The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Plan a flight · Mon 9:02 am CDT (14:02 UTC)

Smyrna Airport to Chicago Executive MQY → PWK

372 nautical miles (428 statute miles) north on a straight line, true course 350°, about 352° magnetic at the departure end (variation 2W). At 120 knots that is 3 h 09 min at the quickest height in today's winds (8,500 ft, a 2-knot headwind), arriving about 12:11 pm CDT (17:11 UTC). Right now MQY is VFR, wind from the southeast (130°) at 4 knots; PWK is VFR, wind from the south-southwest (210°) at 6 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 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

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 MQY.

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

  • SF50 at 14,000 ft, 29 nm southeast, 7:50 am CDT (12:50 UTC): light chop turbulence from 14,000 ft to 20,000 ft, remarks: ZME60. At the departure end, 29 nm southeast of the line.
    as filed, and in English
    BNA UA /OV BNA135040/TM 1250/FL140/TP SF50/SK SKC140/TB OCNL LGT CHOP 200-140/RM ZME60
    Report
    a routine report filed through BNA
    Where
    40 nm southeast (135°) of BNA
    Time
    12:50 UTC
    Height
    at 14,000 ft
    Aircraft
    SF50
    Sky
    clear from 14,000 ft
    Turbulence
    occasional light chop from 20,000 ft to 14,000 ft
    Remarks
    ZME60
  • E75L at 33,000 ft, 25 nm east, 6:09 am CDT (11:09 UTC): no turbulence, remarks: ZME62. 29 nm along the route, 25 nm east of the line.
    as filed, and in English
    BNA UA /OV BNA045040/TM 1109/FL330/TP E75L/TB NEG/RM ZME62
    Report
    a routine report filed through BNA
    Where
    40 nm northeast (045°) of BNA
    Time
    11:09 UTC
    Height
    at 33,000 ft
    Aircraft
    E75L
    Turbulence
    none
    Remarks
    ZME62
  • A320 at 28,000 ft, 13 nm west, 7:48 am CDT (12:48 UTC): no turbulence, no icing, clear from 28,000 ft to 60,000 ft. 108 nm along the route, 13 nm west of the line.
    as filed, and in English
    EVV UA /OV OWB/TM 1248/FL280/TP A320/SK SKC/TB NEG/IC NEG
    Report
    a routine report filed through EVV
    Where
    over OWB
    Time
    12:48 UTC
    Height
    at 28,000 ft
    Aircraft
    A320
    Sky
    clear
    Turbulence
    none
    Icing
    none
  • C525 at 41,000 ft, 8 nm east, 7:53 am CDT (12:53 UTC): no turbulence, -7 °C, wind 328° at 31 knots, remarks: smooth ride during the descent F410-F195. 137 nm along the route, 8 nm east of the line.
    as filed, and in English
    HNB UA /OV IIU280060 /TM 1253 /FL410 /TP C525 /TA M07 /WV 32831KT /TB NEG /RM SMOOTH RIDE DURD F410-F195
    Report
    a routine report filed through HNB
    Where
    60 nm west (280°) of IIU
    Time
    12:53 UTC
    Height
    at 41,000 ft
    Aircraft
    C525
    Temperature
    −7 °C
    Wind
    from 328° at 31 knots
    Turbulence
    none
    Remarks
    smooth ride during the descent F410-F195
  • B763 at 26,000 ft, 9 nm southwest, 6:57 am CDT (11:57 UTC): no turbulence, no icing. 157 nm along the route, 9 nm southwest of the line.
    as filed, and in English
    EVV UA /OV OWB360045/TM 1157/FL260/TP B763/TB NEG/IC NEG
    Report
    a routine report filed through EVV
    Where
    45 nm north (360°) of OWB
    Time
    11:57 UTC
    Height
    at 26,000 ft
    Aircraft
    B763
    Turbulence
    none
    Icing
    none
  • CRJ9 at 38,000 ft, 47 nm east, 6:06 am CDT (11:06 UTC): no turbulence. 313 nm along the route, 47 nm east of the line.
    as filed, and in English
    OXI UA /OV OXI/TM 1106/FL380/TP CRJ9/TB NEG
    Report
    a routine report filed through OXI
    Where
    over OXI
    Time
    11:06 UTC
    Height
    at 38,000 ft
    Aircraft
    CRJ9
    Turbulence
    none
  • B39M at 36,000 ft, 7 nm north, 8:18 am CDT (13:18 UTC): no turbulence. At the destination end, 7 nm north of the line.
    as filed, and in English
    PWK UA /OV OBK/TM 1318/FL360/TP B39M/TB NEG
    Report
    a routine report filed through PWK
    Where
    over OBK
    Time
    13:18 UTC
    Height
    at 36,000 ft
    Aircraft
    B39M
    Turbulence
    none

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 4 forecast points nearest it (BNA, EVV, IND, JOT). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

HeightAverage windHead- or tailwindTemperatureGround speedTime en routeArrival
4,500 ft280° at 20 kt+5 kt115 kt3 h 14 min12:16 pm CDT (17:16 UTC)
6,500 ft280° at 17 kt+6 kt14 °C114 kt3 h 16 min12:18 pm CDT (17:18 UTC)
8,500 ft270° at 14 kt+2 kt9 °C118 kt3 h 09 min12:11 pm CDT (17:11 UTC)
10,500 ft270° at 15 kt+3 kt6 °C117 kt3 h 11 min12:13 pm CDT (17:13 UTC)
12,500 ft270° at 18 kt+4 kt4 °C116 kt3 h 12 min12:14 pm CDT (17:14 UTC)
14,500 ft280° at 21 kt+7 kt0 °C113 kt3 h 18 min12:20 pm CDT (17:20 UTC)
16,500 ft280° at 25 kt+10 kt-4 °C110 kt3 h 23 min12:25 pm CDT (17:25 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180290° at 27 kt+12 kt-7 °C108 kt3 h 27 min12:29 pm CDT (17:29 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240280° at 33 kt+11 kt-19 °C109 kt3 h 25 min12:27 pm CDT (17:27 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300280° at 37 kt+14 kt-34 °C106 kt3 h 31 min12:33 pm CDT (17:33 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340300° at 52 kt+31 kt-41 °C89 kt4 h 11 min1:13 pm CDT (18:13 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390300° at 57 kt+39 kt-51 °C81 kt4 h 36 min1:38 pm CDT (18:38 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
BNAused from 0 nm out; 18 nm from the line300/20300/14 15°300/14 10°300/13 4°310/22 -5°280/24 -18°310/37 -33°310/50 -41°320/49 -51°
EVVused from 49 nm out; 61 nm from the line270/25290/17 15°260/10 8°270/16 5°280/29 -6°280/33 -19°290/38 -33°300/53 -41°310/54 -51°
INDused from 196 nm out; 47 nm from the line270/22290/19 15°270/19 8°270/18 4°290/28 -7°280/35 -20°270/37 -34°300/51 -42°300/61 -51°
JOTused from 294 nm out; 28 nm from the line250/25260/22 14°250/17 9°270/21 5°280/28 -8°280/36 -20°270/41 -35°280/57 -42°290/65 -50°

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
MQY Smyrna, TN departure VFR from the southeast (130°) at 4 knots 10+ mi none 543 ft 8:56 am CDT (13:56 UTC)
XNX Gallatin, TN 20 nm out, 9 nm east of the line low IFR Sky: overcast at 300 feet Weather: mist calm 1 mi 300 ft 583 ft 13:55 UTC
BWG Bowling Green, KY 59 nm out, 15 nm east of the line VFR from the east-southeast (110°) at 3 knots 10+ mi none 547 ft 13:53 UTC
OWB Owensboro, KY 108 nm out, 13 nm west of the line, tower VFR from the south (170°) at 6 knots 10+ mi none 407 ft 13:56 UTC
HNB Huntingburg, IN 137 nm out, 2 nm east of the line VFR from the south (170°) at 5 knots 10+ mi none 529 ft 13:56 UTC
HUF Terre Haute, IN 206 nm out, 5 nm northwest of the line, tower VFR from the south (170°) at 4 knots 10+ mi none 589 ft 13:53 UTC
PRG Paris, IL 225 nm out, 16 nm west of the line VFR from the northwest (320°) at 6 knots 10+ mi none 654 ft 13:55 UTC
LAF Lafayette, IN 264 nm out, 25 nm east of the line, tower VFR calm 10+ mi none 605 ft 13:54 UTC
IKK Kankakee, IL 313 nm out, 9 nm southwest of the line VFR from the south-southwest (200°) at 6 knots 10+ mi none 629 ft 13:55 UTC
MDW Chicago, IL 353 nm out, 3 nm east of the line, tower VFR Sky: a few clouds at 20,000 feet, a few clouds at 25,000 feet from the southwest (220°) at 9 knots 10+ mi none 619 ft 13:53 UTC
PWK Chicago/Prospect Heights/Wheeling, IL destination VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 9,500 feet, scattered clouds at 11,000 feet from the south-southwest (210°) at 6 knots 10+ mi none 644 ft 8:52 am CDT (13:52 UTC)

The highest airport on this list sits at 654 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At PWK when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 12:11 pm CDT (17:11 UTC)

PWK has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.

The forecast for MQY, the departure
  • From Mon 8:00 am CDT (13:00 UTC): wind calm, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
  • From Mon 9:00 am CDT (14:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 800 feet
  • From Mon 11:00 am CDT (16:00 UTC): wind from the southwest 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 4 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 PWK 6:15 pm CDT (23:15 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:43 pm CDT (23:43 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 lower Mississippi valley
Radar now, the lower Mississippi valley · loop National Weather Service
Radar now, the central Great Lakes
Radar now, the central Great Lakes · loop National Weather Service
Radar now, the upper Mississippi valley
Radar now, the upper Mississippi valley · 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: Smyrna Airport, Chicago Executive.