28,000 ft to 41,000 ft. Over the first 10 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 6,000 ft. Over the route from 99 to 197 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 5W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) from 29,000 ft to 40,000 ft. Over the route from 118 to 187 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 3E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist, fog). Over the route from 138 to 483 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, mist). Over the route from 138 to 266 nm out.
- 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 last 0 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 FAY.
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 08:00–15:00 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 6 forecast points nearest it (RDU, TRI, CVG, IND, JOT, BRL). 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 | 310° at 19 kt | +20 kt | 11 °C | 100 kt | 6 h 43 min | 10:45 am CDT (15:45 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 310° at 19 kt | +20 kt | 13 °C | 100 kt | 6 h 43 min | 10:45 am CDT (15:45 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 320° at 20 kt | +20 kt | 9 °C | 100 kt | 6 h 43 min | 10:45 am CDT (15:45 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 320° at 20 kt | +20 kt | 7 °C | 100 kt | 6 h 43 min | 10:45 am CDT (15:45 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 320° at 21 kt | +21 kt | 3 °C | 99 kt | 6 h 47 min | 10:49 am CDT (15:49 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 320° at 24 kt | +24 kt | 0 °C | 96 kt | 6 h 59 min | 11:01 am CDT (16:01 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 320° at 27 kt | +27 kt | -4 °C | 93 kt | 7 h 13 min | 11:15 am CDT (16:15 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 310° at 30 kt | +30 kt | -7 °C | 90 kt | 7 h 27 min | 11:29 am CDT (16:29 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 300° at 33 kt | +33 kt | -20 °C | 87 kt | 7 h 43 min | 11:45 am CDT (16:45 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 300° at 36 kt | +37 kt | -33 °C | 83 kt | 8 h 05 min | 12:07 pm CDT (17:07 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 310° at 50 kt | +50 kt | -42 °C | 70 kt | 9 h 35 min | 1:37 pm CDT (18:37 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 300° at 51 kt | +51 kt | -50 °C | 69 kt | 9 h 43 min | 1:45 pm CDT (18:45 UTC) |
Based on data from the 12th at 06:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 12:00 UTC for use 08:00 to 15:00 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RDU | used from 0 nm out; 45 nm from the line | 330/30 | 340/24 12° | 330/26 7° | 320/30 3° | 330/39 -8° | 310/30 -20° | 300/33 -33° | 310/34 -39° | 310/41 -47° |
| TRI | used from 99 nm out; 76 nm from the line | 340/25 11° | 350/37 9° | 350/34 6° | 340/39 -7° | 340/43 -19° | 340/55 -32° | 330/58 -42° | 320/37 -50° | |
| CVG | used from 296 nm out; 55 nm from the line | 300/19 | 310/23 15° | 320/20 9° | 310/18 3° | 300/26 -6° | 290/36 -19° | 310/32 -34° | 310/53 -43° | 310/61 -51° |
| IND | used from 395 nm out; 38 nm from the line | 270/22 | 290/19 15° | 270/19 8° | 270/18 4° | 290/28 -7° | 280/35 -20° | 270/37 -34° | 300/51 -42° | 300/61 -51° |
| JOT | used from 542 nm out; 62 nm from the line | 250/25 | 260/22 14° | 250/17 9° | 270/21 5° | 280/28 -8° | 280/36 -20° | 270/41 -35° | 280/57 -42° | 290/65 -50° |
| BRL | used from 641 nm out; 52 nm from the line | 250/32 | 250/19 17° | 260/15 11° | 270/16 3° | 290/23 -7° | 260/42 -20° | 270/52 -34° | 280/63 -39° | 290/64 -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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FAY Fayetteville, NC | departure | VFR | from the west-southwest (240°) at 8 knots | 10+ mi | none | 189 ft | 4:53 am EDT (08:53 UTC) |
| SOP Pinehurst/Southern Pines, NC | 30 nm out, 4 nm southwest of the line | VFR | from the west-southwest (250°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 459 ft | 08:56 UTC |
| INT Winston Salem, NC | 99 nm out, 14 nm northeast of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 969 ft | 08:54 UTC |
| GEV Jefferson, NC | 148 nm out, 9 nm southwest of the line | marginal VFR Sky: a broken layer at 1,500 feet | from the west (280°) at 17 knots, gusting to 24 | 10+ mi | 1,500 ft | 3,177 ft | 08:55 UTC |
| JKL Jackson, KY | 266 nm out, 7 nm southwest of the line | low IFR Sky: overcast at 300 feet Weather: mist | variable at 3 knots | 4 mi | 300 ft | 1,380 ft | 08:53 UTC |
| LEX Lexington, KY | 335 nm out, 21 nm southwest of the line, tower | low IFR Sky: sky obscured at 200 feet Weather: fog | from the south-southwest (210°) at 4 knots | 0.25 mi | 200 ft | 979 ft | 08:54 UTC |
| IMS Madison, IN | 385 nm out, 9 nm southwest of the line | low IFR Sky: sky obscured at 200 feet Weather: fog | calm | 0.25 mi | 200 ft | 819 ft | 06:15 UTC |
| BAK Columbus, IN | 424 nm out, 5 nm northeast of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 656 ft | 01:45 UTC |
| HUF Terre Haute, IN | 483 nm out, 22 nm southwest of the line, tower | VFR | from the east-southeast (120°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 589 ft | 08:53 UTC |
| BMI Bloomington/Normal, IL | 582 nm out, 12 nm south of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southwest (210°) at 8 knots | 10+ mi | none | 871 ft | 08:56 UTC |
| PIA Peoria, IL | 612 nm out, 21 nm southwest of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 660 ft | 08:54 UTC |
| MLI Moline, IL | destination | VFR | from the south-southwest (200°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 589 ft | 3:52 am CDT (08:52 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 3,177 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At MLI when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 10:45 am CDT (15:45 UTC)
Wind from the south-southwest at 15 knots, gusting to 22, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for MLI
- From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 10:00 am CDT (15:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 15 knots, gusting to 22, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 11 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
The forecast for FAY, the departure
- From Mon 4:00 am EDT (08:00 UTC): wind from the west-southwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 900 feet, a few clouds at 4,500 feet
- From Mon 10:00 am EDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the northwest at 11 knots, gusting to 18, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 4,500 feet
- From Mon 5:30 pm EDT (21:30 UTC): wind from the north-northwest at 3 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/8508 Johnsontown, NC 21 nm from the route, at the departure end · security · ZDC
- 6/8713 Maxton, NC, Friday, October 16, 2026 through Sunday, October 18, 2026 UTC 19 nm from the route, at the departure end · air shows/sports · starts Friday 16 October · ZDC
- 6/8029 Cincinnati, OH, Friday, October 9, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local 22 nm from the route, 365 nm along the route · a VIP movement · until 12 October · ZID
Daylight
Sunset at FAY 6:44 pm EDT (22:44 UTC), at MLI 6:26 pm CDT (23:26 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:53 pm CDT (23:53 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: Fayetteville Rgnl/Grannis Field, Quad Cities International.