Plan a flight · Sun 10:00 pm CDT (03:00 UTC)

General Mitchell International to St. Louis Downtown Airport MKE → CPS

282 nautical miles (325 statute miles) south on a straight line, true course 202°, about 206° magnetic at the departure end (variation 4W). At 120 knots that is 2 h 12 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 8-knot tailwind), arriving about 12:12 am CDT (05:12 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now MKE is VFR, wind from the south-southwest (200°) at 9 knots; CPS 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: 6 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 MKE.

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

E295 at 37,000 ft, 20 nm northwest, 7:53 pm CDT (00:53 UTC): light chop turbulence. At the departure end, 20 nm northwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
UES UA /OV BAE/TM 0053/FL370/TP E295/TB OCNL LGT CHOP
```
Report
a routine report filed through UES
Where
over BAE
Time
00:53 UTC
Height
at 37,000 ft
Aircraft
E295
Turbulence
occasional light chop
A321 at 32,000 ft, 46 nm west, 8:56 pm CDT (01:56 UTC): light turbulence, remarks: pocket continuous light turbulence. 78 nm along the route, 46 nm west of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
RPJ UA /OV PLL/TM 0156/FL320/TP A321/TB CONS LGT/RM POCKET CONS LGT TB
```
Report
a routine report filed through RPJ
Where
over PLL
Time
01:56 UTC
Height
at 32,000 ft
Aircraft
A321
Turbulence
continuous light
Remarks
pocket continuous light turbulence
B39M at 35,000 ft, 46 nm east, 7:29 pm CDT (00:29 UTC): no turbulence, remarks: smooth. 78 nm along the route, 46 nm east of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
IKK UA /OV CGT/TM 0029/FL350/TP B39M/TB NEG/RM SMOOTH
```
Report
a routine report filed through IKK
Where
over CGT
Time
00:29 UTC
Height
at 35,000 ft
Aircraft
B39M
Turbulence
none
Remarks
smooth

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 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 3 forecast points nearest it (JOT, SPI, STL). 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	250° at 22 kt	+14 kt		106 kt	2 h 40 min	12:40 am CDT (05:40 UTC)
6,500 ft	260° at 22 kt	+12 kt	14 °C	108 kt	2 h 37 min	12:37 am CDT (05:37 UTC)
8,500 ft	260° at 21 kt	+12 kt	11 °C	108 kt	2 h 37 min	12:37 am CDT (05:37 UTC)
10,500 ft	260° at 16 kt	+9 kt	7 °C	111 kt	2 h 32 min	12:32 am CDT (05:32 UTC)
12,500 ft	260° at 12 kt	+6 kt	4 °C	114 kt	2 h 28 min	12:28 am CDT (05:28 UTC)
14,500 ft	270° at 16 kt	+7 kt	0 °C	113 kt	2 h 30 min	12:30 am CDT (05:30 UTC)
16,500 ft	270° at 20 kt	+7 kt	-4 °C	113 kt	2 h 30 min	12:30 am CDT (05:30 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180	270° at 23 kt	+7 kt	-7 °C	113 kt	2 h 30 min	12:30 am CDT (05:30 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240	280° at 30 kt	+8 kt	-19 °C	112 kt	2 h 31 min	12:31 am CDT (05:31 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300	290° at 29 kt	+1 kt	-34 °C	119 kt	2 h 22 min	12:22 am CDT (05:22 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340	290° at 49 kt	+1 kt	-42 °C	119 kt	2 h 22 min	12:22 am CDT (05:22 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390	300° at 59 kt	−8 kt	-52 °C	128 kt	2 h 12 min	12:12 am CDT (05:12 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; 63 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°
SPI	used from 146 nm out; 33 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°
STL	used from 243 nm out; 19 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°

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
MKE Milwaukee, WI	departure	VFR Sky: a few clouds at 25,000 feet	from the south-southwest (200°) at 9 knots	10+ mi	none	728 ft	9:52 pm CDT (02:52 UTC)
ENW Kenosha, WI	19 nm out, 7 nm southeast of the line, tower	VFR	from the south-southwest (200°) at 4 knots	10+ mi	none	742 ft	02:53 UTC
ARR Chicago/Aurora, IL	78 nm out, 4 nm northeast of the line, tower	VFR	calm	10+ mi	none	712 ft	02:52 UTC
VYS Peru, IL	107 nm out, 17 nm west of the line	VFR	from the east-northeast (060°) at 4 knots	10+ mi	none	654 ft	10:30 UTC
BMI Bloomington/Normal, IL	156 nm out, 13 nm east of the line, tower	VFR	from the south (180°) at 5 knots	10+ mi	none	871 ft	02:56 UTC
AAA Lincoln, IL	175 nm out, 5 nm south of the line	VFR	calm	10+ mi	none	594 ft	18:15 UTC
SPI Springfield, IL	204 nm out, 7 nm northwest of the line, tower	VFR	from the south-southeast (160°) at 6 knots	10+ mi	none	597 ft	02:52 UTC
ALN Alton/St Louis, IL	263 nm out, 2 nm northwest of the line, tower	VFR	from the south (180°) at 9 knots	10+ mi	none	543 ft	02:50 UTC
CPS Cahokia/St Louis, IL	destination	VFR	calm	10+ mi	none	412 ft	9:53 pm CDT (02:53 UTC)

The highest airport on this list sits at 871 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At CPS when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 12:12 am CDT (05:12 UTC)

Wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies VFR

The whole forecast for CPS

From Sun 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
From Mon 3:00 am CDT (08:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility 3 miles, mist, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
At times between Mon 3:00 am CDT (08:00 UTC) and 6:00 am CDT (11:00 UTC): visibility 1 mile, mist
From Mon 6:00 am CDT (11:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet

The forecast for MKE, the departure

From Sun 9:00 pm CDT (02:00 UTC): wind from the south at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
From Sun 10:00 pm CDT (03:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
From Mon 11:00 am CDT (16:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 13 knots, gusting to 21, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
From Mon 9:00 pm CDT (02:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, scattered clouds at 10,000 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 MKE 6:14 pm CDT (23:14 UTC), at CPS 6:27 pm CDT (23:27 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:53 pm CDT (23:53 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at CPS is before sunrise there (7:06 am CDT (12:06 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, 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: General Mitchell International, St. Louis Downtown Airport.