Chicago Midway International to Pensacola International MDW → PNS
680 nautical miles (782 statute miles) south on a straight line, true course 178°, about 182° magnetic at the departure end (variation 4W). At 120 knots that is 4 h 25 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 34-knot tailwind), arriving about 10:26 am CDT (15:26 UTC). Right now MDW is VFR, wind from the south-southwest (210°) at 7 knots; PNS is VFR, wind from the north-northwest (330°) at 5 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: 242 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). Near the route, 250 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 MDW.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
- A21N at 31,000 ft, 28 nm east, 5:33 am CDT (10:33 UTC): no turbulence, remarks: during the climb. 80 nm along the route, 28 nm east of the line.
as filed, and in English
LAF UA /OV BVT/TM 1033/FL310/TP A21N/TB NEG/RM DURC
- Report
- a routine report filed through LAF
- Where
- over BVT
- Time
- 10:33 UTC
- Height
- at 31,000 ft
- Aircraft
- A21N
- Turbulence
- none
- Remarks
- during the climb
- E550 at 8,700 ft, 5 nm north, 5:30 am CDT (10:30 UTC): clear from 8,700 ft to 60,000 ft, remarks: visual conditions clear during the climb. 230 nm along the route, 5 nm north of the line.
as filed, and in English
EVV UA /OV EVV/TM 1030/FL087/TP E550/SK SKC/RM VMC CLR DURC
- Report
- a routine report filed through EVV
- Where
- over EVV
- Time
- 10:30 UTC
- Height
- at 8,700 ft
- Aircraft
- E550
- Sky
- clear
- Remarks
- visual conditions clear during the climb
Winds aloft along the route, and the time en route the forecast for use 08:00–15:00 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 8 forecast points nearest it (JOT, IND, EVV, BNA, HSV, BHM, MGM, MOB). 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 | 290° at 16 kt | −5 kt | 125 kt | 5 h 26 min | 11:27 am CDT (16:27 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 290° at 14 kt | −6 kt | 15 °C | 126 kt | 5 h 24 min | 11:25 am CDT (16:25 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 290° at 12 kt | −6 kt | 11 °C | 126 kt | 5 h 24 min | 11:25 am CDT (16:25 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 290° at 12 kt | −5 kt | 7 °C | 125 kt | 5 h 26 min | 11:27 am CDT (16:27 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 290° at 13 kt | −5 kt | 4 °C | 125 kt | 5 h 26 min | 11:27 am CDT (16:27 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 300° at 17 kt | −8 kt | 0 °C | 128 kt | 5 h 19 min | 11:20 am CDT (16:20 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 300° at 20 kt | −10 kt | -3 °C | 130 kt | 5 h 14 min | 11:15 am CDT (16:15 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 300° at 22 kt | −12 kt | -6 °C | 132 kt | 5 h 09 min | 11:10 am CDT (16:10 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 290° at 25 kt | −10 kt | -18 °C | 130 kt | 5 h 14 min | 11:15 am CDT (16:15 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 300° at 34 kt | −19 kt | -33 °C | 139 kt | 4 h 54 min | 10:55 am CDT (15:55 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 310° at 46 kt | −31 kt | -41 °C | 151 kt | 4 h 30 min | 10:31 am CDT (15:31 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 320° at 46 kt | −34 kt | -51 °C | 154 kt | 4 h 25 min | 10:26 am CDT (15:26 UTC) |
Based on data from the 12th at 06:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 12:00 UTC for use 08:00 to 15:00 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; 22 nm from the line | 250/25 | 260/22 14° | 250/17 9° | 270/21 5° | 280/28 -8° | 280/36 -20° | 270/41 -35° | 280/57 -42° | 290/65 -50° |
| IND | used from 100 nm out; 62 nm from the line | 270/22 | 290/19 15° | 270/19 8° | 270/18 4° | 290/28 -7° | 280/35 -20° | 270/37 -34° | 300/51 -42° | 300/61 -51° |
| EVV | used from 150 nm out; 50 nm from the line | 270/25 | 290/17 15° | 260/10 8° | 270/16 5° | 280/29 -6° | 280/33 -19° | 290/38 -33° | 300/53 -41° | 310/54 -51° |
| BNA | used from 300 nm out; 41 nm from the line | 300/20 | 300/14 15° | 300/14 10° | 300/13 4° | 310/22 -5° | 280/24 -18° | 310/37 -33° | 310/50 -41° | 320/49 -51° |
| HSV | used from 400 nm out; 30 nm from the line | 300/20 | 310/14 16° | 310/18 10° | 310/15 4° | 320/19 -5° | 290/16 -18° | 320/36 -32° | 320/47 -41° | 330/42 -50° |
| BHM | used from 450 nm out; 35 nm from the line | 310/19 | 310/15 16° | 320/19 11° | 330/15 5° | 330/23 -5° | 320/14 -18° | 320/36 -32° | 330/44 -40° | 340/36 -51° |
| MGM | used from 550 nm out; 44 nm from the line | 320/19 | 330/16 17° | 340/21 11° | 330/11 5° | 330/27 -6° | 330/21 -17° | 330/37 -32° | 340/44 -40° | 360/30 -52° |
| MOB | used from 600 nm out; 67 nm from the line | L/V | L/V 18° | 020/8 11° | L/V 6° | 330/12 -5° | 330/23 -17° | 330/30 -32° | 350/39 -41° | 340/40 -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
| Airport | Where | Conditions | Wind | Visibility | Ceiling | Elevation | Reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MDW Chicago, IL | departure | VFR Sky: a broken layer at 25,000 feet | from the south-southwest (210°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | 25,000 ft | 619 ft | 5:53 am CDT (10:53 UTC) |
| IKK Kankakee, IL | 40 nm out, 7 nm southwest of the line | VFR | from the south (180°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 629 ft | 10:55 UTC |
| PRG Paris, IL | 130 nm out, 5 nm north of the line | VFR | from the south-southeast (160°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 654 ft | 10:35 UTC |
| HUF Terre Haute, IN | 140 nm out, 15 nm east of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 589 ft | 10:53 UTC |
| EVV Evansville, IN | 230 nm out, 5 nm north of the line, tower | marginal VFR Weather: mist | calm | 5 mi | none | 421 ft | 10:54 UTC |
| CKV Clarksville, TN | 310 nm out, 3 nm east of the line | VFR | from the east-southeast (110°) at 3 knots | 7 mi | none | 549 ft | 10:52 UTC |
| GHM Centerville, TN | 360 nm out, 2 nm north of the line | no report just now | 765 ft | ||||
| JFX Jasper, AL | 470 nm out, 4 nm south of the line | low IFR Sky: a broken layer at 200 feet | calm | 7 mi | 200 ft | 482 ft | 10:55 UTC |
| TCL Tuscaloosa, AL | 510 nm out, 16 nm west of the line, tower | VFR Weather: mist | calm | 6 mi | none | 169 ft | 10:53 UTC |
| SEM Selma, AL | 570 nm out, 14 nm east of the line, tower | reported, no category | from the east (080°) at 27 knots, gusting to 37 | 3,300 ft | 166 ft | 01:30 UTC | |
| MVC Monroeville, AL | 620 nm out, 6 nm west of the line | no report just now | 419 ft | ||||
| PNS Pensacola, FL | destination | VFR | from the north-northwest (330°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 120 ft | 5:53 am CDT (10:53 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 765 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At PNS when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 10:26 am CDT (15:26 UTC)
Wind from the north at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies VFR
The whole forecast for PNS
- From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 8:00 am CDT (13:00 UTC): wind from the north at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 1:00 pm CDT (18:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
The forecast for MDW, the departure
- From Mon 4:00 am CDT (09:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 25,000 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 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
No temporary flight restriction on or near this route right now.
Daylight
Sunset at MDW 6:14 pm CDT (23:14 UTC), at PNS 6:21 pm CDT (23:21 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:45 pm CDT (23:45 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, Pensacola International.