The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Plan a flight · Mon 3:55 am EDT (07:55 UTC)

Bishop International to Lincoln Airport FNT → LNK

595 nautical miles (684 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 262°, about 268° magnetic at the departure end (variation 6W). At 120 knots that is 5 h 34 min at the quickest height in today's winds (10,500 ft, a 13-knot headwind), arriving about 8:29 am CDT (13:29 UTC). Right now FNT is low IFR, wind from the south-southwest (210°) at 6 knots; LNK is VFR, wind from the south (190°) at 15 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 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

  • AIRMET SIERRA 3E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist), from 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC). Over the first 109 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), from 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC). Over the last 297 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 FNT.

Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first

  • A333 descending, 48 nm south, 1:44 am EDT (05:44 UTC): a routine report with nothing remarked on. At the departure end, 48 nm south of the line.
    as filed, and in English
    DTW UA /OV DTW/TM 0544/FLDURD/TP A333/SK TOPS 025
    Report
    a routine report filed through DTW
    Where
    over DTW
    Time
    05:44 UTC
    Height
    during the descent
    Aircraft
    A333
    Sky
    tops 2,500 ft

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 5 forecast points nearest it (MKG, JOT, DBQ, DSM, OMA). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

HeightAverage windHead- or tailwindTemperatureGround speedTime en routeArrival
4,500 ft240° at 28 kt+27 kt93 kt6 h 24 min9:19 am CDT (14:19 UTC)
6,500 ft260° at 23 kt+23 kt15 °C97 kt6 h 08 min9:03 am CDT (14:03 UTC)
8,500 ft260° at 16 kt+16 kt11 °C104 kt5 h 43 min8:38 am CDT (13:38 UTC)
10,500 ft260° at 13 kt+13 kt7 °C107 kt5 h 34 min8:29 am CDT (13:29 UTC)
12,500 ft250° at 12 kt+13 kt4 °C107 kt5 h 34 min8:29 am CDT (13:29 UTC)
14,500 ft260° at 16 kt+16 kt-1 °C104 kt5 h 43 min8:38 am CDT (13:38 UTC)
16,500 ft270° at 21 kt+20 kt-5 °C100 kt5 h 57 min8:52 am CDT (13:52 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180270° at 24 kt+23 kt-8 °C97 kt6 h 08 min9:03 am CDT (14:03 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240270° at 28 kt+28 kt-19 °C92 kt6 h 28 min9:23 am CDT (14:23 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300280° at 36 kt+34 kt-34 °C86 kt6 h 55 min9:50 am CDT (14:50 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340280° at 48 kt+45 kt-43 °C75 kt7 h 56 min10:51 am CDT (15:51 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390290° at 63 kt+55 kt-52 °C65 kt9 h 09 min12:04 pm CDT (17:04 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
MKGused from 0 nm out; 86 nm from the line260/22290/16 15°300/11 10°290/5 3°300/26 -9°300/32 -20°320/48 -36°320/61 -45°310/74 -53°
JOTused from 149 nm out; 64 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°
DBQused from 248 nm out; 42 nm from the line230/33250/30 16°280/15 9°260/15 5°260/21 -7°260/24 -20°250/37 -33°270/42 -43°280/63 -52°
DSMused from 396 nm out; 28 nm from the line230/40250/33 17°250/18 12°240/17 5°260/28 -8°270/34 -19°260/41 -33°260/55 -41°270/62 -51°
OMAused from 495 nm out; 33 nm from the line220/47240/33 19°250/18 11°230/17 6°260/29 -8°250/33 -19°250/51 -33°260/61 -40°270/62 -49°

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
FNT Flint, MI departure low IFR Sky: a broken layer at 400 feet from the south-southwest (210°) at 6 knots 8 mi 400 ft 782 ft 2:53 am EDT (06:53 UTC)
LAN Lansing, MI 40 nm out, 6 nm south of the line, tower VFR from the south (190°) at 5 knots 9 mi none 860 ft 06:53 UTC
GRR Grand Rapids, MI 79 nm out, 7 nm north of the line, tower IFR Weather: mist from the south (170°) at 3 knots 2.5 mi none 793 ft 07:35 UTC
RAC Racine, WI 178 nm out, 17 nm north of the line VFR from the southwest (220°) at 10 knots 10+ mi none 673 ft 06:53 UTC
UGN Chicago/Waukegan, IL 188 nm out, 4 nm southeast of the line, tower VFR from the southwest (230°) at 7 knots 10+ mi none 728 ft 07:51 UTC
RFD Chicago/Rockford, IL 238 nm out, 6 nm south of the line, tower VFR Sky: a broken layer at 25,000 feet from the south (170°) at 3 knots 10+ mi 25,000 ft 742 ft 06:54 UTC
DBQ Dubuque, IA 307 nm out, 22 nm north of the line, tower VFR from the south-southwest (200°) at 8 knots 10+ mi none 1,076 ft 06:53 UTC
CID Cedar Rapids, IA 357 nm out, 2 nm west of the line, tower VFR from the south (180°) at 6 knots 10+ mi none 869 ft 02:52 UTC
DSM Des Moines, IA 446 nm out, 3 nm west 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
GFZ Greenfield, IA 486 nm out, 1 nm south of the line no report just now 1,363 ft
OMA Omaha, NE 545 nm out, 16 nm northwest of the line, tower VFR Sky: a few clouds at 25,000 feet from the southeast (140°) at 9 knots 10+ mi none 984 ft 07:52 UTC
LNK Lincoln, NE destination VFR from the south (190°) at 15 knots 10+ mi none 1,218 ft 1:54 am CDT (06:54 UTC)

The highest airport on this list sits at 1,363 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At LNK when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 8:29 am CDT (13:29 UTC)

Wind from the south at 11 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, a few clouds at 25,000 feet VFR

The whole forecast for LNK
  • From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south at 11 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
  • From Mon 10:00 am CDT (15:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 15 knots, gusting to 27, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
  • From Mon 4:00 pm CDT (21:00 UTC): wind from the west-southwest at 11 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
  • From Mon 8:00 pm CDT (01:00 UTC): wind from the north at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
The forecast for FNT, the departure
  • From Mon 3:00 am EDT (07:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 3 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 400 feet
  • From Mon 4:00 am EDT (08:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 3 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
  • At times between Mon 6:00 am EDT (10:00 UTC) and 9:00 am EDT (13:00 UTC): visibility 4 miles, mist, a broken layer at 500 feet
  • From Mon 10:00 am EDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
  • From Mon 12:00 pm EDT (16:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 12 knots, gusting to 22, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
  • From Mon 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 7 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 FNT 6:57 pm EDT (22:57 UTC), at LNK 6:51 pm CDT (23:51 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:19 pm CDT (00:19 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

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 northern Rockies
Radar now, the northern Rockies · 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: Bishop International, Lincoln Airport.