Kansas City International to Chicago/Rockford International MCI → RFD
309 nautical miles (356 statute miles) northeast on a straight line, true course 054°, about 052° magnetic at the departure end (variation 2E). At 120 knots that is 2 h 07 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 26-knot tailwind), arriving about 9:33 pm CDT (02:33 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now MCI is VFR, wind from the south (170°) at 9 knots; RFD is VFR, wind from the southeast (130°) 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: 631 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
No SIGMET or AIRMET covers any part of this route right now.
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
No pilot reports within 50 nautical miles of the line in the last three hours.
Winds aloft along the route, and the time en route the forecast for use 20:00–03:00 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, DBQ, JOT). 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 | 210° at 22 kt | −20 kt | 140 kt | 2 h 12 min | 9:38 pm CDT (02:38 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 230° at 22 kt | −22 kt | 142 kt | 2 h 11 min | 9:37 pm CDT (02:37 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 240° at 22 kt | −21 kt | 13 °C | 141 kt | 2 h 11 min | 9:37 pm CDT (02:37 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 250° at 20 kt | −19 kt | 9 °C | 139 kt | 2 h 13 min | 9:39 pm CDT (02:39 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 270° at 20 kt | −17 kt | 7 °C | 137 kt | 2 h 15 min | 9:41 pm CDT (02:41 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 270° at 20 kt | −17 kt | 3 °C | 137 kt | 2 h 15 min | 9:41 pm CDT (02:41 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 270° at 20 kt | −17 kt | -2 °C | 137 kt | 2 h 15 min | 9:41 pm CDT (02:41 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 270° at 19 kt | −17 kt | -6 °C | 137 kt | 2 h 15 min | 9:41 pm CDT (02:41 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 270° at 19 kt | −17 kt | -7 °C | 137 kt | 2 h 15 min | 9:41 pm CDT (02:41 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 280° at 24 kt | −16 kt | -18 °C | 136 kt | 2 h 16 min | 9:42 pm CDT (02:42 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 310° at 39 kt | −13 kt | -34 °C | 133 kt | 2 h 19 min | 9:45 pm CDT (02:45 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 310° at 47 kt | −14 kt | -42 °C | 134 kt | 2 h 18 min | 9:44 pm CDT (02:44 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 300° at 61 kt | −26 kt | -52 °C | 146 kt | 2 h 07 min | 9:33 pm CDT (02:33 UTC) |
Based on data from the 11th at 18:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 00:00 UTC for use 20:00 to 03:00 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MKC | used from 0 nm out; 29 nm from the line | 200/28 | 220/30 16° | 270/20 11° | 280/22 7° | 260/27 -6° | 270/27 -18° | 280/38 -32° | 270/38 -40° | 280/50 -52° |
| BRL | used from 100 nm out; 65 nm from the line | 200/20 | 250/21 16° | 240/22 10° | 260/20 5° | 270/16 -7° | 290/22 -18° | 320/41 -34° | 320/56 -43° | 310/68 -53° |
| DBQ | used from 249 nm out; 53 nm from the line | 220/23 | 240/22 16° | 240/24 10° | 260/18 5° | 270/16 -8° | 290/27 -19° | 310/42 -35° | 320/55 -44° | 300/71 -52° |
| JOT | used from 299 nm out; 59 nm from the line | 230/11 | 290/12 16° | 300/19 10° | 320/19 4° | 300/17 -9° | 330/31 -20° | 320/49 -37° | 320/53 -45° | 320/67 -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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MCI Kansas City, MO | departure | VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 25,000 feet | from the south (170°) at 9 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,027 ft | 6:53 pm CDT (23:53 UTC) |
| EZZ Cameron, MO | 30 nm out, 9 nm northwest of the line | VFR | from the south (170°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,040 ft | 00:15 UTC |
| TRX Trenton, MO | 70 nm out, 8 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 757 ft | ||||
| IRK Kirksville, MO | 110 nm out, 19 nm southeast of the line | reported, no category | from the south (170°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 966 ft | 23:55 UTC |
| FFL Fairfield, IA | 159 nm out, 15 nm north of the line | reported, no category | from the south-southeast (150°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 800 ft | 00:15 UTC |
| MPZ Mount Pleasant, IA | 179 nm out, 4 nm south of the line | VFR | from the south-southeast (150°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 730 ft | 00:15 UTC |
| MLI Moline, IL | 229 nm out, 4 nm east of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southeast (160°) at 8 knots | 10+ mi | none | 589 ft | 23:52 UTC |
| SQI Sterling/Rockfalls, IL | 269 nm out, 10 nm southeast of the line | VFR | from the southeast (130°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 647 ft | 23:56 UTC |
| RFD Chicago/Rockford, IL | destination | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 25,000 feet | from the southeast (130°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 742 ft | 6:54 pm CDT (23:54 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,040 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At RFD when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 9:33 pm CDT (02:33 UTC)
Wind from the south at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies VFR
The whole forecast for RFD
- From Sun 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 12:00 pm CDT (17:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 12 knots, gusting to 22, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 20,000 feet
- From Mon 6:00 pm CDT (23:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 12 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 12,000 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 6:46 pm CDT (23:46 UTC), at RFD 6:19 pm CDT (23:19 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:47 pm CDT (23:47 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at RFD is after sunset there (6:21 pm CDT (23:21 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
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, Chicago/Rockford International.