The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Plan a flight · Sun 10:37 pm CDT (03:37 UTC)

Kansas City International to Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International MCI → AZO

452 nautical miles (520 statute miles) northeast on a straight line, true course 064°, about 062° magnetic at the departure end (variation 2E). At 120 knots that is 2 h 44 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 45-knot tailwind), arriving about 2:21 am EDT (06:21 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now MCI is VFR, wind from the south (180°) at 12 knots; AZO is VFR, wind from the south-southeast (150°) 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: 3 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 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 first 29 nm of the route.
  • 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 last 59 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 MCI.

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

  • A321 at 32,000 ft, 49 nm northwest, 8:56 pm CDT (01:56 UTC): light turbulence, remarks: pocket continuous light turbulence. 285 nm along the route, 49 nm northwest of the line.
    as filed, and in English
    RPJ UA /OV PLL/TM 0156/FL320/TP A321/TB CONS LGT/RM POCKET CONS LGT TB
    Report
    a routine report filed through RPJ
    Where
    over PLL
    Time
    01:56 UTC
    Height
    at 32,000 ft
    Aircraft
    A321
    Turbulence
    continuous light
    Remarks
    pocket continuous light turbulence
  • E170 at 21,000 ft, 46 nm east, 8:07 pm CDT (01:07 UTC): light chop turbulence, remarks: during the climb zob. At the destination end, 46 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 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 4 forecast points nearest it (MKC, BRL, JOT, MKG). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

HeightAverage windHead- or tailwindTemperatureGround speedTime en routeArrival
3,500 ft240° at 26 kt−26 kt146 kt3 h 06 min2:43 am EDT (06:43 UTC)
5,500 ft250° at 24 kt−24 kt144 kt3 h 08 min2:45 am EDT (06:45 UTC)
7,500 ft260° at 19 kt−19 kt13 °C139 kt3 h 15 min2:52 am EDT (06:52 UTC)
9,500 ft270° at 14 kt−13 kt10 °C133 kt3 h 24 min3:01 am EDT (07:01 UTC)
11,500 ft260° at 11 kt−11 kt5 °C131 kt3 h 27 min3:04 am EDT (07:04 UTC)
13,500 ft270° at 13 kt−12 kt1 °C132 kt3 h 25 min3:02 am EDT (07:02 UTC)
15,500 ft270° at 17 kt−16 kt-2 °C136 kt3 h 19 min2:56 am EDT (06:56 UTC)
17,500 ft280° at 22 kt−19 kt-6 °C139 kt3 h 15 min2:52 am EDT (06:52 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180280° at 23 kt−20 kt-7 °C140 kt3 h 14 min2:51 am EDT (06:51 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240270° at 30 kt−28 kt-19 °C148 kt3 h 03 min2:40 am EDT (06:40 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300280° at 34 kt−29 kt-33 °C149 kt3 h 02 min2:39 am EDT (06:39 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340280° at 48 kt−38 kt-42 °C158 kt2 h 52 min2:29 am EDT (06:29 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390290° at 60 kt−45 kt-52 °C165 kt2 h 44 min2:21 am EDT (06:21 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
MKCused from 0 nm out; 27 nm from the line220/44250/28 18°250/18 13°240/12 6°280/24 -6°240/34 -18°260/47 -30°260/51 -40°270/58 -50°
BRLused from 98 nm out; 65 nm from the line230/24240/29 15°290/16 10°280/15 4°260/23 -7°260/32 -19°260/36 -33°280/48 -41°280/59 -52°
JOTused from 246 nm out; 57 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°
MKGused from 393 nm out; 68 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°

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
MCI Kansas City, MO departure VFR from the south (180°) at 12 knots 10+ mi none 1,027 ft 9:53 pm CDT (02:53 UTC)
GPH Mosby, MO 20 nm out, 7 nm south of the line VFR from the south (170°) at 4 knots 10+ mi none 777 ft 03:35 UTC
CHT Chillicothe, MO 59 nm out, 5 nm northeast of the line VFR from the south (170°) at 5 knots 10+ mi none 783 ft 03:15 UTC
IRK Kirksville, MO 108 nm out, 3 nm northeast of the line reported, no category from the south (190°) at 6 knots 10+ mi none 966 ft 02:55 UTC
EOK Keokuk, IA 167 nm out, 0 nm southwest of the line reported, no category from the south-southeast (160°) at 6 knots 10+ mi none 671 ft 03:15 UTC
GBG Galesburg, IL 216 nm out, 9 nm north of the line VFR from the south (170°) at 5 knots 10+ mi none 764 ft 03:15 UTC
PIA Peoria, IL 246 nm out, 20 nm south of the line, tower VFR calm 10+ mi none 660 ft 02:54 UTC
VYS Peru, IL 285 nm out, 9 nm northwest of the line VFR from the east-northeast (060°) at 4 knots 10+ mi none 654 ft 10:30 UTC
LOT Chicago/Romeoville, IL 334 nm out, 5 nm northwest of the line, tower VFR from the south-southeast (150°) at 5 knots 10+ mi none 679 ft 03:15 UTC
GYY Gary/Chicago, IN 364 nm out, 6 nm south of the line, tower VFR variable at 4 knots 10+ mi none 596 ft 02:50 UTC
SBN South Bend, IN 413 nm out, 18 nm south of the line, tower low IFR Weather: fog calm 0.25 mi none 798 ft 03:27 UTC
AZO Kalamazoo, MI destination VFR from the south-southeast (150°) at 3 knots 8 mi none 873 ft 10:53 pm EDT (02:53 UTC)

The highest airport on this list sits at 1,027 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At AZO when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 2:21 am EDT (06:21 UTC)

Wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet VFR

The whole forecast for AZO
  • From Sun 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
  • From Mon 8:00 am EDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the south at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
  • From Mon 2:00 pm EDT (18:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 11 knots, gusting to 18, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
  • From Mon 6:00 pm EDT (22:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
The forecast for MCI, the departure
  • From Sun 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south at 11 knots, gusting to 20, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
  • From Mon 9:00 am CDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 17 knots, gusting to 26, 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 MCI 6:44 pm CDT (23:44 UTC), at AZO 7:05 pm EDT (23:05 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:33 pm EDT (23:33 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at AZO is before sunrise there (7:51 am EDT (11:51 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 upper Mississippi valley
Radar now, the upper Mississippi valley · loop National Weather Service
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: Kansas City International, Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International.