The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Plan a flight · Sun 7:14 pm CDT (00:14 UTC)

Chicago/Rockford International to Harry Reid International RFD → LAS

1,262 nautical miles (1,452 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 262°, about 265° magnetic at the departure end (variation 3W). At 120 knots that is 12 h 30 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 19-knot headwind), arriving about 5:44 am PDT (12:44 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: 210 flights in the DOT's last twelve reported months, the route's page.

The return flight

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 W68W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 36,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 8:55 pm CDT (01:55 UTC). Over the route from 795 to 984 nm out.
    as issued
    WSUS33 KKCI 112355
    MKCW WST 112355
    CONVECTIVE SIGMET 68W
    VALID UNTIL 0155Z
    CO NM AZ UT
    FROM 30W CHE-20NNW TBE-60SE ABQ-40N SJN-30SW MTU-30W CHE
    AREA TS MOV FROM 23040KT. TOPS TO FL360.
  • AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 36,000 ft. Over the last 636 nm of the route.
  • AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the last 556 nm of the route.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the last 457 nm of the route.
  • AIRMET TANGO 1W: 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 825 to 1014 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 3W: strong surface winds (30 knots or more) (due to sustained surface winds greater than 30 knots). Over the route from 954 to 994 nm out.
  • AIRMET ZULU 3C: moderate icing up to 22,000 ft. Over the last 258 nm of the route.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 2E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 1103 to 1232 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 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 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, DSM, OMA, GRI, GLD, DEN, ALS, GJT, BCE, LAS). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

HeightAverage windHead- or tailwindTemperatureGround speedTime en routeArrival
4,500 ft210° at 27 kt+19 kt16 °C101 kt12 h 30 min5:44 am PDT (12:44 UTC)
6,500 ft220° at 26 kt+21 kt16 °C99 kt12 h 45 min5:59 am PDT (12:59 UTC)
8,500 ft220° at 26 kt+21 kt12 °C99 kt12 h 45 min5:59 am PDT (12:59 UTC)
10,500 ft220° at 28 kt+24 kt7 °C96 kt13 h 09 min6:23 am PDT (13:23 UTC)
12,500 ft220° at 28 kt+25 kt3 °C95 kt13 h 17 min6:31 am PDT (13:31 UTC)
14,500 ft230° at 30 kt+28 kt-1 °C92 kt13 h 43 min6:57 am PDT (13:57 UTC)
16,500 ft230° at 32 kt+30 kt-5 °C90 kt14 h 01 min7:15 am PDT (14:15 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180230° at 34 kt+32 kt-9 °C88 kt14 h 20 min7:34 am PDT (14:34 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240230° at 36 kt+35 kt-20 °C85 kt14 h 51 min8:05 am PDT (15:05 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300240° at 44 kt+44 kt-31 °C76 kt16 h 36 min9:50 am PDT (16:50 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340250° at 50 kt+52 kt-38 °C68 kt18 h 34 min11:48 am PDT (18:48 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390260° at 56 kt+58 kt-48 °C62 kt20 h 21 min1:35 pm PDT (20:35 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
PointFrom3,0006,0009,00012,00018,00024,00030,00034,00039,000
DBQused from 0 nm out; 50 nm from the line220/23240/22 16°240/24 10°260/18 5°270/16 -8°290/27 -19°310/42 -35°320/55 -44°300/71 -52°
DSMused from 149 nm out; 34 nm from the line200/32240/27 17°260/19 10°260/16 5°260/19 -7°240/22 -19°270/20 -32°270/38 -42°290/58 -53°
OMAused from 248 nm out; 36 nm from the line190/34230/34 19°250/25 12°250/18 6°250/22 -7°250/28 -19°260/34 -32°260/39 -41°280/56 -51°
GRIused from 348 nm out; 48 nm from the line210/31 19°240/21 14°240/17 6°260/27 -7°260/34 -18°240/45 -32°250/56 -40°260/62 -51°
GLDused from 497 nm out; 85 nm from the line190/29200/30 15°240/23 8°250/39 -7°230/39 -19°230/57 -31°240/67 -39°250/62 -49°
DENused from 646 nm out; 54 nm from the line190/31 16°210/32 7°240/41 -8°230/47 -21°240/56 -32°250/65 -37°250/61 -47°
ALSused from 795 nm out; 92 nm from the line210/32 5°230/48 -8°230/49 -20°230/78 -30°240/74 -36°240/61 -47°
GJTused from 845 nm out; 55 nm from the line210/40 11°210/46 3°210/61 -10°210/68 -22°220/57 -29°230/59 -36°240/66 -46°
BCEused from 994 nm out; 78 nm from the line210/47 0°200/50 -12°220/31 -23°220/56 -26°220/58 -35°230/58 -45°
LASused from 1192 nm out; 45 nm from the line200/25 11°230/22 5°240/25 -1°220/37 -12°220/44 -21°210/52 -27°210/60 -34°220/58 -44°

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

AirportWhereConditionsWindVisibilityCeilingElevationReported
RFD Chicago/Rockford, IL departure no report just now 742 ft
CID Cedar Rapids, IA 119 nm out, 1 nm east of the line, tower no report just now 869 ft
DSM Des Moines, IA 209 nm out, 5 nm south of the line, tower no report just now 957 ft
OMA Omaha, NE 308 nm out, 3 nm northwest of the line, tower no report just now 984 ft
GRI Grand Island, NE 417 nm out, 9 nm northwest of the line, tower no report just now 1,847 ft
RYA Wray, CO 606 nm out, 7 nm north of the line no report just now 3,677 ft
APA Denver, CO 735 nm out, 14 nm north of the line, tower no report just now 5,884 ft
ASE Aspen, CO 825 nm out, 24 nm northwest of the line, tower no report just now 7,837 ft
MTJ Montrose, CO 884 nm out, 2 nm west of the line no report just now 5,758 ft
KNB Kanab, UT 1123 nm out, 1 nm southwest of the line no report just now 4,867 ft
AZC Colorado City, AZ 1143 nm out, 7 nm northwest of the line no report just now 4,873 ft
LAS Las Vegas, NV destination no report just now 2,183 ft

The highest airport on this list sits at 7,837 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At LAS when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 5:44 am PDT (12:44 UTC)

LAS has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.

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

  • 6/8770 COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, Saturday, October 10, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 UTC 16 nm from the route, 745 nm along the route · a hazard on the ground (fire-fighting, a chemical spill, rescue work) · until 12 October · ZDV
  • 6/8784 LAKE GEORGE, CO, Sunday, October 11, 2026 through Tuesday, October 13, 2026 UTC 10 nm from the route, 765 nm along the route · a hazard on the ground (fire-fighting, a chemical spill, rescue work) · until 13 October · ZDV
  • 6/8890 LAS VEGAS, NV, Tuesday, October 13, 2026 Local on the route, at the destination end · a VIP movement · starts tomorrow · ZLA
  • 6/8808 Las Vegas, NV, Tuesday, October 13, 2026 Local on the route, at the destination end · security · starts tomorrow · ZLA

Daylight

Sunset at RFD 6:21 pm CDT (23:21 UTC), at LAS 6:08 pm PDT (01:08 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:34 pm PDT (01:34 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at LAS is before sunrise there (6:44 am PDT (13:44 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
Radar now, the upper Mississippi valley · loop National Weather Service
Radar now, the northern Rockies
Radar now, the northern Rockies · loop National Weather Service
Radar now, the southern Rockies
Radar now, the southern Rockies · loop National Weather Service
Radar, the whole country
Radar, the whole country · loop National Weather Service
Surface analysis now
Surface analysis now Weather Prediction Center
Forecast chart, 12 hours ahead
Forecast chart, 12 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center
Forecast chart, 24 hours ahead
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/Rockford International, Harry Reid International.