Fort Wayne International to Chicago Midway International FWA → MDW
125 nautical miles (144 statute miles) northwest on a straight line, true course 294°, about 300° magnetic at the departure end (variation 6W). At 120 knots that is 1 h 08 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 9-knot headwind), arriving about 10:03 pm CDT (03:03 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now FWA is VFR, wind calm; MDW is VFR, wind from the southeast (130°) at 4 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
No SIGMET or AIRMET covers any part of this route right now.
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 FWA.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
- UAL2761 at 33,000 ft, 44 nm northeast, 7:24 pm EDT (23:24 UTC): no turbulence, wind 310° at 40 knots. At the departure end, 44 nm northeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
ARP UAL2761 4139N 08447W 2324 F330 310/040KT TB SMTH IC
- Report
- a routine report filed through ARP
- E145 at 2,600 ft, 0 nm east, 7:05 pm EDT (23:05 UTC): a routine report with nothing remarked on. At the departure end, 0 nm east of the line.
as filed, and in English
FWA UA /OV FWA/TM 2305/FL026/TP E145/SK B026
- Report
- a routine report filed through FWA
- Where
- over FWA
- Time
- 23:05 UTC
- Height
- at 2,600 ft
- Aircraft
- E145
- Sky
- B026
- CRJ7 at 17,000 ft, 32 nm northeast, 8:04 pm EDT (00:04 UTC): no turbulence. 106 nm along the route, 32 nm northeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
BEH UA /OV ELX270040/TM 0004/FL170/TP CRJ7/TB NEG
- Report
- a routine report filed through BEH
- Where
- 40 nm west (270°) of ELX
- Time
- 00:04 UTC
- Height
- at 17,000 ft
- Aircraft
- CRJ7
- Turbulence
- none
- B39M at 35,000 ft, 13 nm south, 8:29 pm EDT (00:29 UTC): no turbulence, remarks: smooth. 115 nm along the route, 13 nm south of the line.
as filed, and in English
IKK UA /OV CGT/TM 0029/FL350/TP B39M/TB NEG/RM SMOOTH
- Report
- a routine report filed through IKK
- Where
- over CGT
- Time
- 00:29 UTC
- Height
- at 35,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B39M
- Turbulence
- none
- Remarks
- smooth
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 2 forecast points nearest it (FWA, JOT). 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 9 kt | +9 kt | 111 kt | 1 h 08 min | 10:03 pm CDT (03:03 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 320° at 15 kt | +13 kt | 15 °C | 107 kt | 1 h 10 min | 10:05 pm CDT (03:05 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 330° at 18 kt | +15 kt | 11 °C | 105 kt | 1 h 11 min | 10:06 pm CDT (03:06 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 330° at 20 kt | +15 kt | 7 °C | 105 kt | 1 h 11 min | 10:06 pm CDT (03:06 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 340° at 21 kt | +15 kt | 3 °C | 105 kt | 1 h 11 min | 10:06 pm CDT (03:06 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 330° at 21 kt | +16 kt | -1 °C | 104 kt | 1 h 12 min | 10:07 pm CDT (03:07 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 330° at 20 kt | +16 kt | -6 °C | 104 kt | 1 h 12 min | 10:07 pm CDT (03:07 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 330° at 20 kt | +17 kt | -9 °C | 103 kt | 1 h 13 min | 10:08 pm CDT (03:08 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 330° at 34 kt | +26 kt | -21 °C | 94 kt | 1 h 20 min | 10:15 pm CDT (03:15 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 320° at 45 kt | +39 kt | -37 °C | 81 kt | 1 h 33 min | 10:28 pm CDT (03:28 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 320° at 47 kt | +42 kt | -44 °C | 78 kt | 1 h 36 min | 10:31 pm CDT (03:31 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 320° at 60 kt | +53 kt | -49 °C | 67 kt | 1 h 52 min | 10:47 pm CDT (03:47 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; 24 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 48 nm out; 68 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° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FWA Fort Wayne, IN | departure | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 1,800 feet, a few clouds at 25,000 feet | calm | 10+ mi | none | 814 ft | 8:54 pm EDT (00:54 UTC) |
| ASW Warsaw, IN | 38 nm out, 7 nm east of the line | VFR | calm | 7 mi | none | 849 ft | 01:35 UTC |
| SBN South Bend, IN | 67 nm out, 21 nm northeast of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 798 ft | 00:54 UTC |
| GYY Gary/Chicago, IN | 106 nm out, 4 nm southwest of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 9 mi | none | 596 ft | 01:50 UTC |
| MDW Chicago, IL | destination | VFR | from the southeast (130°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 619 ft | 7:53 pm CDT (00:53 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 849 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At MDW when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 10:03 pm CDT (03:03 UTC)
Wind from the south at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies VFR
The whole forecast for MDW
- From Sun 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- 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, scattered clouds at 20,000 feet
- From Mon 6:00 pm CDT (23:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 12 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 12,000 feet
The forecast for FWA, the departure
- From Sun 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 1,800 feet, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Sun 11:00 pm EDT (03:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 2,500 feet
- From Mon 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility 1 mile, mist, scattered clouds at 1,500 feet
- At times between Mon 4:00 am EDT (08:00 UTC) and 8:00 am EDT (12:00 UTC): visibility ½ mile, fog, a broken layer at 500 feet
- From Mon 9:00 am EDT (13:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 6 knots, visibility 2 miles, mist, scattered clouds at 1,500 feet
- From Mon 11:00 am EDT (15:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few 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 FWA 7:05 pm EDT (23:05 UTC), at MDW 6:14 pm CDT (23:14 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:42 pm CDT (23:42 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at MDW is after sunset there (6:16 pm CDT (23:16 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: Fort Wayne International, Chicago Midway International.