Seattle Paine Field International to Detroit Metro Wayne County PAE → DTW
1,667 nautical miles (1,919 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 087°, about 071° magnetic at the departure end (variation 16E). At 120 knots that is 9 h 59 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 47-knot tailwind), arriving about 9:38 am EDT (13:38 UTC). 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: 2 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
- SIGMET 1C: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 30,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 9:55 pm PDT (04:55 UTC). Near the route, 769 nm along the route.
as issued
WSUS32 KKCI 120255 MKCC WST 120255 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 1C VALID UNTIL 0455Z SD ND MT WY FROM 30WSW DIK-50NW DPR-60WNW RAP-50ENE SHR-30WSW DIK AREA TS MOV FROM 22040KT. TOPS TO FL300.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 39,000 ft. Over the first 180 nm of the route.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 20,000 ft. Over the route from 70 to 489 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 250 to 549 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 36,000 ft. Over the route from 270 to 459 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 899 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 939 to 1088 nm out.
- 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 110 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 PAE.
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 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 14 forecast points nearest it (SEA, GEG, GPI, GTF, GGW, MLS, DIK, ABR, AXN, MSP, LSE, GRB, MKG, 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 | 240° at 12 kt | −8 kt | 128 kt | 13 h 01 min | 12:40 pm EDT (16:40 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 180° at 4 kt | +1 kt | 1 °C | 119 kt | 14 h 01 min | 1:40 pm EDT (17:40 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 200° at 5 kt | 0 | 6 °C | 120 kt | 13 h 54 min | 1:33 pm EDT (17:33 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 210° at 7 kt | −2 kt | 3 °C | 122 kt | 13 h 40 min | 1:19 pm EDT (17:19 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 220° at 11 kt | −5 kt | 0 °C | 125 kt | 13 h 20 min | 12:59 pm EDT (16:59 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 230° at 14 kt | −9 kt | -4 °C | 129 kt | 12 h 55 min | 12:34 pm EDT (16:34 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 240° at 17 kt | −13 kt | -8 °C | 133 kt | 12 h 32 min | 12:11 pm EDT (16:11 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 250° at 20 kt | −17 kt | -11 °C | 137 kt | 12 h 10 min | 11:49 am EDT (15:49 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 250° at 21 kt | −18 kt | -12 °C | 138 kt | 12 h 05 min | 11:44 am EDT (15:44 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 240° at 24 kt | −19 kt | -23 °C | 139 kt | 12 h | 11:39 am EDT (15:39 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 250° at 26 kt | −24 kt | -37 °C | 144 kt | 11 h 35 min | 11:14 am EDT (15:14 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 260° at 35 kt | −33 kt | -43 °C | 153 kt | 10 h 54 min | 10:33 am EDT (14:33 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 260° at 48 kt | −47 kt | -48 °C | 167 kt | 9 h 59 min | 9:38 am EDT (13:38 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEA | used from 0 nm out; 39 nm from the line | 050/7 | 050/11 1° | 050/12 -5° | 030/31 -7° | 010/61 -15° | 010/69 -26° | 360/73 -40° | 360/62 -47° | 330/21 -43° |
| GEG | used from 100 nm out; 69 nm from the line | 080/16 -2° | 050/17 -7° | 080/9 -10° | 190/33 -21° | 180/31 -32° | L/V -35° | L/V -37° | 270/8 -40° | |
| GPI | used from 250 nm out; 53 nm from the line | 070/19 -5° | 100/16 -7° | 080/10 -8° | 130/8 -19° | 170/37 -28° | 200/50 -40° | 210/43 -40° | 220/41 -42° | |
| GTF | used from 399 nm out; 23 nm from the line | 070/11 | 080/15 -7° | 110/19 -9° | 190/25 -14° | 200/34 -23° | 200/54 -39° | 220/66 -40° | 220/77 -44° | |
| GGW | used from 549 nm out; 73 nm from the line | 110/23 0° | 130/20 -2° | 170/24 -3° | 230/44 -11° | 220/51 -21° | 210/52 -39° | 220/64 -44° | 240/85 -48° | |
| MLS | used from 649 nm out; 50 nm from the line | 150/23 2° | 190/29 4° | 210/44 2° | 220/32 -10° | 210/36 -21° | 200/48 -37° | 230/63 -40° | 240/71 -47° | |
| DIK | used from 699 nm out; 69 nm from the line | 150/24 7° | 200/38 6° | 220/53 0° | 230/51 -9° | 230/49 -21° | 240/37 -37° | 240/47 -44° | 250/65 -48° | |
| ABR | used from 899 nm out; 78 nm from the line | 070/14 | 250/10 17° | 270/16 11° | 260/28 5° | 260/36 -10° | 260/41 -22° | 270/33 -37° | 260/42 -42° | 260/50 -48° |
| AXN | used from 1048 nm out; 35 nm from the line | 100/14 | 250/21 14° | 240/24 12° | 240/31 5° | 260/36 -10° | 260/40 -21° | 250/42 -36° | 260/48 -45° | 260/53 -50° |
| MSP | used from 1148 nm out; 38 nm from the line | 230/26 | 240/30 17° | 240/24 12° | 250/22 5° | 250/35 -10° | 260/36 -21° | 250/41 -36° | 250/49 -45° | 260/58 -52° |
| LSE | used from 1248 nm out; 54 nm from the line | 230/40 | 240/24 17° | 240/13 10° | 250/13 6° | 280/22 -9° | 250/28 -21° | 250/41 -34° | 260/42 -44° | 270/62 -53° |
| GRB | used from 1348 nm out; 64 nm from the line | 250/36 | 270/23 16° | 270/14 9° | 240/18 4° | 280/26 -9° | 280/29 -20° | 290/42 -36° | 290/51 -45° | 290/72 -55° |
| MKG | used from 1448 nm out; 55 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° |
| CLE | used from 1647 nm out; 92 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PAE Everett, WA | departure | no report just now | 606 ft | ||||
| SFF Spokane, WA | 200 nm out, 17 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,956 ft | ||||
| GTF Great Falls, MT | 439 nm out, 16 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 3,680 ft | ||||
| JDN Jordan, MT | 619 nm out, 4 nm south of the line | no report just now | 2,667 ft | ||||
| GDV Glendive, MT | 709 nm out, 1 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 2,458 ft | ||||
| BIS Bismarck, ND | 879 nm out, 12 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,661 ft | ||||
| ETH Wheaton, MN | 1058 nm out, 2 nm south of the line | no report just now | 1,022 ft | ||||
| MIC Minneapolis, MN | 1198 nm out, 4 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 869 ft | ||||
| OSH Oshkosh, WI | 1418 nm out, 7 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 808 ft | ||||
| MKG Muskegon, MI | 1528 nm out, 0 nm southeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 628 ft | ||||
| DTW Detroit, MI | destination | no report just now | 645 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 3,680 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, 9:38 am EDT (13:38 UTC)
DTW has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/6654 28NM W TWISP, WA, Thursday, October 1, 2026 through Thursday, October 15, 2026 UTC 21 nm from the route, at the departure end · a hazard on the ground (fire-fighting, a chemical spill, rescue work) · until 15 October · ZSE
- 6/6656 ANOKA, MN, Monday, October 5, 2026 through Monday, October 19, 2026 Local 4 nm from the route, 1198 nm along the route · security · until 19 October · ZMP
Daylight
Sunset at PAE 6:26 pm PDT (01:26 UTC), at DTW 6:56 pm EDT (22:56 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:24 pm EDT (23:24 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: Seattle Paine Field International, Detroit Metro Wayne County.