Smyrna Airport to Quad Cities International MQY → MLI
376 nautical miles (433 statute miles) northwest on a straight line, true course 331°, about 333° magnetic at the departure end (variation 2W). At 120 knots that is 3 h 16 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 5-knot headwind), arriving about 4:21 am CDT (09:21 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now MLI is VFR, wind from the south (190°) 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 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 first 109 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 MQY.
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 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 4 forecast points nearest it (BNA, EVV, SPI, BRL). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.
| Height | Average wind | Head- or tailwind | Temperature | Ground speed | Time en route | Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4,500 ft | 260° at 15 kt | +5 kt | 115 kt | 3 h 16 min | 4:21 am CDT (09:21 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 270° at 16 kt | +9 kt | 15 °C | 111 kt | 3 h 23 min | 4:28 am CDT (09:28 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 280° at 18 kt | +13 kt | 11 °C | 107 kt | 3 h 31 min | 4:36 am CDT (09:36 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 290° at 16 kt | +13 kt | 8 °C | 107 kt | 3 h 31 min | 4:36 am CDT (09:36 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 300° at 14 kt | +12 kt | 4 °C | 108 kt | 3 h 29 min | 4:34 am CDT (09:34 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 300° at 16 kt | +14 kt | 0 °C | 106 kt | 3 h 33 min | 4:38 am CDT (09:38 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 290° at 19 kt | +15 kt | -3 °C | 105 kt | 3 h 35 min | 4:40 am CDT (09:40 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 290° at 21 kt | +17 kt | -6 °C | 103 kt | 3 h 39 min | 4:44 am CDT (09:44 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 300° at 25 kt | +21 kt | -18 °C | 99 kt | 3 h 48 min | 4:53 am CDT (09:53 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 300° at 32 kt | +28 kt | -33 °C | 92 kt | 4 h 05 min | 5:10 am CDT (10:10 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 300° at 52 kt | +46 kt | -41 °C | 74 kt | 5 h 05 min | 6:10 am CDT (11:10 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 310° at 52 kt | +49 kt | -51 °C | 71 kt | 5 h 18 min | 6:23 am CDT (11:23 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BNA | used from 0 nm out; 15 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° |
| EVV | used from 49 nm out; 58 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° |
| SPI | used from 198 nm out; 54 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° |
| BRL | used from 346 nm out; 45 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° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MQY Smyrna, TN | departure | reported, no category | calm | 200 ft | 543 ft | 12:56 am CDT (05:56 UTC) | |
| JWN Nashville, TN | 20 nm out, 11 nm southwest of the line, tower | low IFR Sky: overcast at 200 feet Weather: fog | calm | 0.25 mi | 200 ft | 501 ft | 05:55 UTC |
| HVC Hopkinsville, KY | 69 nm out, 15 nm southwest of the line | VFR | calm | 9 mi | none | 563 ft | 05:55 UTC |
| OWB Owensboro, KY | 109 nm out, 23 nm east of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southeast (150°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 407 ft | 05:56 UTC |
| EVV Evansville, IN | 129 nm out, 17 nm northeast of the line, tower | marginal VFR Weather: mist | calm | 4 mi | none | 421 ft | 05:54 UTC |
| FOA Flora, IL | 188 nm out, 5 nm south of the line | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 472 ft | 05:55 UTC |
| TAZ Taylorville, IL | 247 nm out, 13 nm west of the line | no report just now | 622 ft | ||||
| DEC Decatur, IL | 257 nm out, 16 nm east of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southwest (210°) at 8 knots | 10+ mi | none | 681 ft | 05:54 UTC |
| PIA Peoria, IL | 317 nm out, 8 nm northeast of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (180°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 660 ft | 05:54 UTC |
| GBG Galesburg, IL | 346 nm out, 13 nm southwest of the line | VFR | from the south (170°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 764 ft | 05:55 UTC |
| MLI Moline, IL | destination | VFR | from the south (190°) at 9 knots | 10+ mi | none | 589 ft | 12:52 am CDT (05:52 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 764 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At MLI when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 4:21 am CDT (09:21 UTC)
Wind from the south at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, a broken layer at 25,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for MLI
- 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
The forecast for MQY, the departure
- From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 4:00 am CDT (09:00 UTC): wind calm, visibility 5 miles, mist, patches of fog, clear skies
- From Mon 9:00 am CDT (14:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 20,000 feet
- From Mon 12:00 pm CDT (17:00 UTC): wind from the west at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 20,000 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 2 nm from the route, 20 nm along the route · security · until 1 August · ZME
Daylight
Sunset at MQY 6:14 pm CDT (23:14 UTC), at MLI 6:26 pm CDT (23:26 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:53 pm CDT (23:53 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at MLI is before sunrise there (7:10 am CDT (12:10 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: Smyrna Airport, Quad Cities International.