Chicago/Rockford International to Lehigh Valley International RFD → ABE
621 nautical miles (715 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 094°, about 097° magnetic at the departure end (variation 3W). At 120 knots that is 3 h 51 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 41-knot tailwind), arriving about 1:39 am EDT (05:39 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: 419 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 2E: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 31,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 20 knots, until 9:55 pm CDT (02:55 UTC). Over the last 20 nm of the route.
as issued
WSUS31 KKCI 120055 MKCE WST 120055 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 2E VALID UNTIL 0255Z CT NY NJ PA DE MD AND NJ NY CT CSTL WTRS FROM 30NE SAX-30SSW HTO-30ESE EMI-50WSW HAR-30NE SAX AREA EMBD TS MOV FROM 22020KT. TOPS TO FL310.
- 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 394 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 21,000 ft to 33,000 ft. Over the last 217 nm of the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 424 to 592 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 13,000 ft. Over the last 10 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 RFD.
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 7 forecast points nearest it (JOT, MKG, FWA, CLE, AGC, PSB, AVP). 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 | 100° at 1 kt | +1 kt | 119 kt | 5 h 13 min | 3:01 am EDT (07:01 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 290° at 7 kt | −6 kt | 13 °C | 126 kt | 4 h 56 min | 2:44 am EDT (06:44 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 300° at 9 kt | −8 kt | 11 °C | 128 kt | 4 h 51 min | 2:39 am EDT (06:39 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 300° at 10 kt | −9 kt | 8 °C | 129 kt | 4 h 49 min | 2:37 am EDT (06:37 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 310° at 10 kt | −8 kt | 4 °C | 128 kt | 4 h 51 min | 2:39 am EDT (06:39 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 300° at 11 kt | −9 kt | 0 °C | 129 kt | 4 h 49 min | 2:37 am EDT (06:37 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 300° at 12 kt | −11 kt | -4 °C | 131 kt | 4 h 44 min | 2:32 am EDT (06:32 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 290° at 13 kt | −13 kt | -9 °C | 133 kt | 4 h 40 min | 2:28 am EDT (06:28 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 290° at 14 kt | −13 kt | -10 °C | 133 kt | 4 h 40 min | 2:28 am EDT (06:28 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 290° at 15 kt | −14 kt | -21 °C | 134 kt | 4 h 38 min | 2:26 am EDT (06:26 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 270° at 31 kt | −30 kt | -35 °C | 150 kt | 4 h 08 min | 1:56 am EDT (05:56 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 260° at 39 kt | −35 kt | -42 °C | 155 kt | 4 h | 1:48 am EDT (05:48 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 270° at 43 kt | −41 kt | -49 °C | 161 kt | 3 h 51 min | 1:39 am EDT (05:39 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JOT | used from 0 nm out; 42 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° |
| MKG | used from 99 nm out; 69 nm from the line | 250/5 | 320/10 15° | 310/19 9° | 320/21 3° | 310/23 -10° | 330/37 -22° | 330/51 -38° | 320/44 -47° | 300/60 -49° |
| FWA | used from 148 nm out; 57 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° |
| CLE | used from 246 nm out; 57 nm from the line | 340/5 | 320/13 14° | 300/12 8° | 310/10 2° | 310/14 -10° | 340/14 -23° | 320/27 -35° | 260/28 -40° | 250/36 -48° |
| AGC | used from 394 nm out; 59 nm from the line | 140/12 | 350/10 12° | L/V 9° | L/V 3° | 200/11 -11° | 220/21 -22° | 220/47 -33° | 230/51 -39° | 230/45 -48° |
| PSB | used from 444 nm out; 34 nm from the line | 260/13 13° | 220/12 8° | 220/11 4° | 230/27 -11° | 210/31 -21° | 220/73 -32° | 220/75 -40° | 230/66 -50° | |
| AVP | used from 542 nm out; 50 nm from the line | 110/36 | 190/34 13° | 230/11 8° | 230/16 4° | 230/26 -8° | 220/40 -19° | 230/73 -33° | 230/98 -41° | 230/87 -51° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RFD Chicago/Rockford, IL | departure | no report just now | 742 ft | ||||
| PWK Chicago/Prospect Heights/Wheeling, IL | 49 nm out, 4 nm east of the line, tower | no report just now | 644 ft | ||||
| BEH Benton Harbor, MI | 118 nm out, 6 nm north of the line | no report just now | 649 ft | ||||
| EKM Elkhart, IN | 138 nm out, 16 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 777 ft | ||||
| TOL Toledo, OH | 237 nm out, 13 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 683 ft | ||||
| CYPT Pelee Island, | 286 nm out, 6 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 571 ft | ||||
| BKL Cleveland, OH | 335 nm out, 3 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 583 ft | ||||
| YNG Youngstown/Warren, OH | 384 nm out, 11 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,191 ft | ||||
| DUJ Dubois, PA | 463 nm out, 3 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 1,816 ft | ||||
| UNV State College, PA | 513 nm out, 12 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,231 ft | ||||
| RDG Reading, PA | 601 nm out, 21 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 343 ft | ||||
| ABE Allentown, PA | destination | no report just now | 393 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,816 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At ABE when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 1:39 am EDT (05:39 UTC)
ABE has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/8587 Youngstown, OH, Monday, October 12, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local on the route, 355 nm along the route · a VIP movement · today · ZOB
- 6/8888 Youngstown, OH, Monday, October 12, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local 9 nm from the route, 384 nm along the route · security · today · ZOB
- 6/8829 Youngstown, OH, Monday, October 12, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local 5 nm from the route, 384 nm along the route · a VIP movement · today · ZOB
Daylight
Sunset at RFD 6:19 pm CDT (23:19 UTC), at ABE 6:26 pm EDT (22:26 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:53 pm EDT (22:53 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at ABE is before sunrise there (7:09 am EDT (11:09 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: Chicago/Rockford International, Lehigh Valley International.