Plan a flight · Sun 10:35 pm CDT (03:35 UTC)

Chicago Midway International to Cincinnati Muni/Lunken Field MDW → LUK

222 nautical miles (255 statute miles) southeast on a straight line, true course 135°, about 139° magnetic at the departure end (variation 4W). At 120 knots that is 1 h 14 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 61-knot tailwind), arriving about 12:49 am EDT (04:49 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now MDW is VFR, wind from the south (190°) at 5 knots; LUK is marginal 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: 3 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 last 193 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 MDW.

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

CRJ9 descending, 39 nm northeast, 8:15 pm CDT (01:15 UTC): a routine report with nothing remarked on. 193 nm along the route, 39 nm northeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
DAY UA /OV DAY/TM 0115/FLDURD/TP CRJ9/SK T031 B005
```
Report
a routine report filed through DAY
Where
over DAY
Time
01:15 UTC
Height
during the descent
Aircraft
CRJ9
Sky
T031 B005

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 (JOT, FWA, IND, CVG). 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	300° at 17 kt	−16 kt		136 kt	1 h 38 min	1:13 am EDT (05:13 UTC)
5,500 ft	320° at 20 kt	−20 kt		140 kt	1 h 35 min	1:10 am EDT (05:10 UTC)
7,500 ft	330° at 21 kt	−21 kt	13 °C	141 kt	1 h 34 min	1:09 am EDT (05:09 UTC)
9,500 ft	330° at 20 kt	−20 kt	9 °C	140 kt	1 h 35 min	1:10 am EDT (05:10 UTC)
11,500 ft	340° at 17 kt	−16 kt	4 °C	136 kt	1 h 38 min	1:13 am EDT (05:13 UTC)
13,500 ft	330° at 18 kt	−18 kt	0 °C	138 kt	1 h 37 min	1:12 am EDT (05:12 UTC)
15,500 ft	320° at 21 kt	−21 kt	-3 °C	141 kt	1 h 34 min	1:09 am EDT (05:09 UTC)
17,500 ft	310° at 24 kt	−24 kt	-6 °C	144 kt	1 h 32 min	1:07 am EDT (05:07 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180	310° at 25 kt	−25 kt	-7 °C	145 kt	1 h 32 min	1:07 am EDT (05:07 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240	320° at 34 kt	−34 kt	-20 °C	154 kt	1 h 26 min	1:01 am EDT (05:01 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300	330° at 47 kt	−45 kt	-35 °C	165 kt	1 h 21 min	12:56 am EDT (04:56 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340	320° at 61 kt	−61 kt	-42 °C	181 kt	1 h 14 min	12:49 am EDT (04:49 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390	320° at 52 kt	−52 kt	-50 °C	172 kt	1 h 17 min	12:52 am EDT (04:52 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
JOT	used from 0 nm out; 36 nm from the line	250/23	270/22 15°	250/16 10°	240/9 4°	280/22 -7°	280/29 -19°	300/29 -34°	290/50 -43°	300/64 -52°
FWA	used from 48 nm out; 65 nm from the line	300/17	320/20 16°	330/20 10°	340/15 3°	310/27 -8°	320/37 -20°	330/52 -36°	330/65 -43°	330/60 -50°
IND	used from 96 nm out; 41 nm from the line	290/16	310/20 16°	320/21 10°	330/13 3°	300/25 -7°	320/32 -19°	330/46 -34°	320/61 -43°	320/63 -50°
CVG	used from 145 nm out; 49 nm from the line	320/18	350/32 16°	350/35 10°	350/30 3°	330/30 -7°	340/44 -20°	340/58 -35°	330/72 -41°	320/36 -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
MDW Chicago, IL	departure	VFR	from the south (190°) at 5 knots	10+ mi	none	619 ft	9:53 pm CDT (02:53 UTC)
GYY Gary/Chicago, IN	19 nm out, 4 nm northeast of the line, tower	VFR	variable at 4 knots	10+ mi	none	596 ft	02:50 UTC
GGP Logansport, IN	87 nm out, 3 nm southeast of the line	no report just now				738 ft
GUS Peru, IN	96 nm out, 5 nm east of the line, tower	VFR	from the southeast (140°) at 5 knots	10+ mi	none	810 ft	02:55 UTC
AID Anderson, IN	145 nm out, 5 nm northwest of the line, tower	low IFR Sky: a broken layer at 200 feet Weather: mist	calm	0.75 mi	200 ft	919 ft	03:35 UTC
OXD Oxford, OH	193 nm out, 4 nm northeast of the line	VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 3,200 feet	calm	7 mi	none	1,040 ft	03:15 UTC
LUK Cincinnati, OH	destination	marginal VFR Sky: overcast at 1,900 feet	calm	10+ mi	1,900 ft	481 ft	10:53 pm EDT (02:53 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 LUK when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 12:49 am EDT (04:49 UTC)

Wind calm, visibility 3 miles, mist, a few clouds at 2,500 feet marginal VFR

The whole forecast for LUK

From Sun 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the northwest at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 1,200 feet, overcast at 2,500 feet
From Sun 10:00 pm EDT (02:00 UTC): wind calm, visibility 3 miles, mist, a few clouds at 2,500 feet
From Mon 5:00 am EDT (09:00 UTC): wind calm, visibility 1 mile, mist, clear skies
At times between Mon 5:00 am EDT (09:00 UTC) and 9:00 am EDT (13:00 UTC): visibility ½ mile, fog, sky obscured at 200 feet
From Mon 10:00 am EDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the south-southeast at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
From Mon 1:00 pm EDT (17:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet

The forecast for MDW, the departure

From Sun 10:00 pm CDT (03:00 UTC): wind from the south at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 30,000 feet
From Mon 12:00 pm CDT (17:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 13 knots, gusting to 24, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 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

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

6/8029 Cincinnati, OH, Friday, October 9, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local 7 nm from the route, 212 nm along the route · a VIP movement · until 12 October · ZID

Daylight

Sunset at MDW 6:14 pm CDT (23:14 UTC), at LUK 7:03 pm EDT (23:03 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:30 pm EDT (23:30 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at LUK is before sunrise there (7:44 am EDT (11:44 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 · loop National Weather Service

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: Chicago Midway International, Cincinnati Muni/Lunken Field.