Gerald R Ford International to The Eastern Iowa Airport GRR → CID
281 nautical miles (323 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 260°, about 266° magnetic at the departure end (variation 6W). At 120 knots that is 2 h 49 min at the quickest height in today's winds (8,500 ft, a 20-knot headwind), arriving about 10:55 am CDT (15:55 UTC). Right now GRR is VFR, wind from the south (180°) at 5 knots; CID is VFR, wind from the south (180°) at 10 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: 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 29 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 GRR.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
- B739 at 34,000 ft, 37 nm north, 6:58 am EDT (10:58 UTC): no turbulence. 116 nm along the route, 37 nm north of the line.
as filed, and in English
UES UA /OV BAE/TM 1058/FL340/TP B739/TB NEG
- Report
- a routine report filed through UES
- Where
- over BAE
- Time
- 10:58 UTC
- Height
- at 34,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B739
- Turbulence
- none
- B752 at 34,000 ft, 34 nm north, 8:23 am EDT (12:23 UTC): light chop turbulence. 242 nm along the route, 34 nm north of the line.
as filed, and in English
DBQ UA /OV DBQ300020/TM 1223/FL340/TP B752/TB OCNL LGT CHOP
- Report
- a routine report filed through DBQ
- Where
- 20 nm northwest (300°) of DBQ
- Time
- 12:23 UTC
- Height
- at 34,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B752
- Turbulence
- occasional light chop
- A321 at 32,000 ft, 10 nm north, 8:25 am EDT (12:25 UTC): light chop turbulence. At the destination end, 10 nm north of the line.
as filed, and in English
CID UA /OV CID360010/TM 1225/FL320/TP A321/TB INTMT LGT CHOP CONS LGT CHOP
- Report
- a routine report filed through CID
- Where
- 10 nm north (360°) of CID
- Time
- 12:25 UTC
- Height
- at 32,000 ft
- Aircraft
- A321
- Turbulence
- intermittent light chop continuous light chop
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 3 forecast points nearest it (MKG, JOT, DBQ). 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 | 260° at 24 kt | +24 kt | 96 kt | 2 h 56 min | 11:02 am CDT (16:02 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 260° at 21 kt | +21 kt | 15 °C | 99 kt | 2 h 50 min | 10:56 am CDT (15:56 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 250° at 21 kt | +20 kt | 10 °C | 100 kt | 2 h 49 min | 10:55 am CDT (15:55 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 250° at 23 kt | +23 kt | 7 °C | 97 kt | 2 h 54 min | 11:00 am CDT (16:00 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 260° at 26 kt | +26 kt | 3 °C | 94 kt | 2 h 59 min | 11:05 am CDT (16:05 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 270° at 26 kt | +26 kt | -1 °C | 94 kt | 2 h 59 min | 11:05 am CDT (16:05 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 280° at 27 kt | +26 kt | -6 °C | 94 kt | 2 h 59 min | 11:05 am CDT (16:05 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 280° at 28 kt | +26 kt | -9 °C | 94 kt | 2 h 59 min | 11:05 am CDT (16:05 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 280° at 36 kt | +34 kt | -21 °C | 86 kt | 3 h 16 min | 11:22 am CDT (16:22 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 270° at 42 kt | +41 kt | -35 °C | 79 kt | 3 h 33 min | 11:39 am CDT (16:39 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 280° at 49 kt | +46 kt | -43 °C | 74 kt | 3 h 48 min | 11:54 am CDT (16:54 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 290° at 65 kt | +55 kt | -49 °C | 65 kt | 4 h 19 min | 12:25 pm CDT (17:25 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MKG | used from 0 nm out; 23 nm from the line | 260/28 | 260/18 15° | 250/16 9° | 260/22 4° | 280/31 -9° | 270/35 -21° | 270/44 -35° | 270/42 -45° | 290/61 -51° |
| JOT | used from 97 nm out; 58 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° |
| DBQ | used from 145 nm out; 64 nm from the line | 250/27 | 260/23 17° | 240/26 10° | 260/30 4° | 280/26 -9° | 280/36 -21° | 270/41 -36° | 280/52 -41° | 290/67 -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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GRR Grand Rapids, MI | departure | VFR Sky: a broken layer at 23,000 feet | from the south (180°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | 23,000 ft | 793 ft | 8:53 am EDT (12:53 UTC) |
| MKG Muskegon, MI | 29 nm out, 23 nm north of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a broken layer at 23,000 feet | from the south (190°) at 9 knots | 10+ mi | 23,000 ft | 628 ft | 12:55 UTC |
| ENW Kenosha, WI | 107 nm out, 4 nm northwest of the line, tower | VFR | from the southwest (230°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | none | 742 ft | 12:53 UTC |
| JVL Janesville, WI | 155 nm out, 15 nm north of the line, tower | VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 23,000 feet | from the south-southwest (200°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 807 ft | 12:45 UTC |
| RFD Chicago/Rockford, IL | 165 nm out, 9 nm south of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 12,000 feet, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet | from the south-southeast (160°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 742 ft | 12:54 UTC |
| DBQ Dubuque, IA | 232 nm out, 19 nm north of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southwest (200°) at 9 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,076 ft | 12:53 UTC |
| MXO Monticello, IA | 252 nm out, 14 nm north of the line | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 11,000 feet | from the south (180°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 833 ft | 12:55 UTC |
| CID Cedar Rapids, IA | destination | VFR Sky: a broken layer at 11,000 feet | from the south (180°) at 10 knots | 10+ mi | 11,000 ft | 869 ft | 7:52 am CDT (12:52 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,076 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At CID when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 10:55 am CDT (15:55 UTC)
Wind from the south-southwest at 12 knots, gusting to 22, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 20,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for CID
- From Mon 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, a broken layer at 20,000 feet
- From Mon 9:00 am CDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 12 knots, gusting to 22, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 20,000 feet
- From Mon 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, clear skies
- From Tue 12:00 am CDT (05:00 UTC): wind from the west-southwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
The forecast for GRR, the departure
- From Mon 8:00 am EDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the south at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 1:00 pm EDT (17:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 12 knots, gusting to 20, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 20,000 feet
- From Mon 6:00 pm EDT (22:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 8,000 feet
- From Mon 11:00 pm EDT (03:00 UTC): wind from the south at 8 knots, visibility 4 miles, light rain showers, mist, scattered clouds at 5,000 feet, overcast at 8,000 feet
- 30% chance between Mon 11:00 pm EDT (03:00 UTC) and 3:00 am EDT (07:00 UTC): visibility 2 miles, light thunderstorms with rain, mist, overcast at 3,500 feet (thunderheads)
- From Tue 3:00 am EDT (07:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 8,000 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 GRR 7:04 pm EDT (23:04 UTC), at CID 6:30 pm CDT (23:30 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:58 pm CDT (23:58 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: Gerald R Ford International, The Eastern Iowa Airport.