Raleigh-Durham International to Chicago Midway International RDU → MDW
549 nautical miles (631 statute miles) northwest on a straight line, true course 313°, about 322° magnetic at the departure end (variation 9W). At 120 knots that is 5 h 05 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 12-knot headwind), arriving about 2:14 am CDT (07:14 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: 1,881 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
- SIGMET 7E: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 33,000 ft, moving from the west at 15 knots, until 11:55 pm EDT (03:55 UTC). Over the route from 130 to 200 nm out.
as issued
WSUS31 KKCI 120155 MKCE WST 120155 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 7E VALID UNTIL 0355Z PA MD VA DC WV OH FROM 10NNE JST-30WNW SBY-40ENE RIC-50SW BKW-20SE APE-10NNE JST AREA TS MOV FROM 28015KT. TOPS TO FL330.
- AIRMET TANGO 5W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 8,000 ft. Over the route from 50 to 140 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 70 to 229 nm out.
- 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 route from 100 to 339 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 RDU.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
- A320 at 34,000 ft, 47 nm northeast, 10:03 pm EDT (02:03 UTC): moderate chop turbulence. 389 nm along the route, 47 nm northeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
FWA UA /OV FWA115040/TM 0203/FL340/TP A320/TB MOD CHOP
- Report
- a routine report filed through FWA
- Where
- 40 nm southeast (115°) of FWA
- Time
- 02:03 UTC
- Height
- at 34,000 ft
- Aircraft
- A320
- Turbulence
- moderate chop
- B763 at 3,000 ft, 21 nm southwest, 7:26 pm EDT (23:26 UTC): a broken layer above 3,000 ft. 50 nm along the route, 21 nm southwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
GSO UA /OV HEVED/TM 2326/FL030/TP B763/SK BKN030
- Report
- a routine report filed through GSO
- Where
- heved
- Time
- 23:26 UTC
- Height
- at 3,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B763
- Sky
- a broken layer from 3,000 ft
- B763 descending, 22 nm southwest, 7:24 pm EDT (23:24 UTC): a broken layer above 3,000 ft. 50 nm along the route, 22 nm southwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
GSO UA /OV 10 NE GSO/TM 2324/FLDURD/TP B763/SK BKN030
- Report
- a routine report filed through GSO
- Where
- 10 northeast gso
- Time
- 23:24 UTC
- Height
- during the descent
- Aircraft
- B763
- Sky
- a broken layer from 3,000 ft
- E145 at 4,000 ft, 23 nm northeast, 8:36 pm EDT (00:36 UTC): overcast above 4,000 ft, remarks: during the climb runway 06 KROA. 110 nm along the route, 23 nm northeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
ROA UA /OV ROA/TM 0036/FL040/TP E145/SK OVC040/RM DURGC RY06 KROA
- Report
- a routine report filed through ROA
- Where
- over ROA
- Time
- 00:36 UTC
- Height
- at 4,000 ft
- Aircraft
- E145
- Sky
- overcast from 4,000 ft
- Remarks
- during the climb runway 06 KROA
- C52C at 12,500 ft, 7 nm southwest, 8:34 pm EDT (00:34 UTC): no icing, overcast up to 12,500 ft, 1 °C. 110 nm along the route, 7 nm southwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
ROA UA /OV ROA240030/TM 0034/FL125/TP C52C/SK OVCUNKN-TOP125/TA +1/IC NEG
- Report
- a routine report filed through ROA
- Where
- 30 nm southwest (240°) of ROA
- Time
- 00:34 UTC
- Height
- at 12,500 ft
- Aircraft
- C52C
- Sky
- overcast, tops 12,500 ft
- Temperature
- +1
- Icing
- none
- E145 at 2,200 ft, 23 nm northeast, 8:03 pm EDT (00:03 UTC): overcast above 2,200 ft, remarks: during the climb runway 06 KROA. 110 nm along the route, 23 nm northeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
ROA UA /OV ROA/TM 0003/FL022/TP E145/SK OVC022/RM DURGC RY06 KROA
- Report
- a routine report filed through ROA
- Where
- over ROA
- Time
- 00:03 UTC
- Height
- at 2,200 ft
- Aircraft
- E145
- Sky
- overcast from 2,200 ft
- Remarks
- during the climb runway 06 KROA
- CRJ9 at 15,000 ft, 9 nm northeast, 8:23 pm EDT (00:23 UTC): no turbulence. 160 nm along the route, 9 nm northeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
IND UA /OV BKW/TM 0023/FL150/TP CRJ9/TB NEG
- Report
- a routine report filed through IND
- Where
- over BKW
- Time
- 00:23 UTC
- Height
- at 15,000 ft
- Aircraft
- CRJ9
- Turbulence
- none
- E135 descending, 9 nm northeast, 8:05 pm EDT (00:05 UTC): a routine report with nothing remarked on. 160 nm along the route, 9 nm northeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
CRW UA /OV BKW/TM 0005/FLDURD/TP E135/SK BASES 032
- Report
- a routine report filed through CRW
- Where
- over BKW
- Time
- 00:05 UTC
- Height
- during the descent
- Aircraft
- E135
- Sky
- bases 3,200 ft
- CRJ9 climbing, 21 nm northeast, 8:15 pm EDT (00:15 UTC): a routine report with nothing remarked on. 200 nm along the route, 21 nm northeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
CRW UA /OV CRW/TM 0015/FLDURC/TP CRJ9/SK BASES 014 TOPS 070
- Report
- a routine report filed through CRW
- Where
- over CRW
- Time
- 00:15 UTC
- Height
- during the climb
- Aircraft
- CRJ9
- Sky
- bases 1,400 ft tops 7,000 ft
- P28A climbing, 6 nm southwest, 7:15 pm EDT (23:15 UTC): no turbulence, remarks: instrument conditions. 249 nm along the route, 6 nm southwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
HTS UA /OV DWU/TM 2315/FLDURC/TP P28A/TB SMOOTH/RM IMC
- Report
- a routine report filed through HTS
- Where
- over DWU
- Time
- 23:15 UTC
- Height
- during the climb
- Aircraft
- P28A
- Turbulence
- smooth
- Remarks
- instrument conditions
- B744 climbing, 37 nm southwest, 8:02 pm EDT (00:02 UTC): light turbulence, overcast. 339 nm along the route, 37 nm southwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
CVG UA /OV 10 N CVG/TM 0002/FLDURC/TP B744/SK B022 OVC T036/TB LT TB SFC-036
- Report
- a routine report filed through CVG
- Where
- 10 north cvg
- Time
- 00:02 UTC
- Height
- during the climb
- Aircraft
- B744
- Sky
- B022 overcast T036
- Turbulence
- lt turbulence from the surface to 3,600 ft
- B737 at 23,000 ft, 44 nm southwest, 7:51 pm EDT (23:51 UTC): light turbulence. 339 nm along the route, 44 nm southwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
IND UA /OV CVG/TM 2351/FL230/TP B737/TB LGT
- Report
- a routine report filed through IND
- Where
- over CVG
- Time
- 23:51 UTC
- Height
- at 23,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B737
- Turbulence
- light
- B739 climbing, 47 nm southwest, 7:31 pm EDT (23:31 UTC): overcast. 339 nm along the route, 47 nm southwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
CVG UA /OV 5 W CVG/TM 2331/FLDURC/TP B739/SK B026 OVC T036
- Report
- a routine report filed through CVG
- Where
- 5 west cvg
- Time
- 23:31 UTC
- Height
- during the climb
- Aircraft
- B739
- Sky
- B026 overcast T036
- CRJ9 descending, 12 nm north, 9:15 pm EDT (01:15 UTC): a routine report with nothing remarked on. 349 nm along the route, 12 nm north of the line.
as filed, and in English
DAY UA /OV DAY/TM 0115/FLDURD/TP CRJ9/SK T031 B005
- Report
- a routine report filed through DAY
- Where
- over DAY
- Time
- 01:15 UTC
- Height
- during the descent
- Aircraft
- CRJ9
- Sky
- T031 B005
5 more routine reports are on the map.
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 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 7 forecast points nearest it (RDU, ROA, CRW, CMH, CVG, FWA, JOT). 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 | 310° at 12 kt | +12 kt | 108 kt | 5 h 05 min | 2:14 am CDT (07:14 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 320° at 15 kt | +15 kt | 12 °C | 105 kt | 5 h 14 min | 2:23 am CDT (07:23 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 320° at 14 kt | +13 kt | 9 °C | 107 kt | 5 h 08 min | 2:17 am CDT (07:17 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 330° at 13 kt | +13 kt | 6 °C | 107 kt | 5 h 08 min | 2:17 am CDT (07:17 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 330° at 13 kt | +12 kt | 2 °C | 108 kt | 5 h 05 min | 2:14 am CDT (07:14 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 320° at 14 kt | +13 kt | -2 °C | 107 kt | 5 h 08 min | 2:17 am CDT (07:17 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 310° at 14 kt | +14 kt | -6 °C | 106 kt | 5 h 11 min | 2:20 am CDT (07:20 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 310° at 15 kt | +14 kt | -9 °C | 106 kt | 5 h 11 min | 2:20 am CDT (07:20 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 290° at 19 kt | +17 kt | -20 °C | 103 kt | 5 h 20 min | 2:29 am CDT (07:29 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 260° at 27 kt | +18 kt | -33 °C | 102 kt | 5 h 23 min | 2:32 am CDT (07:32 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 260° at 33 kt | +20 kt | -40 °C | 100 kt | 5 h 29 min | 2:38 am CDT (07:38 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 270° at 35 kt | +24 kt | -48 °C | 96 kt | 5 h 43 min | 2:52 am CDT (07:52 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
| Point | From | 3,000 | 6,000 | 9,000 | 12,000 | 18,000 | 24,000 | 30,000 | 34,000 | 39,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RDU | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 240/28 | 250/22 10° | 230/30 11° | 230/40 7° | 230/45 -4° | 220/69 -15° | 220/83 -29° | 210/84 -40° | 220/75 -52° |
| ROA | used from 50 nm out; 36 nm from the line | 280/9 | 290/15 12° | 290/11 8° | 210/6 3° | 210/30 -6° | 220/46 -19° | 210/74 -30° | 220/78 -39° | 220/64 -48° |
| CRW | used from 150 nm out; 33 nm from the line | 320/16 | 310/16 12° | 320/12 7° | 320/12 2° | 330/15 -11° | 280/11 -22° | 230/26 -30° | 240/33 -37° | 240/37 -47° |
| CMH | used from 249 nm out; 65 nm from the line | 340/14 | 320/13 12° | 350/12 8° | 360/10 2° | 350/27 -10° | 340/20 -22° | 320/31 -35° | 270/25 -39° | 260/32 -48° |
| CVG | used from 299 nm out; 43 nm from the line | 350/13 | 340/20 13° | 340/22 8° | 350/30 3° | 340/30 -9° | 340/38 -21° | 330/37 -35° | 320/38 -40° | 310/35 -47° |
| FWA | used from 399 nm out; 33 nm from the line | 350/9 | 350/24 15° | 360/25 9° | 360/29 4° | 350/31 -10° | 340/39 -22° | 330/40 -37° | 320/38 -43° | 320/48 -48° |
| JOT | used from 499 nm out; 39 nm from the line | 230/11 | 290/12 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
| Airport | Where | Conditions | Wind | Visibility | Ceiling | Elevation | Reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RDU Raleigh/Durham, NC | departure | no report just now | 435 ft | ||||
| TDF Roxboro, NC | 20 nm out, 12 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 608 ft | ||||
| MTV Martinsville, VA | 70 nm out, 9 nm west of the line | no report just now | 948 ft | ||||
| PSK Dublin, VA | 120 nm out, 6 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 2,104 ft | ||||
| CRW Charleston, WV | 200 nm out, 21 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 947 ft | ||||
| HTS Huntington, WV | 229 nm out, 10 nm west of the line, tower | no report just now | 828 ft | ||||
| ILN Wilmington, OH | 319 nm out, 2 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,076 ft | ||||
| DAY Dayton, OH | 349 nm out, 12 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,009 ft | ||||
| MIE Muncie, IN | 409 nm out, 7 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 937 ft | ||||
| GUS Peru, IN | 449 nm out, 10 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 810 ft | ||||
| GYY Gary/Chicago, IN | 529 nm out, 2 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 596 ft | ||||
| MDW Chicago, IL | destination | no report just now | 619 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 2,104 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At MDW when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 2:14 am CDT (07:14 UTC)
MDW 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.
Daylight
Sunset at RDU 6:43 pm EDT (22:43 UTC), at MDW 6:14 pm CDT (23:14 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:42 pm CDT (23:42 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at MDW is before sunrise there (6:59 am CDT (11:59 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: Raleigh-Durham International, Chicago Midway International.