Quad Cities International to Cherry Capital Airport MLI → TVC
293 nautical miles (337 statute miles) northeast on a straight line, true course 046°, about 045° magnetic at the departure end (variation 1E). At 120 knots that is 1 h 55 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 33-knot tailwind), arriving about 8:53 am EDT (12:53 UTC). Right now MLI is VFR, wind from the south-southwest (210°) at 5 knots; TVC is VFR, wind from the south-southwest (200°) at 5 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
- 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). Near the route, at the departure end.
- 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 last 39 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 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 (DBQ, JOT, MKG, 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 | 260° at 26 kt | −23 kt | 143 kt | 2 h 03 min | 9:01 am EDT (13:01 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 260° at 22 kt | −18 kt | 138 kt | 2 h 07 min | 9:05 am EDT (13:05 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 260° at 20 kt | −18 kt | 13 °C | 138 kt | 2 h 07 min | 9:05 am EDT (13:05 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 250° at 21 kt | −19 kt | 8 °C | 139 kt | 2 h 06 min | 9:04 am EDT (13:04 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 260° at 25 kt | −21 kt | 5 °C | 141 kt | 2 h 05 min | 9:03 am EDT (13:03 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 270° at 26 kt | −20 kt | 1 °C | 140 kt | 2 h 06 min | 9:04 am EDT (13:04 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 270° at 27 kt | −19 kt | -4 °C | 139 kt | 2 h 06 min | 9:04 am EDT (13:04 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 280° at 28 kt | −18 kt | -8 °C | 138 kt | 2 h 07 min | 9:05 am EDT (13:05 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 280° at 28 kt | −17 kt | -9 °C | 137 kt | 2 h 08 min | 9:06 am EDT (13:06 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 280° at 37 kt | −24 kt | -21 °C | 144 kt | 2 h 02 min | 9:00 am EDT (13:00 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 270° at 42 kt | −31 kt | -36 °C | 151 kt | 1 h 56 min | 8:54 am EDT (12:54 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 280° at 50 kt | −33 kt | -44 °C | 153 kt | 1 h 55 min | 8:53 am EDT (12:53 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 290° at 65 kt | −30 kt | -50 °C | 150 kt | 1 h 57 min | 8:55 am EDT (12:55 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
| 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; 48 nm from the line | 250/27 | 260/23 17° | 240/26 10° | 260/30 4° | 280/26 -9° | 280/36 -21° | 270/41 -36° | 280/52 -41° | 290/67 -48° |
| JOT | used from 98 nm out; 81 nm from the line | 250/25 | 260/22 14° | 250/17 9° | 270/21 5° | 280/28 -8° | 280/36 -20° | 270/41 -35° | 280/57 -42° | 290/65 -50° |
| MKG | used from 146 nm out; 65 nm from the line | 260/28 | 260/18 15° | 250/16 9° | 260/22 4° | 280/31 -9° | 270/35 -21° | 270/44 -35° | 270/42 -45° | 290/61 -51° |
| TVC | used from 244 nm out; 24 nm from the line | 270/31 | 280/23 15° | 260/22 8° | 260/29 4° | 280/29 -11° | 280/42 -21° | 270/42 -36° | 270/54 -47° | 290/67 -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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MLI Moline, IL | departure | VFR | from the south-southwest (210°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 589 ft | 5:52 am CDT (10:52 UTC) |
| CWI Clinton, IA | 20 nm out, 11 nm northwest of the line | VFR | from the south (180°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 707 ft | 09:56 UTC |
| RFD Chicago/Rockford, IL | 78 nm out, 11 nm southeast of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a broken layer at 25,000 feet | from the southeast (140°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | 25,000 ft | 742 ft | 10:54 UTC |
| JVL Janesville, WI | 98 nm out, 6 nm northwest of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (190°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 807 ft | 10:45 UTC |
| UES Waukesha, WI | 137 nm out, 2 nm northeast of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southwest (200°) at 8 knots | 10+ mi | none | 911 ft | 10:45 UTC |
| SBM Sheboygan, WI | 185 nm out, 22 nm northwest of the line | VFR | from the southwest (230°) at 8 knots | 10+ mi | none | 755 ft | 10:53 UTC |
| LDM Ludington, MI | 234 nm out, 12 nm southeast of the line | VFR | from the south (190°) at 8 knots | 10+ mi | none | 646 ft | 10:35 UTC |
| MBL Manistee, MI | 254 nm out, 3 nm south of the line | VFR | from the east (080°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 621 ft | 09:56 UTC |
| TVC Traverse City, MI | destination | VFR Sky: overcast at 24,000 feet | from the south-southwest (200°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | 24,000 ft | 623 ft | 6:53 am EDT (10:53 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 TVC when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 8:53 am EDT (12:53 UTC)
Wind from the south-southwest at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 25,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for TVC
- From Mon 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 5:00 am EDT (09:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 6:00 pm EDT (22:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 20,000 feet
- From Mon 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): wind calm, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 16,000 feet
- From Tue 12:00 am EDT (04:00 UTC): wind calm, visibility 6 miles, light rain showers, mist, a broken layer at 8,000 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 TVC 7:03 pm EDT (23:03 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:32 pm EDT (23:32 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, Cherry Capital Airport.