Gerald R Ford International to Joplin Regional GRR → JLN
537 nautical miles (618 statute miles) southwest on a straight line, true course 233°, about 239° magnetic at the departure end (variation 6W). At 120 knots that is 4 h 56 min at the quickest height in today's winds (12,500 ft, a 11-knot headwind), arriving about 6:04 am CDT (11:04 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now GRR is marginal VFR, wind from the south-southeast (160°) at 4 knots; JLN is VFR, wind from the south-southwest (200°) at 12 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 3E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the first 80 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 last 109 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
- B38M at 29,000 ft, 37 nm southeast, 12:52 am EDT (04:52 UTC): no turbulence from 23,000 ft to 29,000 ft. 179 nm along the route, 37 nm southeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
TIP UA /OV RBS/TM 0452/FL290/TP B38M/TB NEG 230-290
- Report
- a routine report filed through TIP
- Where
- over RBS
- Time
- 04:52 UTC
- Height
- at 29,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B38M
- Turbulence
- no from 23,000 ft to 29,000 ft
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 6 forecast points nearest it (MKG, JOT, SPI, STL, COU, SGF). 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 | 240° at 23 kt | +23 kt | 97 kt | 5 h 32 min | 6:40 am CDT (11:40 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 250° at 21 kt | +20 kt | 14 °C | 100 kt | 5 h 22 min | 6:30 am CDT (11:30 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 260° at 19 kt | +16 kt | 11 °C | 104 kt | 5 h 10 min | 6:18 am CDT (11:18 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 260° at 15 kt | +13 kt | 8 °C | 107 kt | 5 h 01 min | 6:09 am CDT (11:09 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 260° at 13 kt | +11 kt | 4 °C | 109 kt | 4 h 56 min | 6:04 am CDT (11:04 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 270° at 16 kt | +13 kt | 0 °C | 107 kt | 5 h 01 min | 6:09 am CDT (11:09 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 270° at 20 kt | +15 kt | -4 °C | 105 kt | 5 h 07 min | 6:15 am CDT (11:15 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 270° at 22 kt | +17 kt | -7 °C | 103 kt | 5 h 13 min | 6:21 am CDT (11:21 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 280° at 28 kt | +20 kt | -19 °C | 100 kt | 5 h 22 min | 6:30 am CDT (11:30 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 290° at 34 kt | +17 kt | -33 °C | 103 kt | 5 h 13 min | 6:21 am CDT (11:21 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 290° at 49 kt | +23 kt | -42 °C | 97 kt | 5 h 32 min | 6:40 am CDT (11:40 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 300° at 58 kt | +22 kt | -52 °C | 98 kt | 5 h 29 min | 6:37 am CDT (11:37 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; 34 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° |
| JOT | used from 99 nm out; 21 nm from the line | 250/23 | 270/22 15° | 250/16 10° | 240/9 4° | 280/22 -7° | 280/29 -19° | 300/29 -34° | 290/50 -43° | 300/64 -52° |
| SPI | used from 199 nm out; 45 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 298 nm out; 57 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° |
| COU | used from 348 nm out; 17 nm from the line | 230/31 | 230/30 15° | 260/16 11° | 270/14 6° | 260/24 -6° | 270/27 -18° | 270/37 -32° | 280/49 -41° | 290/56 -51° |
| SGF | used from 447 nm out; 38 nm from the line | 230/33 | 230/28 15° | 250/20 13° | 240/18 7° | 250/20 -6° | 250/24 -17° | 280/42 -31° | 280/49 -40° | 290/46 -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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GRR Grand Rapids, MI | departure | marginal VFR Weather: mist | from the south-southeast (160°) at 4 knots | 4 mi | none | 793 ft | 1:53 am EDT (05:53 UTC) |
| LWA South Haven, MI | 50 nm out, 7 nm east of the line | VFR | from the south (180°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 665 ft | 05:55 UTC |
| BEH Benton Harbor, MI | 60 nm out, 12 nm southeast of the line | VFR | from the south (170°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 649 ft | 05:53 UTC |
| MDW Chicago, IL | 119 nm out, 8 nm northwest of the line, tower | VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 25,000 feet | from the south-southwest (200°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 619 ft | 05:53 UTC |
| BMI Bloomington/Normal, IL | 209 nm out, 20 nm southeast of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (190°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 871 ft | 05:56 UTC |
| PIA Peoria, IL | 229 nm out, 11 nm northwest of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (180°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 660 ft | 05:54 UTC |
| PPQ Pittsfield, IL | 308 nm out, 4 nm southeast of the line | VFR | from the south (190°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 709 ft | 05:55 UTC |
| MYJ Mexico, MO | 358 nm out, 7 nm west of the line | VFR | from the south (190°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 822 ft | 05:55 UTC |
| COU Columbia, MO | 388 nm out, 3 nm west of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southwest (200°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | none | 889 ft | 05:54 UTC |
| RAW Warsaw, MO | 447 nm out, 16 nm northwest of the line | VFR | from the south-southwest (200°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 936 ft | 05:55 UTC |
| LLU Lamar, MO | 517 nm out, 9 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 1,009 ft | ||||
| JLN Joplin, MO | destination | VFR | from the south-southwest (200°) at 12 knots | 10+ mi | none | 977 ft | 12:53 am CDT (05:53 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,009 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At JLN when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 6:04 am CDT (11:04 UTC)
Wind from the south-southwest at 13 knots, gusting to 21, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, clear skies VFR
The whole forecast for JLN
- From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 11 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 3:00 am CDT (08:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 13 knots, gusting to 21, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, clear skies
- From Mon 9:00 am CDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 19 knots, gusting to 30, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 12 knots, gusting to 22, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
The forecast for GRR, the departure
- From Mon 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south at 3 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, 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 5 miles, mist
- 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
- 6/7634 CENTRALIA, MO, Monday, October 12, 2026 UTC 14 nm from the route, 378 nm along the route · a hazard on the ground (fire-fighting, a chemical spill, rescue work) · today · ZKC
Daylight
Sunset at GRR 7:04 pm EDT (23:04 UTC), at JLN 6:45 pm CDT (23:45 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:11 pm CDT (00:11 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at JLN is before sunrise there (7:22 am CDT (12:22 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, Joplin Regional.