The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Plan a flight · Mon 4:29 am PDT (11:29 UTC)

Spokane International to Chicago O'Hare International GEG → ORD

1,298 nautical miles (1,494 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 094°, about 080° magnetic at the departure end (variation 14E). At 120 knots that is 7 h 49 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 46-knot tailwind), arriving about 2:18 pm CDT (19:18 UTC). Right now GEG is VFR, wind from the northeast (040°) at 6 knots; ORD is VFR, wind from the south-southwest (210°) at 8 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: 1,400 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

  • SIGMET C17C: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 36,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 5:55 am PDT (12:55 UTC). Over the route from 669 to 729 nm out.
    as issued
    WSUS32 KKCI 121055
    MKCC WST 121055
    CONVECTIVE SIGMET 17C
    VALID UNTIL 1255Z
    SD ND
    FROM 20NW BIS-60E BIS-20WNW PIR-20SW DPR-20NW BIS
    AREA TS MOV FROM 22040KT. TOPS TO FL360.
  • AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 18,000 ft. Over the first 439 nm of the route.
  • AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 39,000 ft. Over the first 180 nm of the route.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 40 to 369 nm out.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 4E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 170 to 939 nm out.
  • AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Over the route from 449 to 539 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 route from 1088 to 1088 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 GEG.

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

  • C340 at 24,000 ft, 28 nm northeast, 3:59 am PDT (10:59 UTC): light to moderate icing, -22 °C. 549 nm along the route, 28 nm northeast of the line.
    as filed, and in English
    DIK UA /OV DIK240054/TM 1059/FL240/TP C340/TA M22/IC LGT-MOD CLR /ZLC
    Report
    a routine report filed through DIK
    Where
    54 nm southwest (240°) of DIK
    Time
    10:59 UTC
    Height
    at 24,000 ft
    Aircraft
    C340
    Temperature
    −22 °C
    Icing
    light to moderate clear zlc

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 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 14 forecast points nearest it (GEG, GPI, GTF, BIL, MLS, DIK, PIR, ABR, FSD, MSP, MCW, LSE, DBQ, JOT). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

HeightAverage windHead- or tailwindTemperatureGround speedTime en routeArrival
5,500 ft250° at 10 kt−7 kt2 °C127 kt10 h 13 min4:42 pm CDT (21:42 UTC)
7,500 ft240° at 13 kt−8 kt8 °C128 kt10 h 08 min4:37 pm CDT (21:37 UTC)
9,500 ft230° at 16 kt−9 kt4 °C129 kt10 h 04 min4:33 pm CDT (21:33 UTC)
11,500 ft240° at 18 kt−12 kt1 °C132 kt9 h 50 min4:19 pm CDT (21:19 UTC)
13,500 ft240° at 20 kt−13 kt-3 °C133 kt9 h 46 min4:15 pm CDT (21:15 UTC)
15,500 ft230° at 20 kt−13 kt-7 °C133 kt9 h 46 min4:15 pm CDT (21:15 UTC)
17,500 ft230° at 21 kt−13 kt-11 °C133 kt9 h 46 min4:15 pm CDT (21:15 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180230° at 21 kt−13 kt-12 °C133 kt9 h 46 min4:15 pm CDT (21:15 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240230° at 30 kt−19 kt-24 °C139 kt9 h 20 min3:49 pm CDT (20:49 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300240° at 34 kt−23 kt-36 °C143 kt9 h 05 min3:34 pm CDT (20:34 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340240° at 43 kt−33 kt-39 °C153 kt8 h 29 min2:58 pm CDT (19:58 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390250° at 53 kt−46 kt-46 °C166 kt7 h 49 min2:18 pm CDT (19:18 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
PointFrom3,0006,0009,00012,00018,00024,00030,00034,00039,000
GEGused from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line060/7 -2°070/12 -6°050/8 -8°120/11 -21°110/18 -33°030/22 -37°040/6 -38°240/7 -41°
GPIused from 100 nm out; 54 nm from the line090/8 -4°140/7 -7°090/10 -8°110/10 -19°210/25 -30°200/24 -40°210/31 -39°210/35 -42°
GTFused from 200 nm out; 31 nm from the lineL/VL/V -7°240/8 -8°240/30 -14°240/40 -28°210/52 -38°210/76 -38°220/72 -43°
BILused from 349 nm out; 60 nm from the line300/14270/19 -2°260/26 -2°220/28 -13°210/51 -25°220/56 -33°220/61 -39°220/72 -45°
MLSused from 399 nm out; 57 nm from the line290/17 -1°250/18 0°230/25 0°220/31 -11°220/32 -24°220/50 -32°220/60 -38°230/71 -46°
DIKused from 549 nm out; 57 nm from the line190/12 5°230/29 7°220/33 1°220/43 -11°210/47 -23°220/53 -33°240/56 -40°250/72 -47°
PIRused from 649 nm out; 90 nm from the line230/15 15°220/22 14°220/24 6°200/32 -10°210/48 -22°240/45 -33°240/43 -37°250/55 -46°
ABRused from 749 nm out; 34 nm from the line080/12210/12 17°220/22 12°230/26 5°220/28 -10°230/41 -21°250/36 -36°260/47 -39°260/63 -47°
FSDused from 849 nm out; 65 nm from the line210/20230/23 21°220/25 14°230/30 5°230/26 -9°240/30 -21°270/33 -36°260/47 -37°270/58 -47°
MSPused from 949 nm out; 80 nm from the line250/12250/17 17°240/26 12°250/26 5°280/26 -9°280/32 -22°270/37 -38°280/47 -41°280/55 -48°
MCWused from 999 nm out; 40 nm from the line250/36250/24 19°240/26 11°250/30 5°270/22 -9°260/30 -21°260/31 -36°280/53 -38°280/66 -48°
LSEused from 1098 nm out; 45 nm from the line250/25240/21 17°240/28 11°250/28 5°280/24 -10°280/31 -21°260/35 -37°270/45 -43°280/59 -47°
DBQused from 1148 nm out; 28 nm from the line250/27260/23 17°240/26 10°260/30 4°280/26 -9°280/36 -21°270/41 -36°280/52 -41°290/67 -48°
JOTused from 1248 nm out; 40 nm from the line250/25260/22 14°250/17 9°270/21 5°280/28 -8°280/36 -20°270/41 -35°280/57 -42°290/65 -50°

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
GEG Spokane, WA departure VFR Sky: a few clouds at 5,000 feet, scattered clouds at 8,500 feet, a broken layer at 10,000 feet from the northeast (040°) at 6 knots 10+ mi 10,000 ft 2,385 ft 3:53 am PDT (10:53 UTC)
THM Thompson Falls, MT 90 nm out, 5 nm north of the line no report just now 2,467 ft
GTF Great Falls, MT 250 nm out, 20 nm north of the line, tower low IFR Sky: overcast at 400 feet Weather: mist from the northwest (320°) at 6 knots 1.75 mi 400 ft 3,680 ft 11:18 UTC
LWT Lewistown, MT 330 nm out, 7 nm north of the line no report just now 4,170 ft
MLS Miles City, MT 479 nm out, 2 nm southeast of the line marginal VFR Sky: a few clouds at 600 feet, overcast at 1,300 feet Weather: mist from the north (350°) at 8 knots 4 mi 1,300 ft 2,634 ft 11:24 UTC
HEI Hettinger, ND 619 nm out, 7 nm north of the line low IFR Sky: overcast at 300 feet Weather: mist from the northeast (040°) at 7 knots 3 mi 300 ft 2,705 ft 11:06 UTC
MBG Mobridge, SD 719 nm out, 6 nm north of the line IFR Sky: a broken layer at 600 feet, overcast at 1,400 feet Weather: light rain from the east (090°) at 10 knots 10+ mi 600 ft 1,716 ft 11:10 UTC
ATY Watertown, SD 859 nm out, 11 nm north of the line low IFR Sky: sky obscured at 200 feet Weather: fog from the north-northeast (030°) at 7 knots 0.5 mi 200 ft 1,749 ft 10:53 UTC
JYG St James, MN 979 nm out, 5 nm southeast of the line VFR calm 10+ mi none 1,067 ft 11:15 UTC
AEL Albert Lea, MN 1039 nm out, 2 nm southwest of the line VFR from the south (180°) at 6 knots 10+ mi none 1,261 ft 11:15 UTC
RFD Chicago/Rockford, IL 1248 nm out, 11 nm southwest of the line, tower VFR Sky: a broken layer at 25,000 feet from the southeast (140°) at 3 knots 10+ mi 25,000 ft 742 ft 10:54 UTC
ORD Chicago, IL destination VFR Sky: a broken layer at 25,000 feet from the south-southwest (210°) at 8 knots 10+ mi 25,000 ft 680 ft 5:51 am CDT (10:51 UTC)

The highest airport on this list sits at 4,170 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At ORD when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 2:18 pm CDT (19:18 UTC)

Wind from the south-southwest at 13 knots, gusting to 24, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet VFR

The whole forecast for ORD
  • From Mon 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
  • From Mon 12:00 pm CDT (17:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 13 knots, gusting to 24, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 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
  • From Mon 10:00 pm CDT (03:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 11 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, a few clouds at 10,000 feet
  • From Tue 5:00 am CDT (10:00 UTC): wind from the west at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 20,000 feet
The forecast for GEG, the departure
  • From Sun 11:00 pm PDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the northeast at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 7,000 feet
  • From Mon 1:00 pm PDT (20:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 10,000 feet

Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it

  • 6/8923 Kalispell, MT, Wednesday, October 14, 2026 through Wednesday, October 14, 2026 Local 21 nm from the route, 130 nm along the route · a VIP movement · starts Wednesday 14 October · ZLC
  • 6/8927 Kalispell, MT, Wednesday, October 14, 2026 through Wednesday, October 14, 2026 Local on the route, 140 nm along the route · a VIP movement · starts Wednesday 14 October · ZSE

Daylight

Sunset at GEG 6:06 pm PDT (01:06 UTC), at ORD 6:15 pm CDT (23:15 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:43 pm CDT (23:43 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 Pacific Northwest
Radar now, the Pacific Northwest · loop National Weather Service
Radar now, the northern Rockies
Radar now, the northern Rockies · loop National Weather Service
Radar now, the upper Mississippi valley
Radar now, the upper Mississippi valley · 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: Spokane International, Chicago O'Hare International.