Chicago Midway International to Phoenix Sky Harbor International MDW → PHX
1,252 nautical miles (1,441 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 254°, about 258° magnetic at the departure end (variation 4W). At 120 knots that is 12 h 31 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 20-knot headwind), arriving about 6:06 am MST (13:06 UTC), after sunset at the destination. 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: 5,409 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
- SIGMET W68W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 36,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 8:55 pm CDT (01:55 UTC). Over the route from 825 to 1064 nm out.
as issued
WSUS33 KKCI 112355 MKCW WST 112355 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 68W VALID UNTIL 0155Z CO NM AZ UT FROM 30W CHE-20NNW TBE-60SE ABQ-40N SJN-30SW MTU-30W CHE AREA TS MOV FROM 23040KT. TOPS TO FL360.
- SIGMET W69W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 34,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 8:55 pm CDT (01:55 UTC). Over the last 189 nm of the route.
as issued
WSUS33 KKCI 112355 MKCW WST 112355 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 69W VALID UNTIL 0155Z TX NM AZ FROM 50ENE PGS-60SE ABQ-20ENE ELP-70SSW SSO-50SE BZA-50ENE PGS AREA TS MOV FROM 23040KT. TOPS TO FL340.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the route from 805 to 1213 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 35,000 ft to 45,000 ft. Near the route, 1004 nm along the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 1014 to 1213 nm out.
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
Not fetched just now.
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 westbound cruising heights for this course (VFR: even thousands plus 500 ft; above 18,000 ft the forecast levels), with the wind averaged along the line from the 10 forecast points nearest it (JOT, BRL, DSM, MKC, SLN, GCK, PUB, ALS, ABQ, PHX). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.
| Height | Average wind | Head- or tailwind | Temperature | Ground speed | Time en route | Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4,500 ft | 210° at 25 kt | +20 kt | 21 °C | 100 kt | 12 h 31 min | 6:06 am MST (13:06 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 220° at 25 kt | +23 kt | 16 °C | 97 kt | 12 h 54 min | 6:29 am MST (13:29 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 230° at 23 kt | +22 kt | 12 °C | 98 kt | 12 h 47 min | 6:22 am MST (13:22 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 230° at 23 kt | +23 kt | 8 °C | 97 kt | 12 h 54 min | 6:29 am MST (13:29 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 230° at 24 kt | +24 kt | 4 °C | 96 kt | 13 h 02 min | 6:37 am MST (13:37 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 230° at 27 kt | +27 kt | 0 °C | 93 kt | 13 h 28 min | 7:03 am MST (14:03 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 230° at 29 kt | +29 kt | -4 °C | 91 kt | 13 h 45 min | 7:20 am MST (14:20 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 230° at 31 kt | +31 kt | -7 °C | 89 kt | 14 h 04 min | 7:39 am MST (14:39 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 240° at 33 kt | +34 kt | -19 °C | 86 kt | 14 h 33 min | 8:08 am MST (15:08 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 250° at 50 kt | +52 kt | -31 °C | 68 kt | 18 h 25 min | 12:00 pm MST (19:00 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 260° at 53 kt | +53 kt | -39 °C | 67 kt | 18 h 41 min | 12:16 pm MST (19:16 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 260° at 51 kt | +51 kt | -49 °C | 69 kt | 18 h 09 min | 11:44 am MST (18:44 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JOT | used from 0 nm out; 10 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° |
| BRL | used from 99 nm out; 41 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° |
| DSM | used from 249 nm out; 68 nm from the line | 200/32 | 240/27 17° | 260/19 10° | 260/16 5° | 260/19 -7° | 240/22 -19° | 270/20 -32° | 270/38 -42° | 290/58 -53° |
| MKC | used from 298 nm out; 60 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° |
| SLN | used from 398 nm out; 68 nm from the line | 190/37 | 220/39 20° | 240/31 14° | 250/24 7° | 260/25 -7° | 250/26 -17° | 250/44 -31° | 260/47 -40° | 260/47 -50° |
| GCK | used from 547 nm out; 70 nm from the line | 200/35 21° | 220/34 14° | 240/30 8° | 240/27 -6° | 240/31 -17° | 240/53 -30° | 250/55 -39° | 250/60 -50° | |
| PUB | used from 746 nm out; 85 nm from the line | 210/24 16° | 210/28 8° | 230/43 -8° | 240/42 -21° | 240/77 -30° | 240/72 -36° | 250/51 -47° | ||
| ALS | used from 795 nm out; 84 nm from the line | 210/32 5° | 230/48 -8° | 230/49 -20° | 230/78 -30° | 240/74 -36° | 240/61 -47° | |||
| ABQ | used from 895 nm out; 70 nm from the line | 200/28 13° | 210/28 5° | 210/44 -7° | 230/46 -20° | 230/80 -28° | 240/74 -35° | 240/58 -47° | ||
| PHX | used from 1093 nm out; 134 nm from the line | 210/19 | 210/20 14° | 200/20 6° | 210/40 1° | 220/58 -8° | 220/68 -20° | 220/82 -26° | 230/83 -34° | 230/69 -46° |
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 | no report just now | 619 ft | ||||
| LOT Chicago/Romeoville, IL | 20 nm out, 6 nm southeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 679 ft | ||||
| MLI Moline, IL | 129 nm out, 17 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 589 ft | ||||
| STJ St Joseph, MO | 348 nm out, 14 nm southeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 826 ft | ||||
| MHK Manhattan, KS | 437 nm out, 20 nm southeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,066 ft | ||||
| RSL Russell, KS | 537 nm out, 3 nm north of the line | no report just now | 1,863 ft | ||||
| GCK Garden City, KS | 636 nm out, 15 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 2,890 ft | ||||
| AXX Angel Fire, NM | 875 nm out, 2 nm south of the line | no report just now | 8,379 ft | ||||
| LAM Los Alamos, NM | 934 nm out, 9 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 7,170 ft | ||||
| SJN St Johns, AZ | 1103 nm out, 9 nm south of the line | no report just now | 5,736 ft | ||||
| TYL Taylor, AZ | 1143 nm out, 6 nm north of the line | no report just now | 5,823 ft | ||||
| PHX Phoenix, AZ | destination | no report just now | 1,134 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 8,379 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At PHX when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 6:06 am MST (13:06 UTC)
PHX has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
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 MDW 6:14 pm CDT (23:14 UTC), at PHX 5:58 pm MST (00:58 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:23 pm MST (01:23 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at PHX is before sunrise there (6:30 am MST (13:30 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: Chicago Midway International, Phoenix Sky Harbor International.