Chicago O'Hare International to Detroit Metro Wayne County ORD → DTW
203 nautical miles (234 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 084°, about 087° magnetic at the departure end (variation 3W). At 120 knots that is 1 h 17 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 38-knot tailwind), arriving about 3:17 am EDT (07:17 UTC), after sunset at the destination. 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: 12,016 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 last 155 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 ORD.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
- B738 at 1,800 ft, 37 nm south, 12:18 am CDT (05:18 UTC): overcast from 1,800 ft to 2,700 ft, remarks: during the climb. 184 nm along the route, 37 nm south of the line.
as filed, and in English
TOL UA /OV KTOL/TM 0518/FL018/TP B738/SK OVC018-TOP027/RM DURC
- Report
- a routine report filed through TOL
- Where
- over KTOL
- Time
- 05:18 UTC
- Height
- at 1,800 ft
- Aircraft
- B738
- Sky
- overcast from 1,800 ft, tops 2,700 ft
- Remarks
- during the climb
- B738 at 1,300 ft, 37 nm south, 11:45 pm CDT (04:45 UTC): overcast from 1,300 ft to 3,000 ft, remarks: during the descent. 184 nm along the route, 37 nm south of the line.
as filed, and in English
TOL UA /OV KTOL/TM 0445/FL013/TP B738/SK OVC013-TOP030/RM DURD
- Report
- a routine report filed through TOL
- Where
- over KTOL
- Time
- 04:45 UTC
- Height
- at 1,300 ft
- Aircraft
- B738
- Sky
- overcast from 1,300 ft, tops 3,000 ft
- Remarks
- during the descent
- A333 descending, 0 nm south, 12:44 am CDT (05:44 UTC): a routine report with nothing remarked on. At the destination end, 0 nm south of the line.
as filed, and in English
DTW UA /OV DTW/TM 0544/FLDURD/TP A333/SK TOPS 025
- Report
- a routine report filed through DTW
- Where
- over DTW
- Time
- 05:44 UTC
- Height
- during the descent
- Aircraft
- A333
- Sky
- tops 2,500 ft
- B739 descending, 0 nm south, 11:54 pm CDT (04:54 UTC): a routine report with nothing remarked on. At the destination end, 0 nm south of the line.
as filed, and in English
DTW UA /OV DTW/TM 0454/FLDURD/TP B739/SK BASES 011
- Report
- a routine report filed through DTW
- Where
- over DTW
- Time
- 04:54 UTC
- Height
- during the descent
- Aircraft
- B739
- Sky
- bases 1,100 ft
- A320 descending, 0 nm south, 10:27 pm CDT (03:27 UTC): overcast above 1,400 ft. At the destination end, 0 nm south of the line.
as filed, and in English
DTW UA /OV DTW/TM 0327/FLDURD/TP A320/SK 014 OVC
- Report
- a routine report filed through DTW
- Where
- over DTW
- Time
- 03:27 UTC
- Height
- during the descent
- Aircraft
- A320
- Sky
- at 1,400 ft overcast
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 (JOT, MKG, FWA, CLE). 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 | 280° at 17 kt | −17 kt | 137 kt | 1 h 29 min | 3:29 am EDT (07:29 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 300° at 17 kt | −15 kt | 135 kt | 1 h 30 min | 3:30 am EDT (07:30 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 310° at 16 kt | −12 kt | 12 °C | 132 kt | 1 h 32 min | 3:32 am EDT (07:32 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 310° at 13 kt | −9 kt | 9 °C | 129 kt | 1 h 34 min | 3:34 am EDT (07:34 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 320° at 10 kt | −6 kt | 4 °C | 126 kt | 1 h 37 min | 3:37 am EDT (07:37 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 310° at 13 kt | −9 kt | 0 °C | 129 kt | 1 h 34 min | 3:34 am EDT (07:34 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 310° at 18 kt | −14 kt | -3 °C | 134 kt | 1 h 31 min | 3:31 am EDT (07:31 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 300° at 24 kt | −19 kt | -7 °C | 139 kt | 1 h 28 min | 3:28 am EDT (07:28 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 300° at 25 kt | −20 kt | -8 °C | 140 kt | 1 h 27 min | 3:27 am EDT (07:27 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 310° at 33 kt | −24 kt | -20 °C | 144 kt | 1 h 25 min | 3:25 am EDT (07:25 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 320° at 45 kt | −24 kt | -36 °C | 144 kt | 1 h 25 min | 3:25 am EDT (07:25 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 320° at 58 kt | −34 kt | -44 °C | 154 kt | 1 h 19 min | 3:19 am EDT (07:19 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 320° at 63 kt | −38 kt | -51 °C | 158 kt | 1 h 17 min | 3:17 am EDT (07:17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JOT | used from 0 nm out; 47 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° |
| MKG | used from 48 nm out; 65 nm from the line | 260/22 | 290/16 15° | 300/11 10° | 290/5 3° | 300/26 -9° | 300/32 -20° | 320/48 -36° | 320/61 -45° | 310/74 -53° |
| FWA | used from 97 nm out; 70 nm from the line | 300/17 | 320/20 16° | 330/20 10° | 340/15 3° | 310/27 -8° | 320/37 -20° | 330/52 -36° | 330/65 -43° | 330/60 -50° |
| CLE | used from 194 nm out; 86 nm from the line | 340/7 | 010/16 13° | 350/18 8° | 350/20 3° | 340/31 -10° | 340/46 -21° | 340/54 -37° | 330/62 -44° | 340/65 -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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ORD Chicago, IL | departure | no report just now | 680 ft | ||||
| GYY Gary/Chicago, IN | 19 nm out, 24 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 596 ft | ||||
| SBN South Bend, IN | 68 nm out, 22 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 798 ft | ||||
| AZO Kalamazoo, MI | 107 nm out, 7 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 873 ft | ||||
| JXN Jackson, MI | 155 nm out, 5 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,000 ft | ||||
| ARB Ann Arbor, MI | 184 nm out, 2 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 839 ft | ||||
| DTW Detroit, MI | destination | no report just now | 645 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,000 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At DTW when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 3:17 am EDT (07:17 UTC)
DTW has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
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 ORD 6:15 pm CDT (23:15 UTC), at DTW 6:56 pm EDT (22:56 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:24 pm EDT (23:24 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at DTW is before sunrise there (7:42 am EDT (11:42 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: Chicago O'Hare International, Detroit Metro Wayne County.