The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Plan a flight · Sun 5:47 pm PDT (00:47 UTC)

Palm Springs International to Chicago O'Hare International PSP → ORD

1,432 nautical miles (1,648 statute miles) northeast on a straight line, true course 062°, about 049° magnetic at the departure end (variation 13E). At 120 knots that is 8 h 08 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 56-knot tailwind), arriving about 3:55 am CDT (08:55 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: 1,534 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 W69W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 34,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 6:55 pm PDT (01:55 UTC). Over the route from 209 to 249 nm out.
    as issued
    WSUS33 KKCI 112355
    MKCW WST 112355
    CONVECTIVE SIGMET 69W
    VALID UNTIL 0155Z
    TX NM AZ
    FROM 50ENE PGS-60SE ABQ-20ENE ELP-70SSW SSO-50SE BZA-50ENE PGS
    AREA TS MOV FROM 23040KT. TOPS TO FL340.
  • SIGMET W68W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 36,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 6:55 pm PDT (01:55 UTC). Over the route from 378 to 627 nm out.
    as issued
    WSUS33 KKCI 112355
    MKCW WST 112355
    CONVECTIVE SIGMET 68W
    VALID UNTIL 0155Z
    CO NM AZ UT
    FROM 30W CHE-20NNW TBE-60SE ABQ-40N SJN-30SW MTU-30W CHE
    AREA TS MOV FROM 23040KT. TOPS TO FL360.
  • AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 12,000 ft. Over the first 80 nm of the route.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 6E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the first 0 nm of the route.
  • AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 36,000 ft. Over the route from 30 to 617 nm out.
  • AIRMET ZULU 3C: moderate icing up to 22,000 ft. Over the route from 50 to 269 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the route from 119 to 666 nm out.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 119 to 537 nm out.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 2E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 209 to 279 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 3W: strong surface winds (30 knots or more) (due to sustained surface winds greater than 30 knots). Over the route from 338 to 388 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 1W: 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 477 to 497 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 PSP.

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 20:00–03:00 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 13 forecast points nearest it (BLH, PRC, BCE, FMN, ALS, PUB, GLD, GRI, OMA, DSM, BRL, DBQ, JOT). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

HeightAverage windHead- or tailwindTemperatureGround speedTime en routeArrival
5,500 ft220° at 24 kt−20 kt19 °C140 kt10 h 14 min6:01 am CDT (11:01 UTC)
7,500 ft220° at 24 kt−21 kt12 °C141 kt10 h 09 min5:56 am CDT (10:56 UTC)
9,500 ft230° at 23 kt−21 kt10 °C141 kt10 h 09 min5:56 am CDT (10:56 UTC)
11,500 ft230° at 24 kt−23 kt5 °C143 kt10 h 01 min5:48 am CDT (10:48 UTC)
13,500 ft230° at 26 kt−26 kt1 °C146 kt9 h 48 min5:35 am CDT (10:35 UTC)
15,500 ft230° at 30 kt−29 kt-3 °C149 kt9 h 37 min5:24 am CDT (10:24 UTC)
17,500 ft230° at 33 kt−33 kt-7 °C153 kt9 h 22 min5:09 am CDT (10:09 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180230° at 34 kt−34 kt-8 °C154 kt9 h 18 min5:05 am CDT (10:05 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240240° at 39 kt−39 kt-20 °C159 kt9 h4:47 am CDT (09:47 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300240° at 49 kt−50 kt-31 °C170 kt8 h 25 min4:12 am CDT (09:12 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340240° at 55 kt−56 kt-38 °C176 kt8 h 08 min3:55 am CDT (08:55 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390260° at 53 kt−55 kt-48 °C175 kt8 h 11 min3:58 am CDT (08:58 UTC)

Based on data from the 11th at 18:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 00:00 UTC for use 20:00 to 03:00 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
BLHused from 0 nm out; 72 nm from the line230/22210/24 11°230/23 5°230/26 0°220/38 -10°230/52 -19°220/58 -28°220/69 -34°220/59 -45°
PRCused from 149 nm out; 57 nm from the line200/36 6°210/46 0°220/60 -10°220/75 -19°220/66 -26°230/70 -33°230/59 -45°
BCEused from 298 nm out; 114 nm from the line210/47 0°200/50 -12°220/31 -23°220/56 -26°220/58 -35°230/58 -45°
FMNused from 348 nm out; 71 nm from the line220/25 13°220/28 4°210/51 -9°220/59 -21°230/78 -30°230/77 -36°230/66 -46°
ALSused from 497 nm out; 47 nm from the line210/32 5°230/48 -8°230/49 -20°230/78 -30°240/74 -36°240/61 -47°
PUBused from 597 nm out; 19 nm from the line210/24 16°210/28 8°230/43 -8°240/42 -21°240/77 -30°240/72 -36°250/51 -47°
GLDused from 696 nm out; 66 nm from the line190/29200/30 15°240/23 8°250/39 -7°230/39 -19°230/57 -31°240/67 -39°250/62 -49°
GRIused from 895 nm out; 70 nm from the line210/31 19°240/21 14°240/17 6°260/27 -7°260/34 -18°240/45 -32°250/56 -40°260/62 -51°
OMAused from 995 nm out; 69 nm from the line190/34230/34 19°250/25 12°250/18 6°250/22 -7°250/28 -19°260/34 -32°260/39 -41°280/56 -51°
DSMused from 1144 nm out; 30 nm from the line200/32240/27 17°260/19 10°260/16 5°260/19 -7°240/22 -19°270/20 -32°270/38 -42°290/58 -53°
BRLused from 1243 nm out; 42 nm from the line200/20250/21 16°240/22 10°260/20 5°270/16 -7°290/22 -18°320/41 -34°320/56 -43°310/68 -53°
DBQused from 1293 nm out; 50 nm from the line220/23240/22 16°240/24 10°260/18 5°270/16 -8°290/27 -19°310/42 -35°320/55 -44°300/71 -52°
JOTused from 1343 nm out; 54 nm from the line230/11290/12 16°300/19 10°320/19 4°300/17 -9°330/31 -20°320/49 -37°320/53 -45°320/67 -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

AirportWhereConditionsWindVisibilityCeilingElevationReported
PSP Palm Springs, CA departure no report just now 476 ft
TNP Twentynine Palms, CA 30 nm out, 4 nm north of the line no report just now 1,888 ft
GCN Grand Canyon, AZ 249 nm out, 15 nm northwest of the line, tower no report just now 6,608 ft
FMN Farmington, NM 438 nm out, 21 nm southeast of the line, tower no report just now 5,506 ft
PUB Pueblo, CO 637 nm out, 5 nm east of the line, tower no report just now 4,729 ft
CBK Colby, KS 816 nm out, 6 nm north of the line no report just now 3,188 ft
PHG Phillipsburg, KS 895 nm out, 3 nm southeast of the line no report just now 1,910 ft
AFK Nebraska City, NE 1064 nm out, 2 nm north of the line no report just now 1,165 ft
OOA Oskaloosa, IA 1223 nm out, 2 nm southwest of the line no report just now 840 ft
DPA Chicago/West Chicago, IL 1412 nm out, 4 nm east of the line, tower no report just now 758 ft
ORD Chicago, IL destination no report just now 680 ft

The highest airport on this list sits at 6,608 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, 3:55 am CDT (08:55 UTC)

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

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

  • 6/8887 Indio, CA, Sunday, October 11, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local 13 nm from the route, at the departure end · security · until 12 October · ZLA
  • 6/8891 Bullhead City, AZ, Wednesday, October 14, 2026 Local 16 nm from the route, 119 nm along the route · a VIP movement · starts Wednesday 14 October · ZLA

Daylight

Sunset at PSP 6:16 pm PDT (01:16 UTC), at ORD 6:15 pm CDT (23:15 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:43 pm CDT (23:43 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at ORD is before sunrise there (7:00 am CDT (12:00 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 Pacific Southwest
Radar now, the Pacific Southwest · loop National Weather Service
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, 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: Palm Springs International, Chicago O'Hare International.