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

Quad Cities International to Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International MLI → CVG

304 nautical miles (350 statute miles) southeast on a straight line, true course 116°, about 115° magnetic at the departure end (variation 1E). At 120 knots that is 1 h 44 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 55-knot tailwind), arriving about 12:44 am EDT (04:44 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now MLI is VFR, wind from the south (180°) at 10 knots; CVG is VFR, wind from the west (280°) at 3 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: 3 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 MLI.

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

A321 at 32,000 ft, 48 nm north, 8:56 pm CDT (01:56 UTC): light turbulence, remarks: pocket continuous light turbulence. 29 nm along the route, 48 nm north 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
A21N at 17,000 ft, 41 nm southwest, 8:28 pm CDT (01:28 UTC): no icing, clear from 17,000 ft to 60,000 ft, remarks: clear since departing KIND southbound. 245 nm along the route, 41 nm southwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
IND UA /OV IND183045/TM 0128/FL170/TP A21N/SK SKC/IC NEG/RM CLR SINCE DEPARTING KIND SOUTHBOUND
```
Report
a routine report filed through IND
Where
45 nm south (183°) of IND
Time
01:28 UTC
Height
at 17,000 ft
Aircraft
A21N
Sky
clear
Icing
none
Remarks
clear since departing KIND southbound
B744 climbing, 7 nm northeast, 7:02 pm CDT (00:02 UTC): light turbulence, overcast. At the destination end, 7 nm northeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
CVG UA /OV 10 N CVG/TM 0002/FLDURC/TP B744/SK B022 OVC T036/TB LT TB SFC-036
```
Report
a routine report filed through CVG
Where
10 north cvg
Time
00:02 UTC
Height
during the climb
Aircraft
B744
Sky
B022 overcast T036
Turbulence
lt turbulence from the surface to 3,600 ft

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 4 forecast points nearest it (BRL, JOT, IND, CVG). 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	270° at 17 kt	−16 kt		136 kt	2 h 14 min	1:14 am EDT (05:14 UTC)
5,500 ft	290° at 18 kt	−18 kt		138 kt	2 h 12 min	1:12 am EDT (05:12 UTC)
7,500 ft	300° at 18 kt	−18 kt	13 °C	138 kt	2 h 12 min	1:12 am EDT (05:12 UTC)
9,500 ft	310° at 16 kt	−16 kt	9 °C	136 kt	2 h 14 min	1:14 am EDT (05:14 UTC)
11,500 ft	310° at 12 kt	−12 kt	4 °C	132 kt	2 h 18 min	1:18 am EDT (05:18 UTC)
13,500 ft	310° at 14 kt	−14 kt	0 °C	134 kt	2 h 16 min	1:16 am EDT (05:16 UTC)
15,500 ft	300° at 18 kt	−18 kt	-3 °C	138 kt	2 h 12 min	1:12 am EDT (05:12 UTC)
17,500 ft	300° at 22 kt	−22 kt	-6 °C	142 kt	2 h 08 min	1:08 am EDT (05:08 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180	300° at 23 kt	−23 kt	-7 °C	143 kt	2 h 08 min	1:08 am EDT (05:08 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240	300° at 29 kt	−29 kt	-19 °C	149 kt	2 h 02 min	1:02 am EDT (05:02 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300	320° at 37 kt	−35 kt	-34 °C	155 kt	1 h 58 min	12:58 am EDT (04:58 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340	310° at 54 kt	−54 kt	-42 °C	174 kt	1 h 45 min	12:45 am EDT (04:45 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390	310° at 56 kt	−55 kt	-51 °C	175 kt	1 h 44 min	12:44 am EDT (04:44 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; 58 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°
JOT	used from 49 nm out; 55 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°
IND	used from 147 nm out; 47 nm from the line	290/16	310/20 16°	320/21 10°	330/13 3°	300/25 -7°	320/32 -19°	330/46 -34°	320/61 -43°	320/63 -50°
CVG	used from 245 nm out; 34 nm from the line	320/18	350/32 16°	350/35 10°	350/30 3°	330/30 -7°	340/44 -20°	340/58 -35°	330/72 -41°	320/36 -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 (180°) at 10 knots	10+ mi	none	589 ft	9:52 pm CDT (02:52 UTC)
EZI Kewanee, IL	29 nm out, 2 nm southwest of the line	no report just now				858 ft
VYS Peru, IL	59 nm out, 22 nm northeast of the line	VFR	from the east-northeast (060°) at 4 knots	10+ mi	none	654 ft	10:30 UTC
BMI Bloomington/Normal, IL	88 nm out, 19 nm south of the line, tower	VFR	from the south (180°) at 5 knots	10+ mi	none	871 ft	02:56 UTC
DNV Danville, IL	157 nm out, 8 nm west of the line	no report just now				696 ft
IND Indianapolis, IN	216 nm out, 4 nm south of the line, tower	VFR	calm	10+ mi	none	796 ft	02:54 UTC
BAK Columbus, IN	245 nm out, 18 nm south of the line, tower	VFR	calm	10+ mi	none	656 ft	01:45 UTC
HLB Batesville, IN	274 nm out, 4 nm northwest of the line	low IFR Sky: sky obscured at 200 feet Weather: fog	calm	0.25 mi	200 ft	975 ft	02:55 UTC
CVG Covington, KY	destination	VFR Sky: a few clouds at 1,900 feet, scattered clouds at 3,200 feet	from the west (280°) at 3 knots	10+ mi	none	896 ft	10:52 pm EDT (02:52 UTC)

The highest airport on this list sits at 975 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At CVG when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 12:44 am EDT (04:44 UTC)

Wind from the northwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 2,500 feet VFR

The whole forecast for CVG

From Sun 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 1,500 feet
From Sun 9:00 pm EDT (01:00 UTC): wind from the northwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 2,500 feet
From Mon 3:00 am EDT (07:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility 3 miles, mist, a few clouds at 2,500 feet
From Mon 5:00 am EDT (09:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility 1 mile, mist, scattered clouds at 200 feet
At times between Mon 5:00 am EDT (09:00 UTC) and 9:00 am EDT (13:00 UTC): visibility ½ mile, fog
From Mon 10:00 am EDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the south-southeast at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
From Mon 12:00 pm EDT (16:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet

The forecast for MLI, the departure

From Sun 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
From Mon 9:00 am CDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 15 knots, gusting to 22, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet

Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it

6/8029 Cincinnati, OH, Friday, October 9, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local on the route, at the destination end · a VIP movement · until 12 October · ZID

Daylight

Sunset at MLI 6:26 pm CDT (23:26 UTC), at CVG 7:04 pm EDT (23:04 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:31 pm EDT (23:31 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at CVG is before sunrise there (7:45 am EDT (11:45 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

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, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International.