Quad Cities International to Hartsfield/Jackson Atlanta International MLI → ATL
551 nautical miles (634 statute miles) southeast on a straight line, true course 146°, about 145° magnetic at the departure end (variation 1E). At 120 knots that is 3 h 14 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 50-knot tailwind), arriving about 6:02 am EDT (10:02 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now MLI is VFR, wind from the south (190°) at 9 knots; ATL is VFR, wind from the west-northwest (300°) at 9 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: 1,558 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 route from 246 to 482 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 5W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 10,000 ft. Near the route, 521 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 MLI.
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 6 forecast points nearest it (BRL, SPI, EVV, BNA, HSV, ATL). 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 | 280° at 16 kt | −11 kt | 131 kt | 4 h 12 min | 7:00 am EDT (11:00 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 290° at 16 kt | −13 kt | 133 kt | 4 h 09 min | 6:57 am EDT (10:57 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 300° at 19 kt | −17 kt | 13 °C | 137 kt | 4 h 01 min | 6:49 am EDT (10:49 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 310° at 21 kt | −20 kt | 9 °C | 140 kt | 3 h 56 min | 6:44 am EDT (10:44 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 320° at 18 kt | −17 kt | 6 °C | 137 kt | 4 h 01 min | 6:49 am EDT (10:49 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 310° at 18 kt | −18 kt | 2 °C | 138 kt | 4 h | 6:48 am EDT (10:48 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 310° at 20 kt | −19 kt | -1 °C | 139 kt | 3 h 58 min | 6:46 am EDT (10:46 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 300° at 22 kt | −20 kt | -5 °C | 140 kt | 3 h 56 min | 6:44 am EDT (10:44 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 300° at 22 kt | −20 kt | -6 °C | 140 kt | 3 h 56 min | 6:44 am EDT (10:44 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 310° at 26 kt | −24 kt | -18 °C | 144 kt | 3 h 50 min | 6:38 am EDT (10:38 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 310° at 38 kt | −37 kt | -33 °C | 157 kt | 3 h 31 min | 6:19 am EDT (10:19 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 310° at 52 kt | −50 kt | -41 °C | 170 kt | 3 h 14 min | 6:02 am EDT (10:02 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 320° at 46 kt | −45 kt | -51 °C | 165 kt | 3 h 20 min | 6:08 am EDT (10:08 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BRL | used from 0 nm out; 46 nm from the line | 230/24 | 240/29 15° | 290/16 10° | 280/15 4° | 260/23 -7° | 260/32 -19° | 260/36 -33° | 280/48 -41° | 280/59 -52° |
| SPI | used from 49 nm out; 35 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° |
| EVV | used from 197 nm out; 26 nm from the line | 280/15 | 290/12 17° | 310/16 10° | 320/13 5° | 310/22 -6° | 320/26 -18° | 320/38 -33° | 310/56 -41° | 320/55 -51° |
| BNA | used from 295 nm out; 50 nm from the line | 310/20 | 340/20 17° | 330/24 10° | 340/22 5° | 330/26 -6° | 340/29 -18° | 330/52 -33° | 320/62 -41° | 340/45 -50° |
| HSV | used from 443 nm out; 75 nm from the line | 310/20 | 330/20 16° | 320/27 11° | 340/23 5° | 320/23 -7° | 340/30 -17° | 320/50 -33° | 330/61 -41° | 340/41 -50° |
| ATL | used from 492 nm out; 34 nm from the line | 320/30 | 330/37 16° | 340/44 11° | 330/35 7° | 310/33 -6° | 300/38 -18° | 330/58 -33° | 330/48 -40° | 320/34 -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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MLI Moline, IL | departure | VFR | from the south (190°) at 9 knots | 10+ mi | none | 589 ft | 12:52 am CDT (05:52 UTC) |
| EZI Kewanee, IL | 30 nm out, 13 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 858 ft | ||||
| PIA Peoria, IL | 59 nm out, 5 nm northeast of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (180°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 660 ft | 05:54 UTC |
| DEC Decatur, IL | 118 nm out, 11 nm east of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southwest (210°) at 8 knots | 10+ mi | none | 681 ft | 05:54 UTC |
| OLY Olney-Noble, IL | 197 nm out, 2 nm north of the line | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 482 ft | 06:30 UTC |
| EVV Evansville, IN | 246 nm out, 6 nm northeast of the line, tower | marginal VFR Weather: mist | calm | 4 mi | none | 421 ft | 05:54 UTC |
| JQD Hartford, KY | 295 nm out, 15 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 537 ft | ||||
| MQY Smyrna, TN | 374 nm out, 17 nm southwest of the line, tower | low IFR Sky: a broken layer at 200 feet Weather: fog | calm | 0.25 mi | 200 ft | 543 ft | 06:33 UTC |
| RNC Mc Minnville, TN | 413 nm out, 5 nm north of the line | low IFR Sky: overcast at 100 feet Weather: fog | calm | 0.25 mi | 100 ft | 1,031 ft | 06:35 UTC |
| CHA Chattanooga, TN | 462 nm out, 9 nm northeast of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 682 ft | 05:53 UTC |
| RYY Atlanta, GA | 531 nm out, 6 nm north of the line, tower | VFR | from the west (280°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,040 ft | 05:50 UTC |
| ATL Atlanta, GA | destination | VFR | from the west-northwest (300°) at 9 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,026 ft | 1:52 am EDT (05:52 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 ATL when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 6:02 am EDT (10:02 UTC)
Wind from the west-northwest at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies VFR
The whole forecast for ATL
- From Mon 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 12:00 pm EDT (16:00 UTC): wind from the northwest at 10 knots, gusting to 20, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 5:00 pm EDT (21:00 UTC): wind from the northwest at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
The forecast for MLI, the departure
- From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 10:00 am CDT (15:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 15 knots, gusting to 22, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 11 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/0708 Goodlettsville, TN, Saturday, August 1, 2026 through Sunday, August 1, 2027 UTC 12 nm from the route, 354 nm along the route · security · until 1 August · ZME
Daylight
Sunset at MLI 6:26 pm CDT (23:26 UTC), at ATL 7:07 pm EDT (23:07 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:32 pm EDT (23:32 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at ATL is before sunrise there (7:39 am EDT (11:39 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: Quad Cities International, Hartsfield/Jackson Atlanta International.