The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Plan a flight · Sun 11:38 pm EDT (03:38 UTC)

Capital Region International to Purdue University Airport LAN → LAF

177 nautical miles (204 statute miles) southwest on a straight line, true course 217°, about 222° magnetic at the departure end (variation 5W). At 120 knots that is 1 h 16 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 20-knot tailwind), arriving about 12:54 am EDT (04:54 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now LAN is VFR, wind from the south-southeast (160°) at 3 knots; LAF is VFR, wind calm. 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: 4 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). Over the first 118 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 LAN.

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

  • A320 descending, 39 nm east, 10:09 pm EDT (02:09 UTC): overcast from 1,600 ft to 3,000 ft, remarks: on final runway 18 fnt. At the departure end, 39 nm east of the line.
    as filed, and in English
    FNT UA /OV FNT/TM 0209/FLDURD/TP A320/SK OVC016 - TOP030/RM ON FINAL RY18 FNT
    Report
    a routine report filed through FNT
    Where
    over FNT
    Time
    02:09 UTC
    Height
    during the descent
    Aircraft
    A320
    Sky
    overcast from 1,600 ft, tops 3,000 ft
    Remarks
    on final runway 18 fnt
  • A320 descending, 31 nm east, 9:35 pm EDT (01:35 UTC): overcast from 1,900 ft to 3,000 ft, remarks: on final runway 09 fnt. At the departure end, 31 nm east of the line.
    as filed, and in English
    FNT UA /OV FNT270008/TM 0135/FLDURD/TP A320/SK OVC019 - TOP030/RM ON FINAL RY09 FNT
    Report
    a routine report filed through FNT
    Where
    8 nm west (270°) of FNT
    Time
    01:35 UTC
    Height
    during the descent
    Aircraft
    A320
    Sky
    overcast from 1,900 ft, tops 3,000 ft
    Remarks
    on final runway 09 fnt
  • SR22 at 1,300 ft, 49 nm east, 9:25 pm EDT (01:25 UTC): a routine report with nothing remarked on. At the departure end, 49 nm east of the line.
    as filed, and in English
    PTK UA /OV PTK270003/TM 0125/FL013/TP SR22/SK BASES 019 OVC
    Report
    a routine report filed through PTK
    Where
    3 nm west (270°) of PTK
    Time
    01:25 UTC
    Height
    at 1,300 ft
    Aircraft
    SR22
    Sky
    bases 1,900 ft overcast
  • E170 at 21,000 ft, 14 nm east, 9:07 pm EDT (01:07 UTC): light chop turbulence, remarks: during the climb zob. 20 nm along the route, 14 nm east of the line.
    as filed, and in English
    LAN UA /OV LAN180020/TM 0107/FL210/TP E170/TB LGHT CHOP/RM DURC ZOB
    Report
    a routine report filed through LAN
    Where
    20 nm south (180°) of LAN
    Time
    01:07 UTC
    Height
    at 21,000 ft
    Aircraft
    E170
    Turbulence
    lght chop
    Remarks
    during the climb zob

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, FWA, IND). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

HeightAverage windHead- or tailwindTemperatureGround speedTime en routeArrival
4,500 ft300° at 17 kt+2 kt118 kt1 h 30 min1:08 am EDT (05:08 UTC)
6,500 ft310° at 18 kt−2 kt15 °C122 kt1 h 27 min1:05 am EDT (05:05 UTC)
8,500 ft320° at 17 kt−4 kt11 °C124 kt1 h 26 min1:04 am EDT (05:04 UTC)
10,500 ft330° at 14 kt−5 kt6 °C125 kt1 h 25 min1:03 am EDT (05:03 UTC)
12,500 ft330° at 12 kt−5 kt2 °C125 kt1 h 25 min1:03 am EDT (05:03 UTC)
14,500 ft320° at 17 kt−3 kt-2 °C123 kt1 h 26 min1:04 am EDT (05:04 UTC)
16,500 ft310° at 22 kt−1 kt-5 °C121 kt1 h 28 min1:06 am EDT (05:06 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180310° at 26 kt+1 kt-8 °C119 kt1 h 29 min1:07 am EDT (05:07 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240310° at 34 kt−5 kt-20 °C125 kt1 h 25 min1:03 am EDT (05:03 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300330° at 50 kt−17 kt-36 °C137 kt1 h 18 min12:56 am EDT (04:56 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340330° at 63 kt−20 kt-44 °C140 kt1 h 16 min12:54 am EDT (04:54 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390320° at 64 kt−17 kt-51 °C137 kt1 h 18 min12:56 am EDT (04:56 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
PointFrom3,0006,0009,00012,00018,00024,00030,00034,00039,000
MKGused from 0 nm out; 72 nm from the line260/22290/16 15°300/11 10°290/5 3°300/26 -9°300/32 -20°320/48 -36°320/61 -45°310/74 -53°
FWAused from 49 nm out; 52 nm from the line300/17320/20 16°330/20 10°340/15 3°310/27 -8°320/37 -20°330/52 -36°330/65 -43°330/60 -50°
INDused from 147 nm out; 58 nm from the line290/16310/20 16°320/21 10°330/13 3°300/25 -7°320/32 -19°330/46 -34°320/61 -43°320/63 -50°

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
LAN Lansing, MI departure VFR from the south-southeast (160°) at 3 knots 10+ mi none 860 ft 10:53 pm EDT (02:53 UTC)
BTL Battle Creek, MI 39 nm out, 6 nm northwest of the line, tower VFR from the south-southwest (210°) at 5 knots 9 mi none 951 ft 02:53 UTC
EKM Elkhart, IN 88 nm out, 12 nm northwest of the line, tower low IFR Weather: fog calm 0.5 mi none 777 ft 03:35 UTC
SBN South Bend, IN 98 nm out, 23 nm northwest of the line, tower low IFR Weather: fog calm 0.25 mi none 798 ft 03:27 UTC
GUS Peru, IN 147 nm out, 21 nm southeast of the line, tower VFR from the southeast (140°) at 5 knots 10+ mi none 810 ft 02:55 UTC
LAF Lafayette, IN destination VFR calm 10+ mi none 605 ft 10:54 pm EDT (02:54 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 LAF when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 12:54 am EDT (04:54 UTC)

Wind calm, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet VFR

The whole forecast for LAF
  • From Sun 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): wind calm, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
  • From Mon 10:00 am EDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 20,000 feet
  • From Mon 2:00 pm EDT (18:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 11 knots, gusting to 19, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 20,000 feet
The forecast for LAN, the departure
  • From Sun 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 1,500 feet
  • From Sun 11:00 pm EDT (03:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
  • From Mon 9:00 am EDT (13:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 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 LAN 7:01 pm EDT (23:01 UTC), at LAF 7:12 pm EDT (23:12 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:40 pm EDT (23:40 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at LAF is before sunrise there (7:55 am EDT (11:55 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: Capital Region International, Purdue University Airport.