The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Plan a flight · Tue 3:53 am EDT (07:53 UTC)

Pellston Rgnl/Emmet County to Chippewa County International PLN → CIU

43 nautical miles (49 statute miles) north on a straight line, true course 018°, about 024° magnetic at the departure end (variation 6W). At 120 knots that is 18 min at the quickest height in today's winds (3,500 ft, a 21-knot tailwind), arriving about 4:11 am EDT (08:11 UTC), after sunset at the destination. 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: 17 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 C17C: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 39,000 ft, moving from the west at 35 knots, until 4:55 am EDT (08:55 UTC). Over the first 34 nm of the route.
    as issued
    WSUS32 KKCI 130655
    MKCC WST 130655
    CONVECTIVE SIGMET 17C
    VALID UNTIL 0855Z
    MI WI LH LS LM
    FROM 40ESE YQT-60NE ASP-30SSE ECK-20SSW DXO-40N RHI-40ESE YQT
    AREA EMBD TS MOV FROM 25035KT. TOPS TO FL390.
  • 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 whole route.

Turbulence No turbulence warning in force along the route. No pilot has reported turbulence near the line in the last three hours. The government's turbulence forecast map ↗

Icing No icing warning in force along the route. No pilot has reported icing near the line in the last three hours. The freezing level is about 13,500 ft (from the winds-aloft temperatures), so icing is possible in cloud above that. The government's icing forecast map ↗

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 PLN.

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 1 forecast point nearest it (TVC). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

HeightAverage windHead- or tailwindTemperatureGround speedTime en routeArrival
3,500 ft250° at 34 kt−21 kt141 kt18 min4:11 am EDT (08:11 UTC)
5,500 ft250° at 32 kt−20 kt140 kt18 min4:11 am EDT (08:11 UTC)
7,500 ft250° at 33 kt−20 kt12 °C140 kt18 min4:11 am EDT (08:11 UTC)
9,500 ft250° at 35 kt−22 kt8 °C142 kt18 min4:11 am EDT (08:11 UTC)
11,500 ft250° at 38 kt−24 kt4 °C144 kt18 min4:11 am EDT (08:11 UTC)
13,500 ft260° at 41 kt−22 kt0 °C142 kt18 min4:11 am EDT (08:11 UTC)
15,500 ft260° at 45 kt−19 kt-5 °C139 kt19 min4:12 am EDT (08:12 UTC)
17,500 ft270° at 49 kt−16 kt-9 °C136 kt19 min4:12 am EDT (08:12 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180270° at 50 kt−16 kt-10 °C136 kt19 min4:12 am EDT (08:12 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240280° at 38 kt−5 kt-20 °C125 kt21 min4:14 am EDT (08:14 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300290° at 30 kt+1 kt-37 °C119 kt22 min4:15 am EDT (08:15 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340290° at 44 kt+1 kt-43 °C119 kt22 min4:15 am EDT (08:15 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390290° at 66 kt+2 kt-45 °C118 kt22 min4:15 am EDT (08:15 UTC)

Based on data from the 13th at 00:00 UTC; valid on the 13th 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
TVCused from 0 nm out; 81 nm from the line250/34250/32 15°250/34 9°250/39 3°270/50 -10°280/38 -20°290/30 -37°290/44 -43°290/66 -45°

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
PLN Pellston, MI departure no report just now 720 ft
MCD Mackinac Island, MI 17 nm out, 2 nm northeast of the line no report just now 741 ft
CIU Sault Ste Marie, MI destination no report just now 799 ft

The highest airport on this list sits at 799 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

The codes as issued, and in English, for every airport in the table

At CIU when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 4:11 am EDT (08:11 UTC)

CIU has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.

Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it

No temporary flight restriction on or near this route right now.

Notices to air missions closures and things out of service at both ends; airspace, navigation aids and obstructions near the line

PLN: 12 notices in force. runway 14/32 closed all of them, grouped →

  • closed Runway 14/32 closed until Fri 6 Nov, 8:00 am EST (13:00 UTC) · PLN 10/011
    as issued
    !PLN 10/011 PLN RWY 14/32 CLSD 2610052208-2611061300
  • closed Taxiway B1 closed until Fri 23 Oct, 12:00 pm EDT (16:00 UTC), estimated · PLN 10/004
    as issued
    !PLN 10/004 PLN TWY B1 CLSD 2610011215-2610231600EST
  • closed Taxiway A between taxiway B and taxiway A3 closed until Thu 26 Nov, 7:00 am EST (12:00 UTC) · PLN 09/051
    as issued
    !PLN 09/051 PLN TWY A BTN TWY B AND TWY A3 CLSD 2609301248-2611261200
  • closed Taxiway B between runway 05/23 and approach end runway 14 closed until Fri 23 Oct, 12:00 pm EDT (16:00 UTC), estimated · PLN 09/043
    as issued
    !PLN 09/043 PLN TWY B BTN RWY 05/23 AND APCH END RWY 14 CLSD 2609241335-2610231600EST

CIU: 2 notices in force. all of them, grouped →

1 notice near the line (airspace and special activity within 25 nm, navigation aids within 25 nm, obstructions within 5 nm):

  • Obstruction tower lights (ASR 1000701) 45°51′N 84°46′W (2.5 nautical miles southwest 83D) 945.9FT (271.0FT above ground level) out of service until Thu 31 Dec, 6:59 pm EST (23:59 UTC) · 17 nm along the route, 5 nm off the line · 83D 09/330
    as issued
    !GRB 09/330 83D OBST TOWER LGT (ASR 1000701) 455144.00N0844655.00W (2.5NM SW 83D) 945.9FT (271.0FT AGL) U/S 2609281436-2612312359

From the FAA's notice service (NOTAMs), the site's copy refreshed every few minutes; last checked 2 minutes ago. The FAA has so far issued eFlight its test feed, which misses some notices (checked against the FAA's own search on 12 October: about a third missing at Santa Barbara and Burbank, none at Atlanta or Las Vegas); the request for the full feed is with the FAA. Times are local to the field. This is for planning; the legal briefing comes from Flight Service or the FAA's own tools.

Daylight

Sunset at PLN 6:57 pm EDT (22:57 UTC), at CIU 6:55 pm EDT (22:55 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:25 pm EDT (23:25 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at CIU is before sunrise there (7:52 am EDT (11:52 UTC)).

Each restriction opens the FAA's own page with the exact area, heights and times.

The wind over the route live wind map, from Windy.com · drag the time bar for the coming hours; the level menu changes the height

Colours show wind speed, the moving lines its direction, at the surface unless you pick a height. Map and forecast by Windy.com; a second opinion beside the government's winds-aloft table above.

Radar and forecast charts for the regions crossed government pictures, the latest each time the page loads · the turbulence and icing forecasts: turbulence ↗ · icing ↗

Radar now, the central Great Lakes
Radar now, the central Great Lakes · loop National Weather Service
Aviation forecast, clouds and visibility, the north-central states, 3 hours ahead
Aviation forecast, clouds and visibility, the north-central states, 3 hours ahead · on the government's site ↗ Aviation Weather Center (NOAA) · cloud cover and bases, visibility, and the areas of low cloud or poor visibility
Aviation forecast, surface weather, the north-central states, 3 hours ahead
Aviation forecast, surface weather, the north-central states, 3 hours ahead · on the government's site ↗ Aviation Weather Center (NOAA) · surface winds, weather, thunderstorms, and the AIRMET boxes for turbulence, icing and strong winds
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: Pellston Rgnl/Emmet County, Chippewa County International.