Chicago O'Hare International to Jackson Regional ORD → MKL
386 nautical miles (444 statute miles) south on a straight line, true course 187°, about 190° magnetic at the departure end (variation 3W). At 120 knots that is 2 h 24 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 41-knot tailwind), arriving about 10:46 pm CDT (03:46 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now ORD is VFR, wind from the south (180°) at 7 knots; MKL is VFR, wind from the south-southwest (210°) at 3 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: 621 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
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 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 20:00–03:00 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 5 forecast points nearest it (JOT, SPI, EVV, CGI, MEM). 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 | 270° at 10 kt | +1 kt | 119 kt | 3 h 15 min | 11:37 pm CDT (04:37 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 290° at 13 kt | −4 kt | 16 °C | 124 kt | 3 h 07 min | 11:29 pm CDT (04:29 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 290° at 18 kt | −5 kt | 11 °C | 125 kt | 3 h 05 min | 11:27 pm CDT (04:27 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 300° at 20 kt | −8 kt | 7 °C | 128 kt | 3 h 01 min | 11:23 pm CDT (04:23 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 310° at 22 kt | −11 kt | 3 °C | 131 kt | 2 h 57 min | 11:19 pm CDT (04:19 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 310° at 22 kt | −12 kt | -1 °C | 132 kt | 2 h 55 min | 11:17 pm CDT (04:17 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 310° at 22 kt | −13 kt | -5 °C | 133 kt | 2 h 54 min | 11:16 pm CDT (04:16 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 320° at 22 kt | −14 kt | -8 °C | 134 kt | 2 h 53 min | 11:15 pm CDT (04:15 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 330° at 30 kt | −24 kt | -19 °C | 144 kt | 2 h 41 min | 11:03 pm CDT (04:03 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 320° at 52 kt | −36 kt | -34 °C | 156 kt | 2 h 28 min | 10:50 pm CDT (03:50 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 320° at 59 kt | −41 kt | -43 °C | 161 kt | 2 h 24 min | 10:46 pm CDT (03:46 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 320° at 56 kt | −39 kt | -49 °C | 159 kt | 2 h 26 min | 10:48 pm CDT (03:48 UTC) |
Based on data from the 11th at 18:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 00:00 UTC for use 20:00 to 03:00 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; 9 nm from the line | 230/11 | 290/12 16° | 300/19 10° | 320/19 4° | 300/17 -9° | 330/31 -20° | 320/49 -37° | 320/53 -45° | 320/67 -49° |
| SPI | used from 99 nm out; 66 nm from the line | 210/13 | 260/11 17° | 270/18 10° | 290/21 4° | 310/20 -8° | 330/25 -19° | 320/49 -34° | 320/60 -44° | 320/59 -50° |
| EVV | used from 198 nm out; 49 nm from the line | 310/13 | 340/26 16° | 330/29 10° | 330/32 4° | 330/30 -9° | 340/38 -20° | 330/60 -35° | 320/57 -41° | 330/39 -48° |
| CGI | used from 247 nm out; 47 nm from the line | 250/10 | 290/12 17° | 290/18 11° | 300/22 5° | 320/25 -8° | 330/30 -18° | 320/53 -33° | 320/66 -42° | 320/56 -50° |
| MEM | used from 346 nm out; 76 nm from the line | 240/9 | 280/14 17° | 280/20 12° | 290/25 5° | 320/25 -6° | 330/31 -18° | 320/52 -32° | 330/58 -41° | 320/42 -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
| Airport | Where | Conditions | Wind | Visibility | Ceiling | Elevation | Reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ORD Chicago, IL | departure | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 25,000 feet | from the south (180°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | none | 680 ft | 7:51 pm CDT (00:51 UTC) |
| LOT Chicago/Romeoville, IL | 20 nm out, 6 nm southwest of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southeast (150°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 679 ft | 01:15 UTC |
| IKK Kankakee, IL | 49 nm out, 11 nm southeast of the line | VFR | from the south-southeast (160°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 629 ft | 01:15 UTC |
| CMI Champaign/Urbana, IL | 119 nm out, 2 nm northwest of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southwest (210°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 754 ft | 00:53 UTC |
| MTO Mattoon/Charleston, IL | 148 nm out, 3 nm southeast of the line | VFR | from the south (190°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 722 ft | 00:53 UTC |
| FOA Flora, IL | 198 nm out, 3 nm south of the line | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 472 ft | 01:15 UTC |
| MWA Marion, IL | 257 nm out, 20 nm west of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (190°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 471 ft | 01:15 UTC |
| PAH Paducah, KY | 297 nm out, 4 nm west of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 410 ft | 00:00 UTC |
| UCY Union City, TN | 336 nm out, 9 nm west of the line | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 345 ft | 01:15 UTC |
| TGC Trenton, TN | 366 nm out, 1 nm east of the line | no report just now | 358 ft | ||||
| MKL Jackson, TN | destination | VFR | from the south-southwest (210°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 434 ft | 7:53 pm CDT (00:53 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 754 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At MKL when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 10:46 pm CDT (03:46 UTC)
Wind calm, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for MKL
- From Sun 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind calm, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 11:00 am CDT (16:00 UTC): wind from the west-southwest at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
The forecast for ORD, the departure
- From Sun 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 12:00 pm CDT (17:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 13 knots, gusting to 23, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 20,000 feet
- From Mon 6:00 pm CDT (23:00 UTC): wind from the south-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 MKL 6:24 pm CDT (23:24 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:50 pm CDT (23:50 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at MKL is after sunset there (6:25 pm CDT (23:25 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, Jackson Regional.