Frederick W Smith Intl/Memphis Airport to Chicago/Rockford International MEM → RFD
431 nautical miles (496 statute miles) north on a straight line, true course 005°, about 006° magnetic at the departure end (variation 1W). At 120 knots that is 3 h 17 min at the quickest height in today's winds (3,500 ft, a 11-knot tailwind), arriving about 5:02 am CDT (10:02 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now MEM is VFR, wind from the south (180°) at 6 knots; RFD is 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: 322 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 MEM.
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 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 5 forecast points nearest it (MEM, CGI, STL, SPI, 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 | 240° at 20 kt | −11 kt | 131 kt | 3 h 17 min | 5:02 am CDT (10:02 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 260° at 19 kt | −6 kt | 126 kt | 3 h 25 min | 5:10 am CDT (10:10 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 260° at 19 kt | −4 kt | 13 °C | 124 kt | 3 h 29 min | 5:14 am CDT (10:14 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 270° at 18 kt | −3 kt | 9 °C | 123 kt | 3 h 30 min | 5:15 am CDT (10:15 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 280° at 13 kt | 0 | 6 °C | 120 kt | 3 h 36 min | 5:21 am CDT (10:21 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 280° at 14 kt | +1 kt | 3 °C | 119 kt | 3 h 37 min | 5:22 am CDT (10:22 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 280° at 17 kt | +1 kt | -1 °C | 119 kt | 3 h 37 min | 5:22 am CDT (10:22 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 280° at 20 kt | +1 kt | -5 °C | 119 kt | 3 h 37 min | 5:22 am CDT (10:22 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 280° at 21 kt | +2 kt | -6 °C | 118 kt | 3 h 39 min | 5:24 am CDT (10:24 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 280° at 27 kt | +1 kt | -19 °C | 119 kt | 3 h 37 min | 5:22 am CDT (10:22 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 290° at 31 kt | +9 kt | -33 °C | 111 kt | 3 h 53 min | 5:38 am CDT (10:38 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 290° at 47 kt | +15 kt | -42 °C | 105 kt | 4 h 06 min | 5:51 am CDT (10:51 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 300° at 53 kt | +25 kt | -52 °C | 95 kt | 4 h 32 min | 6:17 am CDT (11:17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MEM | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 230/19 | 260/16 15° | 270/17 12° | 300/13 6° | 300/15 -5° | 300/26 -18° | 300/34 -32° | 300/41 -40° | 310/46 -52° |
| CGI | used from 49 nm out; 59 nm from the line | 240/20 | 270/15 15° | 280/15 11° | 300/13 6° | 290/20 -6° | 280/24 -18° | 300/34 -32° | 300/47 -41° | 310/49 -51° |
| STL | used from 196 nm out; 39 nm from the line | 250/24 | 250/24 16° | 260/23 9° | 270/16 6° | 260/25 -6° | 270/29 -19° | 290/34 -33° | 290/48 -41° | 290/54 -51° |
| SPI | used from 245 nm out; 23 nm from the line | 220/21 | 250/23 16° | 260/27 9° | 270/14 6° | 270/23 -7° | 270/31 -19° | 270/28 -33° | 290/48 -42° | 300/55 -52° |
| JOT | used from 343 nm out; 53 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° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MEM Memphis, TN | departure | VFR | from the south (180°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 340 ft | 12:54 am CDT (05:54 UTC) |
| NQA Millington, TN | 20 nm out, 3 nm east of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 322 ft | 23:50 UTC |
| HKA Blytheville, AR | 59 nm out, 5 nm south of the line | reported, no category | from the south (190°) at 7 knots | none | 255 ft | 05:53 UTC | |
| CGI Cape Girardeau, MO | 127 nm out, 9 nm northeast of the line, tower | VFR | from the west-southwest (240°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 341 ft | 20:53 UTC |
| MDH Carbondale/Murphysboro, IL | 167 nm out, 19 nm east of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (190°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 411 ft | 05:52 UTC |
| BLV Belleville, IL | 206 nm out, 13 nm northwest of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southwest (200°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 459 ft | 05:55 UTC |
| ALN Alton/St Louis, IL | 226 nm out, 25 nm west of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southwest (200°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 543 ft | 06:35 UTC |
| SPI Springfield, IL | 284 nm out, 13 nm northwest of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (180°) at 8 knots | 10+ mi | none | 597 ft | 05:52 UTC |
| PIA Peoria, IL | 333 nm out, 18 nm west of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (180°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 660 ft | 05:54 UTC |
| VYS Peru, IL | 382 nm out, 3 nm southeast of the line | VFR | from the south-southwest (200°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 654 ft | 06:35 UTC |
| RPJ Rochelle, IL | 412 nm out, 3 nm northeast of the line | VFR | from the south (170°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 780 ft | 06:35 UTC |
| RFD Chicago/Rockford, IL | destination | VFR Sky: a broken layer at 25,000 feet | calm | 10+ mi | 25,000 ft | 742 ft | 12:54 am CDT (05:54 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 780 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, 5:02 am CDT (10:02 UTC)
Wind from the south at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for RFD
- From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 12:00 pm CDT (17:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 13 knots, gusting to 23, 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
The forecast for MEM, the departure
- From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 11:00 am CDT (16:00 UTC): wind from the west-southwest at 10 knots, gusting to 17, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
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 MEM 6:29 pm CDT (23:29 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 before sunrise there (7:05 am CDT (12:05 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: Frederick W Smith Intl/Memphis Airport, Chicago/Rockford International.