Plan a flight · Mon 1:08 am CDT (06:08 UTC)

Chicago Executive to Smyrna Airport PWK → MQY

372 nautical miles (428 statute miles) south on a straight line, true course 170°, about 172° magnetic at the departure end (variation 2W). At 120 knots that is 2 h 14 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 47-knot tailwind), arriving about 3:22 am CDT (08:22 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now PWK is VFR, wind calm. 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 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 225 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 PWK.

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

B38M at 29,000 ft, 28 nm west, 11:52 pm CDT (04:52 UTC): no turbulence from 23,000 ft to 29,000 ft. 88 nm along the route, 28 nm west of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
TIP UA /OV RBS/TM 0452/FL290/TP B38M/TB NEG 230-290
```
Report
a routine report filed through TIP
Where
over RBS
Time
04:52 UTC
Height
at 29,000 ft
Aircraft
B38M
Turbulence
no from 23,000 ft to 29,000 ft

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 4 forecast points nearest it (JOT, IND, EVV, BNA). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

Height	Average wind	Head- or tailwind	Temperature	Ground speed	Time en route	Arrival
3,500 ft	280° at 17 kt	−7 kt		127 kt	2 h 56 min	4:04 am CDT (09:04 UTC)
5,500 ft	300° at 16 kt	−10 kt		130 kt	2 h 52 min	4:00 am CDT (09:00 UTC)
7,500 ft	300° at 17 kt	−11 kt	13 °C	131 kt	2 h 50 min	3:58 am CDT (08:58 UTC)
9,500 ft	310° at 16 kt	−12 kt	9 °C	132 kt	2 h 49 min	3:57 am CDT (08:57 UTC)
11,500 ft	320° at 12 kt	−10 kt	5 °C	130 kt	2 h 52 min	4:00 am CDT (09:00 UTC)
13,500 ft	310° at 14 kt	−11 kt	1 °C	131 kt	2 h 50 min	3:58 am CDT (08:58 UTC)
15,500 ft	310° at 18 kt	−13 kt	-2 °C	133 kt	2 h 48 min	3:56 am CDT (08:56 UTC)
17,500 ft	310° at 22 kt	−15 kt	-6 °C	135 kt	2 h 45 min	3:53 am CDT (08:53 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180	300° at 23 kt	−16 kt	-7 °C	136 kt	2 h 44 min	3:52 am CDT (08:52 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240	310° at 27 kt	−22 kt	-19 °C	142 kt	2 h 37 min	3:45 am CDT (08:45 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300	320° at 40 kt	−35 kt	-34 °C	155 kt	2 h 24 min	3:32 am CDT (08:32 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340	310° at 56 kt	−43 kt	-42 °C	163 kt	2 h 17 min	3:25 am CDT (08:25 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390	320° at 56 kt	−47 kt	-51 °C	167 kt	2 h 14 min	3:22 am CDT (08:22 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
JOT	used from 0 nm out; 20 nm from the line	250/23	270/22 15°	250/16 10°	240/9 4°	280/22 -7°	280/29 -19°	300/29 -34°	290/50 -43°	300/64 -52°
IND	used from 98 nm out; 57 nm from the line	290/16	310/20 16°	320/21 10°	330/13 3°	300/25 -7°	320/32 -19°	330/46 -34°	320/61 -43°	320/63 -50°
EVV	used from 196 nm out; 36 nm from the line	280/15	290/12 17°	310/16 10°	320/13 5°	310/22 -6°	320/26 -18°	320/38 -33°	310/56 -41°	320/55 -51°
BNA	used from 294 nm out; 46 nm from the line	310/20	340/20 17°	330/24 10°	340/22 5°	330/26 -6°	340/29 -18°	330/52 -33°	320/62 -41°	340/45 -50°

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
PWK Chicago/Prospect Heights/Wheeling, IL	departure	VFR	calm	10+ mi	none	644 ft	12:52 am CDT (05:52 UTC)
MDW Chicago, IL	20 nm out, 3 nm east of the line, tower	VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 25,000 feet	from the south-southwest (200°) at 5 knots	10+ mi	none	619 ft	05:53 UTC
IKK Kankakee, IL	59 nm out, 9 nm southwest of the line	VFR	calm	10+ mi	none	629 ft	05:55 UTC
LAF Lafayette, IN	108 nm out, 25 nm east of the line, tower	VFR	calm	7 mi	none	605 ft	06:01 UTC
PRG Paris, IL	147 nm out, 16 nm west of the line	VFR	calm	10+ mi	none	654 ft	05:55 UTC
HUF Terre Haute, IN	167 nm out, 5 nm northwest of the line, tower	low IFR Weather: fog	calm	0.5 mi	none	589 ft	06:04 UTC
HNB Huntingburg, IN	235 nm out, 2 nm east of the line	low IFR Weather: fog	from the south-southeast (150°) at 3 knots	0.25 mi	none	529 ft	05:56 UTC
OWB Owensboro, KY	264 nm out, 13 nm west of the line, tower	VFR	from the south-southeast (150°) at 3 knots	10+ mi	none	407 ft	05:56 UTC
BWG Bowling Green, KY	313 nm out, 15 nm east of the line	low IFR Sky: sky obscured at 100 feet Weather: fog	calm	0.25 mi	100 ft	547 ft	05:53 UTC
XNX Gallatin, TN	353 nm out, 9 nm east of the line	low IFR Sky: overcast at 200 feet Weather: fog	calm	0.25 mi	200 ft	583 ft	05:55 UTC
MQY Smyrna, TN	destination	reported, no category	calm		200 ft	543 ft	12:56 am CDT (05:56 UTC)

The highest airport on this list sits at 654 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At MQY when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 3:22 am CDT (08:22 UTC)

Wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies VFR

The whole forecast for MQY

From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
From Mon 4:00 am CDT (09:00 UTC): wind calm, visibility 5 miles, mist, patches of fog, clear skies
From Mon 9:00 am CDT (14:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 20,000 feet
From Mon 12:00 pm CDT (17:00 UTC): wind from the west at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 20,000 feet

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

6/0708 Goodlettsville, TN, Saturday, August 1, 2026 through Sunday, August 1, 2027 UTC 4 nm from the route, 353 nm along the route · security · until 1 August · ZME

Daylight

Sunset at PWK 6:15 pm CDT (23:15 UTC), at MQY 6:14 pm CDT (23:14 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:40 pm CDT (23:40 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at MQY is before sunrise there (6:50 am CDT (11:50 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 upper Mississippi valley · loop National Weather Service

Radar now, the central Great Lakes · loop National Weather Service

Radar now, the lower Mississippi valley · loop National Weather Service

Radar, the whole country · loop National Weather Service

Surface analysis now Weather Prediction Center

Forecast chart, 12 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center

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: Chicago Executive, Smyrna Airport.