Dekalb-Peachtree Airport to Chicago Executive PDK → PWK
523 nautical miles (602 statute miles) north on a straight line, true course 342°, about 347° magnetic at the departure end (variation 5W). At 120 knots that is 4 h 33 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 5-knot headwind), arriving about 2:32 pm CDT (19:32 UTC). Right now PDK is VFR, wind from the north (350°) at 7 knots; PWK is VFR, wind from the west-southwest (240°) at 7 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 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 TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 6,000 ft. Over the route from 30 to 49 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, mist). Near the route, 178 nm along 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 PDK.
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 14:00–21:00 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 6 forecast points nearest it (ATL, TYS, BNA, LOU, IND, JOT). 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 15 kt | +5 kt | 115 kt | 4 h 33 min | 2:32 pm CDT (19:32 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 270° at 16 kt | +6 kt | 15 °C | 114 kt | 4 h 35 min | 2:34 pm CDT (19:34 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 280° at 19 kt | +8 kt | 11 °C | 112 kt | 4 h 40 min | 2:39 pm CDT (19:39 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 280° at 23 kt | +13 kt | 8 °C | 107 kt | 4 h 53 min | 2:52 pm CDT (19:52 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 290° at 26 kt | +17 kt | 4 °C | 103 kt | 5 h 05 min | 3:04 pm CDT (20:04 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 290° at 27 kt | +17 kt | 0 °C | 103 kt | 5 h 05 min | 3:04 pm CDT (20:04 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 290° at 27 kt | +16 kt | -4 °C | 104 kt | 5 h 02 min | 3:01 pm CDT (20:01 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 290° at 27 kt | +16 kt | -7 °C | 104 kt | 5 h 02 min | 3:01 pm CDT (20:01 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 280° at 32 kt | +17 kt | -19 °C | 103 kt | 5 h 05 min | 3:04 pm CDT (20:04 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 290° at 40 kt | +24 kt | -34 °C | 96 kt | 5 h 27 min | 3:26 pm CDT (20:26 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 300° at 49 kt | +36 kt | -39 °C | 84 kt | 6 h 14 min | 4:13 pm CDT (21:13 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 310° at 51 kt | +42 kt | -48 °C | 78 kt | 6 h 42 min | 4:41 pm CDT (21:41 UTC) |
Based on data from the 12th at 12:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 18:00 UTC for use 14:00 to 21:00 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATL | used from 0 nm out; 38 nm from the line | 340/24 | 350/18 17° | 330/15 11° | 320/20 6° | 310/16 -4° | 300/18 -18° | 320/28 -32° | 330/43 -40° | 340/35 -51° |
| TYS | used from 49 nm out; 59 nm from the line | 320/8 | 330/17 16° | 320/17 9° | 310/24 6° | 290/23 -6° | 290/28 -19° | 300/36 -33° | 310/48 -40° | 320/46 -50° |
| BNA | used from 148 nm out; 68 nm from the line | 270/14 | 270/10 14° | 280/19 11° | 280/26 6° | 280/25 -6° | 280/31 -18° | 300/44 -32° | 300/53 -40° | 310/51 -49° |
| LOU | used from 197 nm out; 51 nm from the line | 260/17 | 270/15 15° | 260/19 10° | 280/27 5° | 280/30 -7° | 280/29 -18° | 280/44 -34° | 290/56 -39° | 310/56 -48° |
| IND | used from 296 nm out; 47 nm from the line | 260/18 | 250/20 15° | 260/26 9° | 290/28 5° | 290/30 -7° | 280/40 -20° | 280/46 -35° | 290/53 -38° | 300/58 -47° |
| JOT | used from 444 nm out; 34 nm from the line | 230/30 | 250/26 16° | 270/27 11° | 280/34 5° | 290/32 -8° | 280/37 -21° | 280/40 -36° | 290/46 -37° | 290/56 -47° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PDK Atlanta, GA | departure | VFR | from the north (350°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | none | 998 ft | 10:53 am EDT (14:53 UTC) |
| CNI Canton, GA | 30 nm out, 4 nm southeast of the line | VFR | from the north-northwest (330°) at 11 knots, gusting to 14 | 10+ mi | none | 1,219 ft | 14:35 UTC |
| CHA Chattanooga, TN | 79 nm out, 21 nm west of the line, tower | low IFR Sky: overcast at 200 feet Weather: mist | calm | 0.75 mi | 200 ft | 682 ft | 14:53 UTC |
| CSV Crossville, TN | 128 nm out, 3 nm northeast of the line | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 1,881 ft | 14:53 UTC |
| TZV Tompkinsville, KY | 188 nm out, 10 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 1,036 ft | ||||
| EKX Elizabethtown, KY | 247 nm out, 6 nm south of the line | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 775 ft | 14:55 UTC |
| SDF Louisville, KY | 266 nm out, 15 nm east of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 20,000 feet, a broken layer at 24,000 feet | from the south-southeast (160°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | 24,000 ft | 500 ft | 14:56 UTC |
| BMG Bloomington, IN | 336 nm out, 5 nm west of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southwest (210°) at 9 knots | 10+ mi | none | 845 ft | 14:53 UTC |
| LAF Lafayette, IN | 414 nm out, 7 nm east of the line, tower | VFR | from the southwest (220°) at 8 knots | 10+ mi | none | 605 ft | 14:54 UTC |
| RZL Rensselaer, IN | 444 nm out, 7 nm northeast of the line | VFR | from the south-southwest (210°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 698 ft | 14:55 UTC |
| MDW Chicago, IL | 503 nm out, 1 nm south of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 25,000 feet | from the southwest (220°) at 11 knots | 10+ mi | none | 619 ft | 14:53 UTC |
| PWK Chicago/Prospect Heights/Wheeling, IL | destination | VFR | from the west-southwest (240°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | none | 644 ft | 9:52 am CDT (14:52 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,881 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, 2:32 pm CDT (19:32 UTC)
PWK has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
The forecast for PDK, the departure
- From Mon 8:00 am EDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 7:00 pm EDT (23:00 UTC): wind from the northwest at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/8928 Atlanta, GA, Wednesday, October 14, 2026 Local 11 nm from the route, at the departure end · a VIP movement · starts Wednesday 14 October · ZTL
Daylight
Sunset at PDK 7:07 pm EDT (23:07 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
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: Dekalb-Peachtree Airport, Chicago Executive.