Chicago/Rockford International to Fairbanks International RFD → FAI
2,373 nautical miles (2,731 statute miles) northwest on a straight line, true course 325°, about 328° magnetic at the departure end (variation 3W). At 120 knots that is 19 h 18 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 3-knot tailwind), arriving about 8:59 pm AKDT (04:59 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: 6 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 TANGO 2W: 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 40 to 209 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 329 to 509 nm out.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Near the route, 528 nm along 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 08:00–15:00 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 10 forecast points nearest it (DBQ, LSE, MSP, DLH, INL, GFK, MOT, GGW, GPI, SEA). 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 | 090° at 3 kt | −3 kt | -1 °C | 123 kt | 19 h 18 min | 8:59 pm AKDT (04:59 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | light and variable | −2 kt | 3 °C | 122 kt | 19 h 27 min | 9:08 pm AKDT (05:08 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 230° at 5 kt | −2 kt | 1 °C | 122 kt | 19 h 27 min | 9:08 pm AKDT (05:08 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 260° at 7 kt | 0 | -1 °C | 120 kt | 19 h 46 min | 9:27 pm AKDT (05:27 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 280° at 10 kt | +3 kt | -4 °C | 117 kt | 20 h 17 min | 9:58 pm AKDT (05:58 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 290° at 11 kt | +4 kt | -7 °C | 116 kt | 20 h 27 min | 10:08 pm AKDT (06:08 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 300° at 13 kt | +6 kt | -11 °C | 114 kt | 20 h 49 min | 10:30 pm AKDT (06:30 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 310° at 15 kt | +7 kt | -13 °C | 113 kt | 21 h | 10:41 pm AKDT (06:41 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 290° at 21 kt | +12 kt | -25 °C | 108 kt | 21 h 58 min | 11:39 pm AKDT (07:39 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 290° at 19 kt | +9 kt | -39 °C | 111 kt | 21 h 23 min | 11:04 pm AKDT (07:04 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 280° at 31 kt | +19 kt | -43 °C | 101 kt | 23 h 30 min | 1:11 am AKDT (09:11 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 270° at 38 kt | +23 kt | -46 °C | 97 kt | 24 h 28 min | 2:09 am AKDT (10:09 UTC) |
Based on data from the 12th at 06:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 12:00 UTC for use 08:00 to 15:00 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DBQ | used from 0 nm out; 58 nm from the line | 250/27 | 260/23 17° | 240/26 10° | 260/30 4° | 280/26 -9° | 280/36 -21° | 270/41 -36° | 280/52 -41° | 290/67 -48° |
| LSE | used from 100 nm out; 22 nm from the line | 250/25 | 240/21 17° | 240/28 11° | 250/28 5° | 280/24 -10° | 280/31 -21° | 260/35 -37° | 270/45 -43° | 280/59 -47° |
| MSP | used from 199 nm out; 51 nm from the line | 250/12 | 250/17 17° | 240/26 12° | 250/26 5° | 280/26 -9° | 280/32 -22° | 270/37 -38° | 280/47 -41° | 280/55 -48° |
| DLH | used from 299 nm out; 60 nm from the line | 090/31 | 250/7 14° | 250/26 11° | 250/36 4° | 280/36 -11° | 290/35 -22° | 300/39 -38° | 280/41 -44° | 280/66 -49° |
| INL | used from 399 nm out; 81 nm from the line | 090/25 | L/V 8° | 250/20 6° | 270/32 1° | 270/44 -11° | 280/48 -22° | 280/56 -38° | 270/50 -47° | 280/83 -50° |
| GFK | used from 449 nm out; 60 nm from the line | 080/18 | L/V 11° | 260/22 7° | 250/48 3° | 260/51 -11° | 250/44 -22° | 260/34 -38° | 260/53 -44° | 270/66 -49° |
| MOT | used from 648 nm out; 182 nm from the line | 120/14 4° | 190/25 5° | 220/41 1° | 240/43 -11° | 230/39 -22° | 220/44 -38° | 240/62 -42° | 250/73 -48° | |
| GGW | used from 947 nm out; 384 nm from the line | 100/7 -1° | 070/10 -3° | 190/6 -4° | 210/34 -10° | 230/33 -24° | 210/48 -37° | 230/65 -40° | 230/71 -46° | |
| GPI | used from 1197 nm out; 552 nm from the line | 090/8 -4° | 140/7 -7° | 090/10 -8° | 110/10 -19° | 210/25 -30° | 200/24 -40° | 210/31 -39° | 210/35 -42° | |
| SEA | used from 1645 nm out; 836 nm from the line | 350/5 | 010/6 0° | 010/9 -4° | 010/27 -6° | 010/51 -15° | 360/58 -26° | 360/60 -41° | 350/55 -48° | 340/30 -45° |
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 | ||||
| CMY Sparta, WI | 130 nm out, 3 nm east of the line, tower | no report just now | 839 ft | ||||
| AIT Aitkin, MN | 329 nm out, 4 nm south of the line | no report just now | 1,206 ft | ||||
| CYPG Portage, | 598 nm out, 15 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 885 ft | ||||
| CYDA Dawson City, | 2144 nm out, 8 nm south of the line | no report just now | 1,215 ft | ||||
| FAI Fairbanks, AK | destination | no report just now | 439 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,215 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At FAI when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 8:59 pm AKDT (04:59 UTC)
FAI 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 RFD 6:19 pm CDT (23:19 UTC), at FAI 6:36 pm AKDT (02:36 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:25 pm AKDT (03:25 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at FAI is after sunset there (6:39 pm AKDT (02:39 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, Fairbanks International.