Gerald R Ford International to Houghton County Memorial GRR → CMX
287 nautical miles (330 statute miles) northwest on a straight line, true course 335°, about 341° magnetic at the departure end (variation 6W). At 120 knots that is 2 h 27 min at the quickest height in today's winds (12,500 ft, a 3-knot headwind), arriving about 6:29 am EDT (10:29 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now GRR is IFR, wind from the south-southeast (150°) at 3 knots; CMX is IFR, wind from the north-northeast (030°) 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: 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 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 40 to 207 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 GRR.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
Not fetched just now.
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 3 forecast points nearest it (MKG, TVC, GRB). 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 25 kt | +8 kt | 112 kt | 2 h 34 min | 6:36 am EDT (10:36 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 280° at 19 kt | +11 kt | 14 °C | 109 kt | 2 h 38 min | 6:40 am EDT (10:40 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 280° at 14 kt | +9 kt | 11 °C | 111 kt | 2 h 35 min | 6:37 am EDT (10:37 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 270° at 12 kt | +5 kt | 6 °C | 115 kt | 2 h 30 min | 6:32 am EDT (10:32 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 260° at 13 kt | +3 kt | 2 °C | 117 kt | 2 h 27 min | 6:29 am EDT (10:29 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 270° at 17 kt | +8 kt | -2 °C | 112 kt | 2 h 34 min | 6:36 am EDT (10:36 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 280° at 22 kt | +14 kt | -6 °C | 106 kt | 2 h 42 min | 6:44 am EDT (10:44 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 290° at 26 kt | +18 kt | -9 °C | 102 kt | 2 h 49 min | 6:51 am EDT (10:51 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 290° at 31 kt | +22 kt | -20 °C | 98 kt | 2 h 56 min | 6:58 am EDT (10:58 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 300° at 45 kt | +39 kt | -36 °C | 81 kt | 3 h 33 min | 7:35 am EDT (11:35 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 310° at 54 kt | +48 kt | -45 °C | 72 kt | 3 h 59 min | 8:01 am EDT (12:01 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 300° at 74 kt | +60 kt | -54 °C | 60 kt | 4 h 47 min | 8:49 am EDT (12:49 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MKG | used from 0 nm out; 21 nm from the line | 260/22 | 290/16 15° | 300/11 10° | 290/5 3° | 300/26 -9° | 300/32 -20° | 320/48 -36° | 320/61 -45° | 310/74 -53° |
| TVC | used from 99 nm out; 50 nm from the line | 260/31 | 280/22 15° | 290/18 10° | 270/13 2° | 290/25 -10° | 300/35 -21° | 310/52 -37° | 320/59 -47° | 300/84 -54° |
| GRB | used from 148 nm out; 70 nm from the line | 250/36 | 270/23 16° | 270/14 9° | 240/18 4° | 280/26 -9° | 280/29 -20° | 290/42 -36° | 290/51 -45° | 290/72 -55° |
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 | IFR Weather: mist | from the south-southeast (150°) at 3 knots | 2.5 mi | none | 793 ft | 3:53 am EDT (07:53 UTC) |
| MKG Muskegon, MI | 30 nm out, 21 nm southwest of the line, tower | reported, no category | from the south (190°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 628 ft | 07:55 UTC |
| LDM Ludington, MI | 79 nm out, 8 nm southwest of the line | VFR | from the south-southwest (200°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 646 ft | 07:55 UTC |
| MBL Manistee, MI | 89 nm out, 7 nm northeast of the line | VFR | from the east (080°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 621 ft | 07:56 UTC |
| SUE Sturgeon Bay, WI | 138 nm out, 23 nm west of the line | VFR | from the west-southwest (240°) at 9 knots | 10+ mi | none | 724 ft | 07:57 UTC |
| ESC Escanaba, MI | 188 nm out, 14 nm east of the line | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 609 ft | 07:56 UTC |
| SAW Marquette, MI | 227 nm out, 19 nm east of the line, tower | VFR | from the northeast (040°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,204 ft | 07:58 UTC |
| CMX Hancock, MI | destination | IFR Sky: overcast at 700 feet | from the north-northeast (030°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | 700 ft | 1,095 ft | 3:53 am EDT (07:53 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,204 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At CMX when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 6:29 am EDT (10:29 UTC)
Wind from the northeast at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 700 feet IFR
The whole forecast for CMX
- From Mon 4:00 am EDT (08:00 UTC): wind from the northeast at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 700 feet
- From Mon 8:00 am EDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the east-northeast at 12 knots, gusting to 22, visibility more than 6 miles, light rain showers, overcast at 800 feet
- From Mon 4:00 pm EDT (20:00 UTC): wind from the east-northeast at 12 knots, gusting to 22, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 500 feet
- From Mon 10:00 pm EDT (02:00 UTC): wind from the east-northeast at 12 knots, gusting to 22, visibility more than 6 miles, light rain showers, overcast at 500 feet
The forecast for GRR, the departure
- From Mon 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south at 3 knots, visibility 4 miles, mist, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
- At times between Mon 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC) and 4:00 am EDT (08:00 UTC): visibility ½ mile, fog
- From Mon 5:00 am EDT (09:00 UTC): wind from the south at 5 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 10:00 pm EDT (02:00 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 10:00 pm EDT (02:00 UTC) and 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC): visibility 2 miles, light thunderstorms with rain, mist, overcast at 3,500 feet (thunderheads)
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/8771 NW NEGAUNEE, MI, Saturday, October 10, 2026 through Thursday, October 15, 2026 UTC 12 nm from the route, 237 nm along the route · a hazard on the ground (fire-fighting, a chemical spill, rescue work) · until 15 October · ZMP
- 6/8665 9NM E HERMAN, MI, Friday, October 9, 2026 through Tuesday, October 13, 2026 UTC 1 nm from the route, 247 nm along the route · a hazard on the ground (fire-fighting, a chemical spill, rescue work) · until 13 October · ZMP
Daylight
Sunset at GRR 7:04 pm EDT (23:04 UTC), at CMX 7:12 pm EDT (23:12 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:43 pm EDT (23:43 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at CMX is before sunrise there (8:07 am EDT (12:07 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, Houghton County Memorial.