Grand Forks International to Veterans Airport Of Southern Illinois GFK → MWA
709 nautical miles (816 statute miles) southeast on a straight line, true course 147°, about 141° magnetic at the departure end (variation 6E). At 120 knots that is 4 h 46 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 29-knot tailwind), arriving about 6:40 am CDT (11:40 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now GFK is IFR, wind from the north (010°) at 11 knots; MWA is VFR, wind from the south (190°) 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: 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 SIERRA 4E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the first 120 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). Over the route from 299 to 499 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 GFK.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
No pilot reports within 50 nautical miles of the line in the last three hours.
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 9 forecast points nearest it (GFK, AXN, MSP, MCW, DBQ, BRL, SPI, STL, CGI). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.
| Height | Average wind | Head- or tailwind | Temperature | Ground speed | Time en route | Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3,500 ft | 230° at 18 kt | +5 kt | 115 kt | 6 h 10 min | 8:04 am CDT (13:04 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 240° at 22 kt | −1 kt | 121 kt | 5 h 52 min | 7:46 am CDT (12:46 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 250° at 21 kt | −3 kt | 13 °C | 123 kt | 5 h 46 min | 7:40 am CDT (12:40 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 250° at 19 kt | −4 kt | 9 °C | 124 kt | 5 h 43 min | 7:37 am CDT (12:37 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 250° at 20 kt | −5 kt | 6 °C | 125 kt | 5 h 40 min | 7:34 am CDT (12:34 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 250° at 22 kt | −6 kt | 1 °C | 126 kt | 5 h 38 min | 7:32 am CDT (12:32 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 260° at 25 kt | −7 kt | -3 °C | 127 kt | 5 h 35 min | 7:29 am CDT (12:29 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 260° at 27 kt | −8 kt | -7 °C | 128 kt | 5 h 32 min | 7:26 am CDT (12:26 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 260° at 28 kt | −9 kt | -8 °C | 129 kt | 5 h 30 min | 7:24 am CDT (12:24 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 260° at 33 kt | −14 kt | -20 °C | 134 kt | 5 h 17 min | 7:11 am CDT (12:11 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 260° at 36 kt | −12 kt | -34 °C | 132 kt | 5 h 22 min | 7:16 am CDT (12:16 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 270° at 46 kt | −23 kt | -43 °C | 143 kt | 4 h 57 min | 6:51 am CDT (11:51 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 270° at 55 kt | −29 kt | -51 °C | 149 kt | 4 h 46 min | 6:40 am CDT (11:40 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GFK | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 070/18 | 100/10 9° | 250/11 6° | 250/27 1° | 250/34 -10° | 260/43 -21° | 260/39 -36° | 260/36 -46° | 260/59 -53° |
| AXN | used from 50 nm out; 70 nm from the line | 100/14 | 250/21 14° | 240/24 12° | 240/31 5° | 260/36 -10° | 260/40 -21° | 250/42 -36° | 260/48 -45° | 260/53 -50° |
| MSP | used from 200 nm out; 46 nm from the line | 230/26 | 240/30 17° | 240/24 12° | 250/22 5° | 250/35 -10° | 260/36 -21° | 250/41 -36° | 250/49 -45° | 260/58 -52° |
| MCW | used from 299 nm out; 15 nm from the line | 220/44 | 250/30 17° | 230/14 12° | 240/17 6° | 250/22 -8° | 270/29 -20° | 250/34 -34° | 260/52 -43° | 260/59 -51° |
| DBQ | used from 399 nm out; 63 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° |
| BRL | used from 449 nm out; 28 nm from the line | 230/24 | 240/29 15° | 290/16 10° | 280/15 4° | 260/23 -7° | 260/32 -19° | 260/36 -33° | 280/48 -41° | 280/59 -52° |
| SPI | used from 549 nm out; 33 nm from the line | 220/21 | 250/23 16° | 260/27 9° | 270/14 6° | 270/23 -7° | 270/31 -19° | 270/28 -33° | 290/48 -42° | 300/55 -52° |
| STL | used from 599 nm out; 28 nm from the line | 250/24 | 250/24 16° | 260/23 9° | 270/16 6° | 260/25 -6° | 270/29 -19° | 290/34 -33° | 290/48 -41° | 290/54 -51° |
| CGI | used from 699 nm out; 44 nm from the line | 240/20 | 270/15 15° | 280/15 11° | 300/13 6° | 290/20 -6° | 280/24 -18° | 300/34 -32° | 300/47 -41° | 310/49 -51° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GFK Grand Forks, ND | departure | IFR Sky: overcast at 600 feet | from the north (010°) at 11 knots | 10+ mi | 600 ft | 845 ft | 12:53 am CDT (05:53 UTC) |
| FAR Fargo, ND | 60 nm out, 21 nm southwest of the line, tower | low IFR Sky: overcast at 400 feet Weather: mist | from the north (360°) at 13 knots | 2.5 mi | 400 ft | 901 ft | 06:45 UTC |
| AXN Alexandria, MN | 140 nm out, 8 nm south of the line | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 900 feet | from the north-northeast (030°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,425 ft | 06:45 UTC |
| LJF Litchfield, MN | 200 nm out, 4 nm southeast of the line | reported, no category | calm | 10+ mi | none | 1,139 ft | 06:35 UTC |
| HCD Hutchinson, MN | 220 nm out, 2 nm west of the line | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 1,062 ft | 06:30 UTC |
| AEL Albert Lea, MN | 299 nm out, 2 nm southeast of the line | VFR Sky: overcast at 18,000 feet | from the south (190°) at 11 knots | 10+ mi | 18,000 ft | 1,261 ft | 06:35 UTC |
| ALO Waterloo, IA | 379 nm out, 3 nm east of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (180°) at 8 knots | 10+ mi | none | 873 ft | 05:54 UTC |
| CID Cedar Rapids, IA | 429 nm out, 9 nm east of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (180°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 869 ft | 02:52 UTC |
| BRL Burlington, IA | 499 nm out, 3 nm southeast of the line | VFR | from the south-southwest (210°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 698 ft | 05:53 UTC |
| ALN Alton/St Louis, IL | 629 nm out, 11 nm west of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southwest (200°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 543 ft | 06:35 UTC |
| BLV Belleville, IL | 649 nm out, 12 nm southwest of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southwest (200°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 459 ft | 05:55 UTC |
| MWA Marion, IL | destination | VFR | from the south (190°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 471 ft | 1:35 am CDT (06:35 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,425 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At MWA when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 6:40 am CDT (11:40 UTC)
MWA has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
The forecast for GFK, the departure
- From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the north at 14 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 400 feet
- From Mon 5:00 am CDT (10:00 UTC): wind from the north-northeast at 11 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 600 feet
- 30% chance between Mon 5:00 am CDT (10:00 UTC) and 11:00 am CDT (16:00 UTC): light rain showers
- From Mon 11:00 am CDT (16:00 UTC): wind from the north-northeast at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, light rain showers, overcast at 700 feet
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/4348 GRAND FORKS AFB, ND, Sunday, March 8, 2026 through Sunday, November 1, 2026 Local 13 nm from the route, at the departure end · security · until 1 November · ZMP
Daylight
Sunset at GFK 6:46 pm CDT (23:46 UTC), at MWA 6:23 pm CDT (23:23 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:49 pm CDT (23:49 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at MWA is before sunrise there (7:01 am CDT (12:01 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: Grand Forks International, Veterans Airport Of Southern Illinois.