Pellston Rgnl/Emmet County to Gerald R Ford International PLN → GRR
165 nautical miles (189 statute miles) south on a straight line, true course 191°, about 197° magnetic at the departure end (variation 6W). At 120 knots that is 1 h 03 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 38-knot tailwind), arriving about 3:33 am EDT (07:33 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now PLN is VFR, wind from the south-southwest (200°) at 3 knots; GRR is low IFR, wind from the south-southeast (150°) 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: 636 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 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 58 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 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 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 2 forecast points nearest it (TVC, MKG). 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 23 kt | +5 kt | 115 kt | 1 h 26 min | 3:56 am EDT (07:56 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 280° at 19 kt | −1 kt | 14 °C | 121 kt | 1 h 22 min | 3:52 am EDT (07:52 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 290° at 16 kt | −3 kt | 11 °C | 123 kt | 1 h 20 min | 3:50 am EDT (07:50 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 290° at 12 kt | −1 kt | 6 °C | 121 kt | 1 h 22 min | 3:52 am EDT (07:52 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 280° at 11 kt | +1 kt | 1 °C | 119 kt | 1 h 23 min | 3:53 am EDT (07:53 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 290° at 16 kt | −2 kt | -3 °C | 122 kt | 1 h 21 min | 3:51 am EDT (07:51 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 290° at 21 kt | −4 kt | -7 °C | 124 kt | 1 h 20 min | 3:50 am EDT (07:50 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 290° at 25 kt | −6 kt | -10 °C | 126 kt | 1 h 19 min | 3:49 am EDT (07:49 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 300° at 34 kt | −11 kt | -21 °C | 131 kt | 1 h 16 min | 3:46 am EDT (07:46 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 310° at 50 kt | −27 kt | -37 °C | 147 kt | 1 h 07 min | 3:37 am EDT (07:37 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 320° at 60 kt | −38 kt | -46 °C | 158 kt | 1 h 03 min | 3:33 am EDT (07:33 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 300° at 80 kt | −31 kt | -54 °C | 151 kt | 1 h 06 min | 3:36 am EDT (07:36 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TVC | used from 0 nm out; 39 nm from the line | 260/31 | 280/22 15° | 290/18 10° | 270/13 2° | 290/25 -10° | 300/35 -21° | 310/52 -37° | 320/59 -47° | 300/84 -54° |
| MKG | used from 97 nm out; 47 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° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PLN Pellston, MI | departure | VFR | from the south-southwest (200°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 720 ft | 1:54 am EDT (05:54 UTC) |
| BFA Boyne Falls, MI | 29 nm out, 4 nm north of the line | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 7,500 feet | from the south (190°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 719 ft | 06:15 UTC |
| GOV Grayling, MI | 48 nm out, 14 nm southeast of the line, tower | VFR | from the southwest (230°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,158 ft | 05:55 UTC |
| RQB Big Rapids, MI | 116 nm out, 9 nm west of the line | low IFR Sky: sky obscured at 200 feet Weather: fog | from the east-southeast (120°) at 2 knots | 0.25 mi | 200 ft | 994 ft | 06:15 UTC |
| GRR Grand Rapids, MI | destination | low IFR Sky: sky obscured at 300 feet Weather: fog | from the south-southeast (150°) at 3 knots | 0.5 mi | 300 ft | 793 ft | 2:23 am EDT (06:23 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,158 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At GRR when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 3:33 am EDT (07:33 UTC)
Wind from the south at 3 knots, visibility 4 miles, mist, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet marginal VFR
At times between Mon 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC) and 4:00 am EDT (08:00 UTC): visibility ½ mile, fog low IFR
The whole forecast for GRR
- From Mon 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south at 3 knots, visibility 4 miles, mist, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
- At times between Mon 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC) and 4:00 am EDT (08:00 UTC): visibility ½ mile, fog
- From Mon 5:00 am EDT (09:00 UTC): wind from the south at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 1:00 pm EDT (17:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 12 knots, gusting to 20, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 20,000 feet
- From Mon 6:00 pm EDT (22:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 8,000 feet
- From Mon 10:00 pm EDT (02:00 UTC): wind from the south at 8 knots, visibility 4 miles, light rain showers, mist, scattered clouds at 5,000 feet, overcast at 8,000 feet
- 30% chance between Mon 10:00 pm EDT (02:00 UTC) and 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC): visibility 2 miles, light thunderstorms with rain, mist, overcast at 3,500 feet (thunderheads)
The forecast for PLN, the departure
- From Mon 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 1:00 pm EDT (17:00 UTC): wind from the north-northeast at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 3,500 feet
- From Mon 3:00 pm EDT (19:00 UTC): wind from the east at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 3,500 feet
- From Mon 7:00 pm EDT (23:00 UTC): wind from the east-northeast at 8 knots, gusting to 16, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 1,100 feet
- From Mon 11:00 pm EDT (03:00 UTC): wind from the east at 10 knots, gusting to 17, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 800 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 PLN 6:59 pm EDT (22:59 UTC), at GRR 7:04 pm EDT (23:04 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:33 pm EDT (23:33 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at GRR is before sunrise there (7:51 am EDT (11:51 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: Pellston Rgnl/Emmet County, Gerald R Ford International.