The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Plan a flight · Mon 4:42 am CDT (09:42 UTC)

Chicago O'Hare International to Spokane International ORD → GEG

1,298 nautical miles (1,494 statute miles) northwest on a straight line, true course 295°, about 298° magnetic at the departure end (variation 3W). At 120 knots that is 11 h 29 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 7-knot headwind), arriving about 2:11 pm PDT (21:11 UTC). Right now ORD is VFR, wind from the south-southwest (210°) at 8 knots; GEG is VFR, wind from the northeast (040°) 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: 1,400 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 C15C: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 35,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 5:55 am CDT (10:55 UTC). Over the route from 599 to 659 nm out.
    as issued
    WSUS32 KKCI 120855
    MKCC WST 120855
    CONVECTIVE SIGMET 15C
    VALID UNTIL 1055Z
    SD ND
    FROM 50SE DIK-50ENE DPR-40ENE RAP-50NNW RAP-50SE DIK
    AREA TS MOV FROM 22040KT. TOPS TO FL350.
  • 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 route from 90 to 300 nm out.
  • 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 349 to 1228 nm out.
  • AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Over the route from 739 to 819 nm out.
  • AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 18,000 ft. Over the last 469 nm of the route.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 929 to 1228 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 ORD.

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

Not fetched just now.

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 14 forecast points nearest it (JOT, DBQ, LSE, MCW, MSP, FSD, ABR, PIR, DIK, 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 10 kt+7 kt2 °C113 kt11 h 29 min2:11 pm PDT (21:11 UTC)
6,500 ft240° at 11 kt+8 kt9 °C112 kt11 h 35 min2:17 pm PDT (21:17 UTC)
8,500 ft230° at 15 kt+8 kt7 °C112 kt11 h 35 min2:17 pm PDT (21:17 UTC)
10,500 ft240° at 17 kt+10 kt2 °C110 kt11 h 48 min2:30 pm PDT (21:30 UTC)
12,500 ft240° at 19 kt+12 kt-1 °C108 kt12 h 01 min2:43 pm PDT (21:43 UTC)
14,500 ft240° at 20 kt+12 kt-5 °C108 kt12 h 01 min2:43 pm PDT (21:43 UTC)
16,500 ft230° at 21 kt+13 kt-9 °C107 kt12 h 08 min2:50 pm PDT (21:50 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180230° at 21 kt+13 kt-12 °C107 kt12 h 08 min2:50 pm PDT (21:50 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240230° at 30 kt+19 kt-24 °C101 kt12 h 51 min3:33 pm PDT (22:33 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300240° at 34 kt+23 kt-36 °C97 kt13 h 23 min4:05 pm PDT (23:05 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340240° at 43 kt+33 kt-39 °C87 kt14 h 55 min5:37 pm PDT (00:37 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390250° at 53 kt+45 kt-46 °C75 kt17 h 18 min8:00 pm PDT (03:00 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
JOTused from 0 nm out; 40 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°
DBQused from 50 nm out; 57 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°
LSEused from 150 nm out; 45 nm from the line250/25240/21 17°240/28 11°250/28 5°280/24 -10°280/31 -21°260/35 -37°270/45 -43°280/59 -47°
MCWused from 200 nm out; 38 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°
MSPused from 300 nm out; 80 nm from the line250/12250/17 17°240/26 12°250/26 5°280/26 -9°280/32 -22°270/37 -38°280/47 -41°280/55 -48°
FSDused from 349 nm out; 62 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°
ABRused from 449 nm out; 36 nm from the line080/12210/12 17°220/22 12°230/26 5°220/28 -10°230/41 -21°250/36 -36°260/47 -39°260/63 -47°
PIRused from 549 nm out; 62 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°
DIKused from 649 nm out; 57 nm from the line190/12 5°230/29 7°220/33 1°220/43 -11°210/47 -23°220/53 -33°240/56 -40°250/72 -47°
MLSused from 749 nm out; 43 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 899 nm out; 60 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 949 nm out; 78 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 1098 nm out; 72 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 1198 nm out; 75 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
ORD Chicago, IL departure VFR Sky: a broken layer at 25,000 feet from the south-southwest (210°) at 8 knots 10+ mi 25,000 ft 680 ft 3:51 am CDT (08:51 UTC)
RFD Chicago/Rockford, IL 50 nm out, 11 nm southwest of the line, tower VFR Sky: a broken layer at 25,000 feet from the south-southeast (160°) at 4 knots 10+ mi 25,000 ft 742 ft 08:54 UTC
PDC Prairie du Chien, WI 160 nm out, 4 nm southeast of the line VFR from the north-northwest (340°) at 6 knots 10+ mi none 660 ft 17:15 UTC
AEL Albert Lea, MN 260 nm out, 2 nm southwest of the line VFR from the south (180°) at 6 knots 10+ mi none 1,261 ft 09:35 UTC
ATY Watertown, SD 439 nm out, 11 nm north of the line low IFR Sky: sky obscured at 200 feet Weather: fog from the north-northeast (020°) at 8 knots 0.25 mi 200 ft 1,749 ft 08:53 UTC
MBG Mobridge, SD 579 nm out, 6 nm north of the line IFR Sky: overcast at 500 feet Weather: mist from the north-northeast (030°) at 4 knots 3 mi 500 ft 1,716 ft 09:36 UTC
HEI Hettinger, ND 679 nm out, 7 nm north of the line low IFR Sky: overcast at 300 feet Weather: light rain, mist from the east-northeast (060°) at 16 knots, gusting to 23 3 mi 300 ft 2,705 ft 08:59 UTC
MLS Miles City, MT 819 nm out, 2 nm southeast of the line IFR Sky: a broken layer at 500 feet, overcast at 800 feet Weather: light rain, mist from the north-northeast (020°) at 8 knots 3 mi 500 ft 2,634 ft 08:53 UTC
LWT Lewistown, MT 969 nm out, 7 nm north of the line no report just now 4,170 ft
GTF Great Falls, MT 1048 nm out, 20 nm north of the line, tower IFR Sky: overcast at 800 feet Weather: light snow, mist from the north-northwest (340°) at 7 knots 2.5 mi 800 ft 3,680 ft 09:26 UTC
THM Thompson Falls, MT 1208 nm out, 5 nm north of the line no report just now 2,467 ft
GEG Spokane, WA destination VFR Sky: a few clouds at 5,500 feet, scattered clouds at 7,000 feet, a broken layer at 9,000 feet from the northeast (040°) at 5 knots 10+ mi 9,000 ft 2,385 ft 1:53 am PDT (08:53 UTC)

The highest airport on this list sits at 4,170 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, 2:11 pm PDT (21:11 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 ORD, the departure
  • From Mon 4:00 am CDT (09:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
  • From Mon 12:00 pm CDT (17:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 13 knots, gusting to 24, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
  • From Mon 6:00 pm CDT (23:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 12 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 12,000 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 ORD 6:15 pm CDT (23:15 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: Chicago O'Hare International, Spokane International.