The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Plan a flight · Sun 11:40 pm MST (06:40 UTC)

Phoenix Sky Harbor International to Chicago O'Hare International PHX → ORD

1,249 nautical miles (1,437 statute miles) northeast on a straight line, true course 059°, about 047° magnetic at the departure end (variation 12E). At 120 knots that is 6 h 43 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 66-knot tailwind), arriving about 8:23 am CDT (13:23 UTC). Right now PHX is VFR, wind from the east (090°) at 6 knots; ORD is VFR, wind from the south (190°) at 4 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: 10,968 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 C10C: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 34,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 12:55 am MST (07:55 UTC). Over the route from 370 to 390 nm out.
    as issued
    WSUS32 KKCI 120555
    MKCC WST 120555
    CONVECTIVE SIGMET 10C
    VALID UNTIL 0755Z
    CO NM
    FROM 20NNE PUB-40WSW LAA-30WSW CIM-50WSW ALS-50ESE HBU-20NNE PUB
    AREA TS MOV FROM 22040KT. TOPS TO FL340.
  • AIRMET TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 35,000 ft to 45,000 ft. Over the first 450 nm of the route.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 20 to 80 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the route from 60 to 490 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 3W: 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 480 to 1109 nm out.

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 PHX.

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

  • B737 at 14,000 ft, 27 nm northwest, 10:15 pm MST (05:15 UTC): moderate turbulence, remarks: during the descent through clouds. At the departure end, 27 nm northwest of the line.
    as filed, and in English
    PHX UA /OV PXR339030/TM 0515/FL140/TP B737/TB OCNL MOD/RM DURD THROUGH CLOUDS
    Report
    a routine report filed through PHX
    Where
    30 nm north (339°) of PXR
    Time
    05:15 UTC
    Height
    at 14,000 ft
    Aircraft
    B737
    Turbulence
    occasional moderate
    Remarks
    during the descent through clouds

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 11 forecast points nearest it (PHX, FMN, ABQ, ALS, PUB, GCK, SLN, MKC, DSM, BRL, JOT). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

HeightAverage windHead- or tailwindTemperatureGround speedTime en routeArrival
3,500 ft220° at 29 kt−27 kt147 kt8 h 30 min10:10 am CDT (15:10 UTC)
5,500 ft230° at 32 kt−31 kt21 °C151 kt8 h 16 min9:56 am CDT (14:56 UTC)
7,500 ft230° at 27 kt−27 kt14 °C147 kt8 h 30 min10:10 am CDT (15:10 UTC)
9,500 ft230° at 23 kt−23 kt10 °C143 kt8 h 44 min10:24 am CDT (15:24 UTC)
11,500 ft230° at 24 kt−23 kt6 °C143 kt8 h 44 min10:24 am CDT (15:24 UTC)
13,500 ft230° at 26 kt−26 kt2 °C146 kt8 h 33 min10:13 am CDT (15:13 UTC)
15,500 ft230° at 30 kt−30 kt-2 °C150 kt8 h 20 min10:00 am CDT (15:00 UTC)
17,500 ft230° at 34 kt−34 kt-7 °C154 kt8 h 07 min9:47 am CDT (14:47 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180230° at 35 kt−35 kt-8 °C155 kt8 h 03 min9:43 am CDT (14:43 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240240° at 44 kt−44 kt-20 °C164 kt7 h 37 min9:17 am CDT (14:17 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300240° at 60 kt−61 kt-29 °C181 kt6 h 54 min8:34 am CDT (13:34 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340250° at 65 kt−66 kt-37 °C186 kt6 h 43 min8:23 am CDT (13:23 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390250° at 57 kt−58 kt-48 °C178 kt7 h 01 min8:41 am CDT (13:41 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
PointFrom3,0006,0009,00012,00018,00024,00030,00034,00039,000
PHXused from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line150/5200/21 12°200/27 6°200/35 3°220/58 -8°220/69 -19°220/87 -26°230/93 -35°230/79 -47°
FMNused from 150 nm out; 116 nm from the line220/28 9°220/40 2°220/53 -10°220/62 -22°230/79 -28°240/91 -34°230/71 -45°
ABQused from 200 nm out; 74 nm from the line220/27 11°210/35 5°220/46 -9°230/62 -20°240/78 -25°240/80 -35°240/56 -47°
ALSused from 350 nm out; 61 nm from the line230/37 4°220/54 -9°230/62 -22°240/77 -26°240/74 -33°230/59 -45°
PUBused from 450 nm out; 78 nm from the line230/25 13°230/32 6°220/44 -8°230/49 -21°240/70 -28°240/67 -34°240/58 -46°
GCKused from 500 nm out; 90 nm from the line220/48 21°230/37 14°250/30 8°230/37 -6°240/37 -20°240/69 -28°250/67 -37°260/58 -48°
SLNused from 699 nm out; 51 nm from the line210/53230/41 20°240/26 14°230/16 8°240/25 -7°240/35 -19°250/61 -30°260/65 -38°260/56 -49°
MKCused from 849 nm out; 72 nm from the line220/44250/28 18°250/18 13°240/12 6°280/24 -6°240/34 -18°260/47 -30°260/51 -40°270/58 -50°
DSMused from 949 nm out; 60 nm from the line230/40250/33 17°250/18 12°240/17 5°260/28 -8°270/34 -19°260/41 -33°260/55 -41°270/62 -51°
BRLused from 1049 nm out; 29 nm from the line230/24240/29 15°290/16 10°280/15 4°260/23 -7°260/32 -19°260/36 -33°280/48 -41°280/59 -52°
JOTused from 1149 nm out; 60 nm from the line250/23270/22 15°250/16 10°240/9 4°280/22 -7°280/29 -19°300/29 -34°290/50 -43°300/64 -52°

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
PHX Phoenix, AZ departure VFR Sky: a few clouds at 4,800 feet, scattered clouds at 7,000 feet, a broken layer at 9,500 feet from the east (090°) at 6 knots 10+ mi 9,500 ft 1,134 ft 10:51 pm MST (05:51 UTC)
TYL Taylor, AZ 110 nm out, 5 nm north of the line reported, no category from the south-southwest (210°) at 8 knots 10+ mi none 5,823 ft 06:35 UTC
XNI Zuni, NM 180 nm out, 7 nm north of the line VFR from the east-northeast (070°) at 3 knots 10+ mi none 6,371 ft 06:15 UTC
SKX Taos, NM 360 nm out, 4 nm north of the line no report just now 7,094 ft
RTN Raton, NM 420 nm out, 6 nm south of the line VFR from the west-southwest (250°) at 5 knots 10+ mi none 6,352 ft 05:53 UTC
GCK Garden City, KS 609 nm out, 21 nm southeast of the line, tower VFR from the south-southwest (200°) at 19 knots 10+ mi none 2,890 ft 05:54 UTC
HYS Hays, KS 699 nm out, 3 nm west of the line VFR from the south (190°) at 16 knots 10+ mi none 1,999 ft 05:56 UTC
CYW Clay Center, KS 799 nm out, 7 nm southeast of the line no report just now 1,208 ft
STJ St Joseph, MO 909 nm out, 24 nm south of the line, tower VFR from the south (190°) at 9 knots 10+ mi none 826 ft 05:53 UTC
FFL Fairfield, IA 1059 nm out, 3 nm northwest of the line reported, no category from the south (180°) at 6 knots 10+ mi none 800 ft 06:35 UTC
MLI Moline, IL 1129 nm out, 4 nm northwest of the line, tower VFR from the south (190°) at 9 knots 10+ mi none 589 ft 05:52 UTC
ORD Chicago, IL destination VFR Sky: a few clouds at 30,000 feet from the south (190°) at 4 knots 10+ mi none 680 ft 12:51 am CDT (05:51 UTC)

The highest airport on this list sits at 7,094 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At ORD when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 8:23 am CDT (13:23 UTC)

Wind from the south at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet VFR

The whole forecast for ORD
  • From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds 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
The forecast for PHX, the departure
  • From Sun 11:00 pm MST (06:00 UTC): wind from the east-southeast at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 4,000 feet, scattered clouds at 7,000 feet
  • From Mon 9:00 am MST (16:00 UTC): wind from the south at 11 knots, gusting to 20, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 4,000 feet, a broken layer at 7,000 feet
  • From Mon 1:00 pm MST (20:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 14 knots, gusting to 23, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 5,000 feet, a broken layer at 7,000 feet
  • From Mon 6:00 pm MST (01:00 UTC): wind from the west at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 5,000 feet, a broken layer at 7,000 feet
  • From Mon 10:00 pm MST (05:00 UTC): wind from the east-southeast at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, showers nearby, scattered clouds at 5,000 feet, a broken layer at 7,000 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 PHX 5:58 pm MST (00:58 UTC), at ORD 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

Radar now, the southern Rockies
Radar now, the southern Rockies · loop National Weather Service
Radar now, the southern Plains
Radar now, the southern Plains · loop National Weather Service
Radar now, the upper Mississippi valley
Radar now, the upper Mississippi valley · 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: Phoenix Sky Harbor International, Chicago O'Hare International.