The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Plan a flight · Mon 3:39 am CDT (08:39 UTC)

Gary/Chicago International to Capital Region International GYY → LAN

144 nautical miles (166 statute miles) northeast on a straight line, true course 060°, about 062° magnetic at the departure end (variation 2W). At 120 knots that is 54 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 39-knot tailwind), arriving about 5:33 am EDT (09:33 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now GYY is VFR, wind from the south-southwest (200°) at 6 knots; LAN is VFR, wind from the south-southwest (200°) at 6 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: 10 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

  • AIRMET SIERRA 3E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist, fog). Over the last 10 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 GYY.

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

  • B739 at 35,000 ft, 49 nm southwest, 2:05 am CDT (07:05 UTC): no turbulence. At the departure end, 49 nm southwest of the line.
    as filed, and in English
    TIP UA /OV RBS010023/TM 0705/FL350/TP B739/TB NEG
    Report
    a routine report filed through TIP
    Where
    23 nm north (010°) of RBS
    Time
    07:05 UTC
    Height
    at 35,000 ft
    Aircraft
    B739
    Turbulence
    none

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 2 forecast points nearest it (JOT, MKG). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

HeightAverage windHead- or tailwindTemperatureGround speedTime en routeArrival
3,500 ft260° at 26 kt−25 kt145 kt1 h5:39 am EDT (09:39 UTC)
5,500 ft260° at 21 kt−20 kt140 kt1 h 02 min5:41 am EDT (09:41 UTC)
7,500 ft260° at 18 kt−17 kt12 °C137 kt1 h 03 min5:42 am EDT (09:42 UTC)
9,500 ft250° at 17 kt−17 kt8 °C137 kt1 h 03 min5:42 am EDT (09:42 UTC)
11,500 ft260° at 21 kt−19 kt5 °C139 kt1 h 02 min5:41 am EDT (09:41 UTC)
13,500 ft270° at 23 kt−21 kt1 °C141 kt1 h 01 min5:40 am EDT (09:40 UTC)
15,500 ft270° at 26 kt−22 kt-4 °C142 kt1 h 01 min5:40 am EDT (09:40 UTC)
17,500 ft280° at 29 kt−23 kt-8 °C143 kt1 h5:39 am EDT (09:39 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180280° at 30 kt−23 kt-9 °C143 kt1 h5:39 am EDT (09:39 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240270° at 35 kt−30 kt-21 °C150 kt58 min5:37 am EDT (09:37 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300270° at 43 kt−37 kt-35 °C157 kt55 min5:34 am EDT (09:34 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340270° at 47 kt−39 kt-44 °C159 kt54 min5:33 am EDT (09:33 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390290° at 62 kt−41 kt-51 °C161 kt54 min5:33 am EDT (09:33 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
JOTused from 0 nm out; 58 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°
MKGused from 48 nm out; 59 nm from the line260/28260/18 15°250/16 9°260/22 4°280/31 -9°270/35 -21°270/44 -35°270/42 -45°290/61 -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

AirportWhereConditionsWindVisibilityCeilingElevationReported
GYY Gary/Chicago, IN departure VFR from the south-southwest (200°) at 6 knots 10+ mi none 596 ft 3:15 am CDT (08:15 UTC)
MGC Michigan City, IN 29 nm out, 9 nm south of the line VFR from the south (180°) at 3 knots 10+ mi none 654 ft 08:35 UTC
AZO Kalamazoo, MI 86 nm out, 10 nm southeast of the line, tower marginal VFR Weather: mist from the south (180°) at 6 knots 4 mi none 873 ft 07:53 UTC
BTL Battle Creek, MI 105 nm out, 11 nm southeast of the line, tower VFR from the south-southwest (200°) at 6 knots 8 mi none 951 ft 07:53 UTC
LAN Lansing, MI destination VFR from the south-southwest (200°) at 6 knots 8 mi none 860 ft 3:53 am EDT (07:53 UTC)

The highest airport on this list sits at 951 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At LAN when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 5:33 am EDT (09:33 UTC)

Wind from the south at 3 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet VFR

At times between Mon 4:00 am EDT (08:00 UTC) and 7:00 am EDT (11:00 UTC): visibility 5 miles, mist marginal VFR

The whole forecast for LAN
  • 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 4:00 am EDT (08:00 UTC) and 7:00 am EDT (11:00 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 Tue 12:00 am EDT (04:00 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 Tue 12:00 am EDT (04:00 UTC) and 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC): visibility 2 miles, light thunderstorms with rain, mist, overcast at 3,500 feet (thunderheads)
The forecast for GYY, the departure
  • From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
  • From Mon 12:00 pm CDT (17:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 12 knots, gusting to 23, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
  • From Mon 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 11 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 12,000 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 GYY 6:13 pm CDT (23:13 UTC), at LAN 7:01 pm EDT (23:01 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:29 pm EDT (23:29 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at LAN is before sunrise there (7:47 am EDT (11:47 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 central Great Lakes
Radar now, the central Great Lakes · 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: Gary/Chicago International, Capital Region International.