Chicago/Rockford International to Arnold Palmer Regional RFD → LBE
452 nautical miles (520 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 102°, about 105° magnetic at the departure end (variation 3W). At 120 knots that is 2 h 35 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 55-knot tailwind), arriving about 9:18 am EDT (13:18 UTC). 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 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 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 285 nm of the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, mist). Over the last 39 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
- CRJ2 at 5,500 ft, 32 nm south, 4:45 am CDT (09:45 UTC): mist. 187 nm along the route, 32 nm south of the line.
as filed, and in English
FWA UA /OV FWA/TM 0945/FL055/TP CRJ2/WX MIST
- Report
- a routine report filed through FWA
- Where
- over FWA
- Time
- 09:45 UTC
- Height
- at 5,500 ft
- Aircraft
- CRJ2
- Weather
- shallow st
- B737 at 39,000 ft, 49 nm south, 3:40 am CDT (08:40 UTC): light chop turbulence. 314 nm along the route, 49 nm south of the line.
as filed, and in English
CMH UA /OV APE/TM 0840/FL390/TP B737/TB CONS LGT CHOP 390 NEG 350-330
- Report
- a routine report filed through CMH
- Where
- over APE
- Time
- 08:40 UTC
- Height
- at 39,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B737
- Turbulence
- continuous light chop at 39,000 ft no from 35,000 ft to 33,000 ft
- A21N descending, 28 nm north, 5:11 am CDT (10:11 UTC): no turbulence, 12 °C. 324 nm along the route, 28 nm north of the line.
as filed, and in English
CLE UA /OV CLE230005/TM 1011/FLDURD/TP A21N/SK B018 T035/TA +12/TB SMOOTH
- Report
- a routine report filed through CLE
- Where
- 5 nm southwest (230°) of CLE
- Time
- 10:11 UTC
- Height
- during the descent
- Aircraft
- A21N
- Sky
- B018 T035
- Temperature
- +12
- Turbulence
- smooth
- GL7T at 1,500 ft, 5 nm west, 4:02 am CDT (09:02 UTC): a routine report with nothing remarked on. 432 nm along the route, 5 nm west of the line.
as filed, and in English
AGC UA /OV KAGC/TM 0902/FL015/TP GL7T/SK B015
- Report
- a routine report filed through AGC
- Where
- over KAGC
- Time
- 09:02 UTC
- Height
- at 1,500 ft
- Aircraft
- GL7T
- Sky
- B015
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 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 4 forecast points nearest it (JOT, FWA, CLE, AGC). 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 | 280° at 14 kt | −14 kt | 134 kt | 3 h 22 min | 10:05 am EDT (14:05 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 310° at 14 kt | −13 kt | 133 kt | 3 h 24 min | 10:07 am EDT (14:07 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 310° at 14 kt | −12 kt | 12 °C | 132 kt | 3 h 25 min | 10:08 am EDT (14:08 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 310° at 14 kt | −13 kt | 8 °C | 133 kt | 3 h 24 min | 10:07 am EDT (14:07 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 300° at 18 kt | −17 kt | 4 °C | 137 kt | 3 h 18 min | 10:01 am EDT (14:01 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 300° at 21 kt | −20 kt | 0 °C | 140 kt | 3 h 14 min | 9:57 am EDT (13:57 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 310° at 24 kt | −23 kt | -3 °C | 143 kt | 3 h 10 min | 9:53 am EDT (13:53 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 310° at 27 kt | −25 kt | -7 °C | 145 kt | 3 h 07 min | 9:50 am EDT (13:50 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 310° at 28 kt | −26 kt | -8 °C | 146 kt | 3 h 06 min | 9:49 am EDT (13:49 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 310° at 31 kt | −29 kt | -20 °C | 149 kt | 3 h 02 min | 9:45 am EDT (13:45 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 310° at 36 kt | −34 kt | -35 °C | 154 kt | 2 h 56 min | 9:39 am EDT (13:39 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 310° at 53 kt | −49 kt | -44 °C | 169 kt | 2 h 40 min | 9:23 am EDT (13:23 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 310° at 60 kt | −55 kt | -51 °C | 175 kt | 2 h 35 min | 9:18 am EDT (13:18 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JOT | used from 0 nm out; 40 nm from the line | 250/25 | 260/22 14° | 250/17 9° | 270/21 5° | 280/28 -8° | 280/36 -20° | 270/41 -35° | 280/57 -42° | 290/65 -50° |
| FWA | used from 98 nm out; 72 nm from the line | 270/20 | 300/16 15° | 290/14 10° | 280/17 3° | 290/25 -7° | 280/30 -19° | 280/34 -35° | 290/48 -44° | 300/64 -52° |
| CLE | used from 246 nm out; 64 nm from the line | 310/7 | 350/20 14° | 340/16 9° | 320/21 2° | 320/32 -8° | 330/34 -20° | 330/45 -36° | 320/60 -45° | 320/64 -51° |
| AGC | used from 393 nm out; 11 nm from the line | 340/11 | 350/12 11° | 360/25 7° | 340/30 2° | 340/41 -8° | 340/44 -21° | 350/59 -36° | 340/68 -42° | 340/50 -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 | ||||
| DPA Chicago/West Chicago, IL | 39 nm out, 9 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 758 ft | ||||
| ORD Chicago, IL | 59 nm out, 5 nm west of the line, tower | no report just now | 680 ft | ||||
| SBN South Bend, IN | 128 nm out, 2 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 798 ft | ||||
| EKM Elkhart, IN | 138 nm out, 4 nm east of the line, tower | no report just now | 777 ft | ||||
| DFI Defiance, OH | 216 nm out, 3 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 706 ft | ||||
| TOL Toledo, OH | 236 nm out, 19 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 683 ft | ||||
| MFD Mansfield, OH | 305 nm out, 10 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,297 ft | ||||
| CAK Akron, OH | 354 nm out, 9 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,225 ft | ||||
| BVI Beaver Falls, PA | 403 nm out, 15 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,252 ft | ||||
| PIT Pittsburgh, PA | 413 nm out, 1 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,202 ft | ||||
| LBE Latrobe, PA | destination | no report just now | 1,198 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,297 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At LBE when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 9:18 am EDT (13:18 UTC)
LBE has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/8829 Youngstown, OH, Monday, October 12, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local 22 nm from the route, 383 nm along the route · a VIP movement · today · ZOB
- 6/8587 Youngstown, OH, Monday, October 12, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local 2 nm from the route, 383 nm along the route · a VIP movement · today · ZOB
Daylight
Sunset at RFD 6:19 pm CDT (23:19 UTC), at LBE 6:42 pm EDT (22:42 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:10 pm EDT (23:10 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, Arnold Palmer Regional.