Plan a flight · Mon 10:57 am CDT (15:57 UTC)

Quad Cities International to Chippewa County International MLI → CIU

389 nautical miles (448 statute miles) northeast on a straight line, true course 040°, about 039° magnetic at the departure end (variation 1E). At 120 knots that is 2 h 35 min at the quickest height in today's winds (30,000 ft, a 31-knot tailwind), arriving about 2:32 pm EDT (18:32 UTC). Right now MLI is VFR, wind from the southwest (220°) at 10 knots, gusting to 19; CIU is low IFR, wind from the east-northeast (060°) at 17 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 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 E47E: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 38,000 ft, moving from the west at 45 knots, until 12:55 pm CDT (17:55 UTC). Near the route, at the destination end.
as issued
```
WSUS31 KKCI 121555
MKCE WST 121555
CONVECTIVE SIGMET 47E
VALID UNTIL 1755Z
MI LS
FROM 90NE SAW-10ESE SSM-40ENE SAW-90NE SAW
AREA TS MOV FROM 27045KT. TOPS TO FL380.
```
AIRMET SIERRA 4E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the last 40 nm of the route.
AIRMET ZULU 3C: moderate icing from 12,000 ft to 24,000 ft. Near the route, at the destination end.

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

C25A at 16,000 ft, 16 nm southeast, 9:51 am CDT (14:51 UTC): no icing up to 16,000 ft. 329 nm along the route, 16 nm southeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
CVX UA /OV CVX/TM 1451/FL160/TP C25A/IC NEG BLO 160
```
Report
a routine report filed through CVX
Where
over CVX
Time
14:51 UTC
Height
at 16,000 ft
Aircraft
C25A
Icing
no below 16,000 ft

Winds aloft along the route, and the time en route the forecast for use 14:00–21:00 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 3 forecast points nearest it (DBQ, GRB, TVC). 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	250° at 19 kt	−16 kt		136 kt	2 h 52 min	2:49 pm EDT (18:49 UTC)
5,500 ft	240° at 27 kt	−25 kt		145 kt	2 h 41 min	2:38 pm EDT (18:38 UTC)
7,500 ft	250° at 31 kt	−27 kt	13 °C	147 kt	2 h 39 min	2:36 pm EDT (18:36 UTC)
9,500 ft	260° at 32 kt	−26 kt	9 °C	146 kt	2 h 40 min	2:37 pm EDT (18:37 UTC)
11,500 ft	270° at 30 kt	−21 kt	6 °C	141 kt	2 h 46 min	2:43 pm EDT (18:43 UTC)
13,500 ft	270° at 30 kt	−19 kt	1 °C	139 kt	2 h 48 min	2:45 pm EDT (18:45 UTC)
15,500 ft	270° at 32 kt	−19 kt	-4 °C	139 kt	2 h 48 min	2:45 pm EDT (18:45 UTC)
17,500 ft	280° at 33 kt	−19 kt	-9 °C	139 kt	2 h 48 min	2:45 pm EDT (18:45 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180	280° at 34 kt	−19 kt	-10 °C	139 kt	2 h 48 min	2:45 pm EDT (18:45 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240	280° at 37 kt	−21 kt	-22 °C	141 kt	2 h 46 min	2:43 pm EDT (18:43 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300	270° at 47 kt	−31 kt	-36 °C	151 kt	2 h 35 min	2:32 pm EDT (18:32 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340	290° at 45 kt	−19 kt	-40 °C	139 kt	2 h 48 min	2:45 pm EDT (18:45 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390	300° at 60 kt	−17 kt	-48 °C	137 kt	2 h 50 min	2:47 pm EDT (18:47 UTC)

Based on data from the 12th at 12:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 18:00 UTC for use 14:00 to 21:00 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
DBQ	used from 0 nm out; 46 nm from the line	250/26	240/32 19°	250/35 11°	260/37 5°	270/35 -9°	270/40 -21°	270/43 -35°	280/49 -37°	280/58 -46°
GRB	used from 100 nm out; 91 nm from the line	260/10	240/27 16°	260/31 10°	270/25 5°	280/31 -10°	280/35 -22°	270/46 -37°	290/43 -40°	300/64 -48°
TVC	used from 249 nm out; 34 nm from the line	260/18	250/30 15°	260/34 8°	280/29 5°	280/36 -10°	280/37 -22°	270/50 -37°	290/46 -42°	300/60 -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 southwest (220°) at 10 knots, gusting to 19	10+ mi	none	589 ft	10:52 am CDT (15:52 UTC)
CWI Clinton, IA	20 nm out, 9 nm northwest of the line	VFR	from the southwest (220°) at 11 knots	10+ mi	none	707 ft	14:56 UTC
RFD Chicago/Rockford, IL	80 nm out, 19 nm southeast of the line, tower	VFR Sky: a few clouds at 20,000 feet, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet	from the southwest (220°) at 14 knots, gusting to 20	10+ mi	none	742 ft	15:54 UTC
JVL Janesville, WI	100 nm out, 5 nm south of the line, tower	VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 23,000 feet	from the southwest (230°) at 12 knots	10+ mi	none	807 ft	14:45 UTC
UES Waukesha, WI	140 nm out, 14 nm southeast of the line, tower	VFR	from the southwest (220°) at 8 knots, gusting to 15	10+ mi	none	911 ft	15:45 UTC
SBM Sheboygan, WI	179 nm out, 4 nm north of the line	VFR	from the southwest (230°) at 9 knots	10+ mi	none	755 ft	15:53 UTC
FKS Frankfort, MI	269 nm out, 15 nm southeast of the line	VFR	from the south-southwest (210°) at 9 knots	10+ mi	none	633 ft	15:35 UTC
SJX Beaver Island, MI	329 nm out, 10 nm northwest of the line	VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 600 feet, scattered clouds at 1,100 feet	from the west-southwest (250°) at 6 knots	10+ mi	none	669 ft	15:35 UTC
MCD Mackinac Island, MI	369 nm out, 11 nm southeast of the line	marginal VFR Sky: overcast at 1,200 feet	from the east (090°) at 10 knots	10+ mi	1,200 ft	741 ft	15:35 UTC
CIU Sault Ste Marie, MI	destination	low IFR Sky: overcast at 400 feet Weather: light rain, mist	from the east-northeast (060°) at 17 knots	1.75 mi	400 ft	799 ft	11:44 am EDT (15:44 UTC)

The highest airport on this list sits at 911 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At CIU when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 2:32 pm EDT (18:32 UTC)

Wind from the east at 8 knots, gusting to 13, visibility 6 miles, light drizzle, mist, overcast at 800 feet IFR

The whole forecast for CIU

From Mon 10:00 am EDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the east at 8 knots, visibility 6 miles, mist, overcast at 800 feet
At times between Mon 10:00 am EDT (14:00 UTC) and 2:00 pm EDT (18:00 UTC): overcast at 200 feet
From Mon 2:00 pm EDT (18:00 UTC): wind from the east at 8 knots, gusting to 13, visibility 6 miles, light drizzle, mist, overcast at 800 feet
From Tue 12:00 am EDT (04:00 UTC): wind from the east at 12 knots, visibility 4 miles, rain, mist, overcast at 300 feet

The forecast for MLI, the departure

From Mon 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 20,000 feet
From Mon 10:00 am CDT (15:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 11 knots, gusting to 21, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 20,000 feet
From Mon 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, a few clouds at 20,000 feet
From Tue 2:00 am CDT (07:00 UTC): wind from the west-southwest at 11 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 MLI 6:26 pm CDT (23:26 UTC), at CIU 6:57 pm EDT (22:57 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:27 pm EDT (23:27 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 now, the central Great Lakes · 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: Quad Cities International, Chippewa County International.