Chicago/Rockford International to Capital Region International RFD → LAN
203 nautical miles (233 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 079°, about 082° magnetic at the departure end (variation 3W). At 120 knots that is 1 h 12 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 48-knot tailwind), arriving about 12:17 am EDT (04:17 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now RFD is VFR, wind from the southeast (140°) at 4 knots; LAN is VFR, wind from the south-southeast (160°) at 3 knots. 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: 211 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
No SIGMET or AIRMET covers any part of this route right now.
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
- A320 at 33,000 ft, 26 nm south, 7:36 pm CDT (00:36 UTC): moderate turbulence above 33,000 ft, remarks: zob. 174 nm along the route, 26 nm south of the line.
as filed, and in English
JXN UA /OV JXN280030/TM 0036/FL330/TP A320/TB OCNL MOD 330/RM ZOB
- Report
- a routine report filed through JXN
- Where
- 30 nm west (280°) of JXN
- Time
- 00:36 UTC
- Height
- at 33,000 ft
- Aircraft
- A320
- Turbulence
- occasional moderate at 33,000 ft
- Remarks
- zob
- A321 at 32,000 ft, 24 nm southwest, 8:56 pm CDT (01:56 UTC): light turbulence, remarks: pocket continuous light turbulence. At the departure end, 24 nm southwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
RPJ UA /OV PLL/TM 0156/FL320/TP A321/TB CONS LGT/RM POCKET CONS LGT TB
- Report
- a routine report filed through RPJ
- Where
- over PLL
- Time
- 01:56 UTC
- Height
- at 32,000 ft
- Aircraft
- A321
- Turbulence
- continuous light
- Remarks
- pocket continuous light turbulence
- E295 at 37,000 ft, 47 nm north, 7:53 pm CDT (00:53 UTC): light chop turbulence. 48 nm along the route, 47 nm north of the line.
as filed, and in English
UES UA /OV BAE/TM 0053/FL370/TP E295/TB OCNL LGT CHOP
- Report
- a routine report filed through UES
- Where
- over BAE
- Time
- 00:53 UTC
- Height
- at 37,000 ft
- Aircraft
- E295
- Turbulence
- occasional light chop
- A320 descending, 39 nm east, 9:09 pm CDT (02:09 UTC): overcast from 1,600 ft to 3,000 ft, remarks: on final runway 18 fnt. At the destination end, 39 nm east of the line.
as filed, and in English
FNT UA /OV FNT/TM 0209/FLDURD/TP A320/SK OVC016 - TOP030/RM ON FINAL RY18 FNT
- Report
- a routine report filed through FNT
- Where
- over FNT
- Time
- 02:09 UTC
- Height
- during the descent
- Aircraft
- A320
- Sky
- overcast from 1,600 ft, tops 3,000 ft
- Remarks
- on final runway 18 fnt
- A320 descending, 31 nm east, 8:35 pm CDT (01:35 UTC): overcast from 1,900 ft to 3,000 ft, remarks: on final runway 09 fnt. At the destination end, 31 nm east of the line.
as filed, and in English
FNT UA /OV FNT270008/TM 0135/FLDURD/TP A320/SK OVC019 - TOP030/RM ON FINAL RY09 FNT
- Report
- a routine report filed through FNT
- Where
- 8 nm west (270°) of FNT
- Time
- 01:35 UTC
- Height
- during the descent
- Aircraft
- A320
- Sky
- overcast from 1,900 ft, tops 3,000 ft
- Remarks
- on final runway 09 fnt
- SR22 at 1,300 ft, 49 nm east, 8:25 pm CDT (01:25 UTC): a routine report with nothing remarked on. At the destination end, 49 nm east of the line.
as filed, and in English
PTK UA /OV PTK270003/TM 0125/FL013/TP SR22/SK BASES 019 OVC
- Report
- a routine report filed through PTK
- Where
- 3 nm west (270°) of PTK
- Time
- 01:25 UTC
- Height
- at 1,300 ft
- Aircraft
- SR22
- Sky
- bases 1,900 ft overcast
- E170 at 21,000 ft, 20 nm south, 8:07 pm CDT (01:07 UTC): light chop turbulence, remarks: during the climb zob. At the destination end, 20 nm south of the line.
as filed, and in English
LAN UA /OV LAN180020/TM 0107/FL210/TP E170/TB LGHT CHOP/RM DURC ZOB
- Report
- a routine report filed through LAN
- Where
- 20 nm south (180°) of LAN
- Time
- 01:07 UTC
- Height
- at 21,000 ft
- Aircraft
- E170
- Turbulence
- lght chop
- Remarks
- during the climb zob
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 2 forecast points nearest it (JOT, MKG). 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 | 260° at 22 kt | −22 kt | 142 kt | 1 h 26 min | 12:31 am EDT (04:31 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 270° at 19 kt | −18 kt | 138 kt | 1 h 28 min | 12:33 am EDT (04:33 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 280° at 15 kt | −15 kt | 12 °C | 135 kt | 1 h 30 min | 12:35 am EDT (04:35 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 270° at 11 kt | −11 kt | 9 °C | 131 kt | 1 h 33 min | 12:38 am EDT (04:38 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 260° at 7 kt | −7 kt | 4 °C | 127 kt | 1 h 36 min | 12:41 am EDT (04:41 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 280° at 10 kt | −10 kt | 0 °C | 130 kt | 1 h 34 min | 12:39 am EDT (04:39 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 290° at 16 kt | −14 kt | -3 °C | 134 kt | 1 h 31 min | 12:36 am EDT (04:36 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 290° at 22 kt | −19 kt | -7 °C | 139 kt | 1 h 28 min | 12:33 am EDT (04:33 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 290° at 24 kt | −20 kt | -8 °C | 140 kt | 1 h 27 min | 12:32 am EDT (04:32 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 290° at 30 kt | −26 kt | -20 °C | 146 kt | 1 h 23 min | 12:28 am EDT (04:28 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 310° at 38 kt | −23 kt | -35 °C | 143 kt | 1 h 25 min | 12:30 am EDT (04:30 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 310° at 54 kt | −37 kt | -44 °C | 157 kt | 1 h 18 min | 12:23 am EDT (04:23 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 310° at 69 kt | −48 kt | -53 °C | 168 kt | 1 h 12 min | 12:17 am EDT (04:17 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; 49 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° |
| MKG | used from 97 nm out; 37 nm from the line | 260/22 | 290/16 15° | 300/11 10° | 290/5 3° | 300/26 -9° | 300/32 -20° | 320/48 -36° | 320/61 -45° | 310/74 -53° |
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 | VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 25,000 feet | from the southeast (140°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 742 ft | 9:54 pm CDT (02:54 UTC) |
| DPA Chicago/West Chicago, IL | 29 nm out, 25 nm south of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (170°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 758 ft | 02:52 UTC |
| UGN Chicago/Waukegan, IL | 58 nm out, 3 nm northwest of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 728 ft | 02:51 UTC |
| BIV Holland, MI | 135 nm out, 8 nm north of the line | VFR Weather: mist | from the south-southeast (150°) at 3 knots | 6 mi | none | 697 ft | 02:53 UTC |
| GRR Grand Rapids, MI | 164 nm out, 12 nm north of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 25,000 feet | from the south-southeast (150°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 793 ft | 02:53 UTC |
| LAN Lansing, MI | destination | VFR | from the south-southeast (160°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 860 ft | 10:53 pm EDT (02:53 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 860 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At LAN when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 12:17 am EDT (04:17 UTC)
Wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies VFR
The whole forecast for LAN
- From Sun 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 1,500 feet
- From Sun 11:00 pm EDT (03:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 9:00 am EDT (13:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
The forecast for RFD, the departure
- From Sun 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 12:00 pm CDT (17:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 12 knots, gusting to 22, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 20,000 feet
- From Mon 6:00 pm CDT (23:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 12 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 12,000 feet
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 LAN 7:01 pm EDT (23:01 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:29 pm EDT (23:29 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at LAN is before sunrise there (7:47 am EDT (11:47 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, Capital Region International.