The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Plan a flight · Sun 10:36 pm PDT (05:36 UTC)

MC Clellan Airfield to Chicago O'Hare International MCC → ORD

1,536 nautical miles (1,768 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 072°, about 055° magnetic at the departure end (variation 17E). At 120 knots that is 8 h 56 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 52-knot tailwind), arriving about 9:32 am CDT (14:32 UTC). 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 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

  • SIGMET W14W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 28,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 20 knots, until 11:55 pm PDT (06:55 UTC). Over the route from 199 to 309 nm out.
    as issued
    WSUS33 KKCI 120455
    MKCW WST 120455
    CONVECTIVE SIGMET 14W
    VALID UNTIL 0655Z
    NV
    FROM 40NW BVL-20WNW ELY-20SSE OAL-40WNW OAL-50NE BAM-40NW BVL
    AREA TS MOV FROM 24020KT. TOPS TO FL280.
  • AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 39,000 ft. Over the first 90 nm of the route.
  • AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Over the route from 190 to 678 nm out.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 219 to 698 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the route from 329 to 828 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 38,000 ft. Over the route from 489 to 868 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 1W: 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 588 to 758 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 5W: strong surface winds (30 knots or more) (due to sustained surface winds greater than 30 knots). Over the route from 588 to 668 nm out.
  • 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 858 to 1426 nm out.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 4E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Near the route, 1017 nm along 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 MCC.

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 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 12 forecast points nearest it (SAC, RNO, BAM, ELY, SLC, RKS, BFF, ONL, OMA, DSM, DBQ, JOT). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

HeightAverage windHead- or tailwindTemperatureGround speedTime en routeArrival
5,500 ft220° at 19 kt−13 kt20 °C133 kt11 h 33 min12:09 pm CDT (17:09 UTC)
7,500 ft220° at 19 kt−15 kt10 °C135 kt11 h 23 min11:59 am CDT (16:59 UTC)
9,500 ft230° at 19 kt−16 kt7 °C136 kt11 h 18 min11:54 am CDT (16:54 UTC)
11,500 ft220° at 21 kt−17 kt3 °C137 kt11 h 13 min11:49 am CDT (16:49 UTC)
13,500 ft220° at 23 kt−19 kt-1 °C139 kt11 h 03 min11:39 am CDT (16:39 UTC)
15,500 ft230° at 25 kt−21 kt-6 °C141 kt10 h 54 min11:30 am CDT (16:30 UTC)
17,500 ft230° at 27 kt−23 kt-10 °C143 kt10 h 44 min11:20 am CDT (16:20 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180230° at 28 kt−24 kt-11 °C144 kt10 h 40 min11:16 am CDT (16:16 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240220° at 33 kt−27 kt-22 °C147 kt10 h 27 min11:03 am CDT (16:03 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300230° at 42 kt−37 kt-31 °C157 kt9 h 47 min10:23 am CDT (15:23 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340240° at 49 kt−48 kt-37 °C168 kt9 h 09 min9:45 am CDT (14:45 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390250° at 52 kt−52 kt-46 °C172 kt8 h 56 min9:32 am CDT (14:32 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
SACused from 0 nm out; 33 nm from the line110/6L/V 4°010/11 -2°350/11 -7°340/24 -16°360/44 -23°330/24 -30°270/21 -35°230/23 -43°
RNOused from 50 nm out; 28 nm from the line010/9320/10 -2°210/23 -9°210/34 -19°220/36 -25°230/31 -29°230/41 -33°230/38 -42°
BAMused from 150 nm out; 78 nm from the line310/7 0°270/19 -7°200/38 -17°190/49 -28°220/69 -29°220/63 -33°230/48 -41°
ELYused from 249 nm out; 57 nm from the line200/39 3°210/27 -2°210/45 -15°220/56 -24°210/60 -28°210/63 -34°220/61 -43°
SLCused from 349 nm out; 79 nm from the line200/5230/8 2°220/20 -2°210/40 -12°190/53 -25°210/62 -30°220/69 -34°220/64 -43°
RKSused from 549 nm out; 35 nm from the line200/41220/44 1°220/35 -11°220/46 -24°210/53 -27°220/62 -35°230/61 -44°
BFFused from 698 nm out; 114 nm from the line180/28220/33 15°210/31 7°230/32 -9°220/41 -21°220/40 -33°240/47 -36°250/54 -46°
ONLused from 948 nm out; 89 nm from the line210/31 20°230/27 13°230/18 7°220/19 -8°240/26 -20°250/44 -35°270/52 -39°260/57 -47°
OMAused from 1147 nm out; 48 nm from the line220/47240/33 19°250/18 11°230/17 6°260/29 -8°250/33 -19°250/51 -33°260/61 -40°270/62 -49°
DSMused from 1247 nm out; 36 nm from the line230/40250/33 17°250/18 12°240/17 5°260/28 -8°270/34 -19°260/41 -33°260/55 -41°270/62 -51°
DBQused from 1347 nm out; 43 nm from the line230/33250/30 16°280/15 9°260/15 5°260/21 -7°260/24 -20°250/37 -33°270/42 -43°280/63 -52°
JOTused from 1446 nm out; 62 nm from the line250/23270/22 15°250/16 10°240/9 4°280/22 -7°280/29 -19°300/29 -34°290/50 -43°300/64 -52°

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
MCC Sacramento, CA departure no report just now 76 ft
TRK Truckee, CA 70 nm out, 19 nm northwest of the line, tower no report just now 5,904 ft
TMT Austin, NV 199 nm out, 11 nm southeast of the line no report just now 5,735 ft
SLC Salt Lake City, UT 449 nm out, 10 nm north of the line, tower no report just now 4,230 ft
HCR Heber, UT 469 nm out, 15 nm southeast of the line no report just now 5,636 ft
SAA Saratoga, WY 688 nm out, 5 nm north of the line no report just now 7,014 ft
BFF Scottsbluff, NE 838 nm out, 11 nm north of the line no report just now 3,967 ft
TIF Thedford, NE 968 nm out, 5 nm northeast of the line no report just now 2,925 ft
SUX Sioux City, IA 1157 nm out, 19 nm north of the line, tower no report just now 1,098 ft
CID Cedar Rapids, IA 1366 nm out, 13 nm south of the line, tower no report just now 869 ft
RFD Chicago/Rockford, IL 1486 nm out, 11 nm north of the line, tower no report just now 742 ft
ORD Chicago, IL destination no report just now 680 ft

The highest airport on this list sits at 7,014 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At ORD when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 9:32 am CDT (14:32 UTC)

ORD has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.

Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it

  • 6/3475 BEALE AFB, CA, Sunday, March 8, 2026 through Sunday, November 1, 2026 Local 17 nm from the route, at the departure end · security · until 1 November · ZOA

Daylight

Sunset at MCC 6:31 pm PDT (01:31 UTC), at ORD 6:15 pm CDT (23:15 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:43 pm CDT (23:43 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 Pacific Southwest
Radar now, the Pacific Southwest · loop National Weather Service
Radar now, the southern Rockies
Radar now, the southern Rockies · loop National Weather Service
Radar now, the northern Rockies
Radar now, the northern Rockies · 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: MC Clellan Airfield, Chicago O'Hare International.