The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Plan a flight · Mon 5:06 am CDT (10:06 UTC)

Quad Cities International to Spokane International MLI → GEG

1,207 nautical miles (1,390 statute miles) northwest on a straight line, true course 297°, about 296° magnetic at the departure end (variation 1E). At 120 knots that is 10 h 58 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 10-knot headwind), arriving about 2:04 pm PDT (21:04 UTC). Right now MLI is VFR, wind from the southwest (220°) at 4 knots; GEG is VFR, wind from the northeast (050°) at 7 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: 2 flights in the DOT's last twelve reported months, the route's page.

The return flight

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 C16C: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 36,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 6:55 am CDT (11:55 UTC). Over the route from 509 to 529 nm out.
    as issued
    WSUS32 KKCI 120955
    MKCC WST 120955
    CONVECTIVE SIGMET 16C
    VALID UNTIL 1155Z
    SD ND
    FROM BIS-60NNW ABR-40SSE DPR-50NNW DPR-BIS
    AREA TS MOV FROM 22040KT. TOPS TO FL360.
  • AIRMET TANGO 2W: low-level wind shear (due to air speed loss or gain of 20 knots or more below 2,000 ft above the ground). Over the first 299 nm of the route.
  • 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 route from 319 to 1148 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 1W: low-level wind shear (due to air speed loss or gain of 20 knots or more below 2,000 ft above the ground). Over the route from 629 to 639 nm out.
  • AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Over the route from 649 to 768 nm out.
  • AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 18,000 ft. Over the last 429 nm of the route.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 818 to 1138 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 39,000 ft. Over the last 200 nm of 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 08:00–15:00 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 10 forecast points nearest it (DBQ, MCW, FSD, PIR, RAP, MLS, BIL, GTF, GPI, GEG). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

HeightAverage windHead- or tailwindTemperatureGround speedTime en routeArrival
4,500 ft250° at 14 kt+10 kt6 °C110 kt10 h 58 min2:04 pm PDT (21:04 UTC)
6,500 ft250° at 13 kt+10 kt11 °C110 kt10 h 58 min2:04 pm PDT (21:04 UTC)
8,500 ft240° at 16 kt+10 kt8 °C110 kt10 h 58 min2:04 pm PDT (21:04 UTC)
10,500 ft240° at 18 kt+11 kt2 °C109 kt11 h 04 min2:10 pm PDT (21:10 UTC)
12,500 ft240° at 20 kt+12 kt0 °C108 kt11 h 11 min2:17 pm PDT (21:17 UTC)
14,500 ft230° at 20 kt+11 kt-5 °C109 kt11 h 04 min2:10 pm PDT (21:10 UTC)
16,500 ft230° at 21 kt+11 kt-9 °C109 kt11 h 04 min2:10 pm PDT (21:10 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180230° at 22 kt+10 kt-12 °C110 kt10 h 58 min2:04 pm PDT (21:04 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240230° at 32 kt+15 kt-24 °C105 kt11 h 30 min2:36 pm PDT (21:36 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300230° at 36 kt+22 kt-35 °C98 kt12 h 19 min3:25 pm PDT (22:25 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340240° at 45 kt+29 kt-38 °C91 kt13 h 16 min4:22 pm PDT (23:22 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390250° at 53 kt+40 kt-46 °C80 kt15 h 05 min6:11 pm PDT (01:11 UTC)

Based on data from the 12th at 06:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 12:00 UTC for use 08:00 to 15:00 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
PointFrom3,0006,0009,00012,00018,00024,00030,00034,00039,000
DBQused from 0 nm out; 48 nm from the line250/27260/23 17°240/26 10°260/30 4°280/26 -9°280/36 -21°270/41 -36°280/52 -41°290/67 -48°
MCWused from 100 nm out; 50 nm from the line250/36250/24 19°240/26 11°250/30 5°270/22 -9°260/30 -21°260/31 -36°280/53 -38°280/66 -48°
FSDused from 249 nm out; 30 nm from the line210/20230/23 21°220/25 14°230/30 5°230/26 -9°240/30 -21°270/33 -36°260/47 -37°270/58 -47°
PIRused from 399 nm out; 42 nm from the line230/15 15°220/22 14°220/24 6°200/32 -10°210/48 -22°240/45 -33°240/43 -37°250/55 -46°
RAPused from 549 nm out; 70 nm from the line250/28 16°260/31 10°240/25 4°210/35 -10°200/45 -23°230/47 -31°230/47 -36°230/51 -46°
MLSused from 649 nm out; 61 nm from the line290/17 -1°250/18 0°230/25 0°220/31 -11°220/32 -24°220/50 -32°220/60 -38°230/71 -46°
BILused from 798 nm out; 35 nm from the line300/14270/19 -2°260/26 -2°220/28 -13°210/51 -25°220/56 -33°220/61 -39°220/72 -45°
GTFused from 898 nm out; 52 nm from the lineL/VL/V -7°240/8 -8°240/30 -14°240/40 -28°210/52 -38°210/76 -38°220/72 -43°
GPIused from 1048 nm out; 63 nm from the line090/8 -4°140/7 -7°090/10 -8°110/10 -19°210/25 -30°200/24 -40°210/31 -39°210/35 -42°
GEGused from 1148 nm out; 35 nm from the line060/7 -2°070/12 -6°050/8 -8°120/11 -21°110/18 -33°030/22 -37°040/6 -38°240/7 -41°

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

AirportWhereConditionsWindVisibilityCeilingElevationReported
MLI Moline, IL departure VFR Sky: a few clouds at 11,000 feet from the southwest (220°) at 4 knots 10+ mi none 589 ft 4:52 am CDT (09:52 UTC)
CID Cedar Rapids, IA 60 nm out, 1 nm southwest of the line, tower VFR from the south (180°) at 6 knots 10+ mi none 869 ft 02:52 UTC
IFA Iowa Falls, IA 140 nm out, 2 nm east of the line VFR Sky: a broken layer at 9,000 feet from the south (170°) at 5 knots 10+ mi 9,000 ft 1,137 ft 09:55 UTC
FSD Sioux Falls, SD 299 nm out, 5 nm west of the line, tower VFR Sky: a few clouds at 10,000 feet from the north-northeast (020°) at 4 knots 10+ mi none 1,430 ft 09:56 UTC
PIR Pierre, SD 469 nm out, 13 nm south of the line low IFR Sky: a broken layer at 400 feet, overcast at 900 feet Weather: mist from the east-northeast (060°) at 10 knots 5 mi 400 ft 1,744 ft 09:53 UTC
RPX Roundup, MT 838 nm out, 6 nm northeast of the line no report just now 3,490 ft
HWQ Harlowton, MT 888 nm out, 11 nm south of the line no report just now 4,311 ft
MSO Missoula, MT 1058 nm out, 20 nm southwest of the line, tower VFR Sky: a few clouds at 3,500 feet, a broken layer at 11,000 feet calm 10+ mi 11,000 ft 3,205 ft 09:53 UTC
THM Thompson Falls, MT 1118 nm out, 11 nm north of the line no report just now 2,467 ft
GEG Spokane, WA destination VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 8,000 feet, a broken layer at 11,000 feet from the northeast (050°) at 7 knots 10+ mi 11,000 ft 2,385 ft 2:53 am PDT (09:53 UTC)

The highest airport on this list sits at 4,311 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At GEG when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 2:04 pm PDT (21:04 UTC)

Wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 10,000 feet VFR

The whole forecast for GEG
  • From Sun 11:00 pm PDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the northeast at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 7,000 feet
  • From Mon 1:00 pm PDT (20:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 10,000 feet
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

No temporary flight restriction on or near this route right now.

Daylight

Sunset at MLI 6:26 pm CDT (23:26 UTC), at GEG 6:06 pm PDT (01:06 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:37 pm PDT (01:37 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
Radar now, the upper Mississippi valley · loop National Weather Service
Radar now, the northern Rockies
Radar now, the northern Rockies · loop National Weather Service
Radar now, the Pacific Northwest
Radar now, the Pacific Northwest · loop National Weather Service
Radar, the whole country
Radar, the whole country · loop National Weather Service
Surface analysis now
Surface analysis now Weather Prediction Center
Forecast chart, 12 hours ahead
Forecast chart, 12 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center
Forecast chart, 24 hours ahead
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, Spokane International.