Plan a flight · Mon 1:18 am EDT (05:18 UTC)

Mbs International to Detroit Metro Wayne County MBS → DTW

85 nautical miles (98 statute miles) south on a straight line, true course 158°, about 165° magnetic at the departure end (variation 7W). At 120 knots that is 28 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 60-knot tailwind), arriving about 1:46 am EDT (05:46 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now MBS is VFR, wind from the south-southwest (200°) at 6 knots; DTW is marginal VFR, wind from the west (280°) at 3 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: 2,563 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 whole 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 MBS.

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

C560 at 3,000 ft, 8 nm east, 10:28 pm EDT (02:28 UTC): a routine report with nothing remarked on. 57 nm along the route, 8 nm east of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
PTK UA /OV 6 W/TM 0228/FL030/TP C560/SK BASES 019 TOPS 030 OVC
```
Report
a routine report filed through PTK
Where
6 west
Time
02:28 UTC
Height
at 3,000 ft
Aircraft
C560
Sky
bases 1,900 ft tops 3,000 ft overcast
B739 descending, 0 nm south, 12:54 am EDT (04:54 UTC): a routine report with nothing remarked on. At the destination end, 0 nm south of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
DTW UA /OV DTW/TM 0454/FLDURD/TP B739/SK BASES 011
```
Report
a routine report filed through DTW
Where
over DTW
Time
04:54 UTC
Height
during the descent
Aircraft
B739
Sky
bases 1,100 ft
B738 at 1,300 ft, 43 nm southwest, 12:45 am EDT (04:45 UTC): overcast from 1,300 ft to 3,000 ft, remarks: during the descent. At the destination end, 43 nm southwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
TOL UA /OV KTOL/TM 0445/FL013/TP B738/SK OVC013-TOP030/RM DURD
```
Report
a routine report filed through TOL
Where
over KTOL
Time
04:45 UTC
Height
at 1,300 ft
Aircraft
B738
Sky
overcast from 1,300 ft, tops 3,000 ft
Remarks
during the descent
A320 descending, 0 nm south, 11:27 pm EDT (03:27 UTC): overcast above 1,400 ft. At the destination end, 0 nm south of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
DTW UA /OV DTW/TM 0327/FLDURD/TP A320/SK 014 OVC
```
Report
a routine report filed through DTW
Where
over DTW
Time
03:27 UTC
Height
during the descent
Aircraft
A320
Sky
at 1,400 ft overcast
PA44 descending, 42 nm southwest, 10:27 pm EDT (02:27 UTC): a broken layer from 900 ft to 1,500 ft; a broken layer from 2,600 ft to 3,500 ft, fog. At the destination end, 42 nm southwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
TOL UA /OV TOL/TM 0227/FLDURD/TP PA44/SK BKN009 TOPS015 BKN026 TOPS035/WX FG
```
Report
a routine report filed through TOL
Where
over TOL
Time
02:27 UTC
Height
during the descent
Aircraft
PA44
Sky
BKN009 TOPS015 BKN026 TOPS035
Weather
fog

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 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 (MKG, CLE). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

Height	Average wind	Head- or tailwind	Temperature	Ground speed	Time en route	Arrival
3,500 ft	280° at 12 kt	−7 kt		127 kt	40 min	1:58 am EDT (05:58 UTC)
5,500 ft	320° at 12 kt	−11 kt		131 kt	39 min	1:57 am EDT (05:57 UTC)
7,500 ft	330° at 13 kt	−12 kt	11 °C	132 kt	39 min	1:57 am EDT (05:57 UTC)
9,500 ft	330° at 12 kt	−12 kt	8 °C	132 kt	39 min	1:57 am EDT (05:57 UTC)
11,500 ft	340° at 11 kt	−11 kt	4 °C	131 kt	39 min	1:57 am EDT (05:57 UTC)
13,500 ft	330° at 14 kt	−14 kt	0 °C	134 kt	38 min	1:56 am EDT (05:56 UTC)
15,500 ft	320° at 20 kt	−19 kt	-4 °C	139 kt	37 min	1:55 am EDT (05:55 UTC)
17,500 ft	320° at 25 kt	−24 kt	-8 °C	144 kt	35 min	1:53 am EDT (05:53 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180	320° at 27 kt	−25 kt	-9 °C	145 kt	35 min	1:53 am EDT (05:53 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240	320° at 36 kt	−34 kt	-20 °C	154 kt	33 min	1:51 am EDT (05:51 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300	330° at 50 kt	−49 kt	-36 °C	169 kt	30 min	1:48 am EDT (05:48 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340	320° at 61 kt	−60 kt	-45 °C	180 kt	28 min	1:46 am EDT (05:46 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390	320° at 68 kt	−65 kt	-51 °C	185 kt	28 min	1:46 am EDT (05:46 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; 103 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°
CLE	used from 47 nm out; 99 nm from the line	340/7	010/16 13°	350/18 8°	350/20 3°	340/31 -10°	340/46 -21°	340/54 -37°	330/62 -44°	340/65 -49°

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
MBS Saginaw, MI	departure	VFR	from the south-southwest (200°) at 6 knots	10+ mi	none	668 ft	12:53 am EDT (04:53 UTC)
FNT Flint, MI	38 nm out, 1 nm north of the line, tower	marginal VFR Sky: a broken layer at 1,000 feet	from the southwest (220°) at 5 knots	10+ mi	1,000 ft	782 ft	04:53 UTC
PTK Pontiac, MI	57 nm out, 8 nm east of the line, tower	marginal VFR Sky: overcast at 1,000 feet	from the west-southwest (240°) at 3 knots	10+ mi	1,000 ft	980 ft	05:04 UTC
DTW Detroit, MI	destination	marginal VFR Sky: overcast at 1,200 feet	from the west (280°) at 3 knots	10+ mi	1,200 ft	645 ft	12:53 am EDT (04:53 UTC)

The highest airport on this list sits at 980 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At DTW when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 1:46 am EDT (05:46 UTC)

Wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 1,600 feet marginal VFR

The whole forecast for DTW

From Sun 10:00 pm EDT (02:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 1,600 feet
From Mon 3:00 am EDT (07:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
At times between Mon 5:00 am EDT (09:00 UTC) and 9:00 am EDT (13:00 UTC): visibility 2 miles, mist, a broken layer at 400 feet
From Mon 10:00 am EDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 11 knots, gusting to 22, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
From Mon 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 9,000 feet, a broken layer at 20,000 feet

The forecast for MBS, the departure

From Sun 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 1,800 feet
From Sun 9:00 pm EDT (01:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
From Mon 10:00 am EDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 14 knots, gusting to 24, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered 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 MBS 6:58 pm EDT (22:58 UTC), at DTW 6:56 pm EDT (22:56 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:24 pm EDT (23:24 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at DTW is before sunrise there (7:42 am EDT (11:42 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 · loop National Weather Service

Radar, the whole country · loop National Weather Service

Surface analysis now Weather Prediction Center

Forecast chart, 12 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center

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: Mbs International, Detroit Metro Wayne County.