Chicago/Rockford International to Rickenbacker International RFD → LCK
314 nautical miles (361 statute miles) southeast on a straight line, true course 115°, about 118° magnetic at the departure end (variation 3W). At 120 knots that is 1 h 48 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 54-knot tailwind), arriving about 3:40 am EDT (07:40 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now RFD is VFR, wind calm; LCK is marginal VFR, wind from the west-northwest (300°) at 7 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: 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 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 226 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
- LJ45 at 10,000 ft, 20 nm northeast, 11:31 pm CDT (04:31 UTC): no turbulence, clear, remarks: ground fog at fwa FV10SM on final runway 14. 167 nm along the route, 20 nm northeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
FWA UA /OV OLK/TM 0431/FL100/TP LJ45/SK CLR/TB SMOOTH/RM GROUND FOG AT FWA. FV10SM ON FINAL RY 14
- Report
- a routine report filed through FWA
- Where
- over OLK
- Time
- 04:31 UTC
- Height
- at 10,000 ft
- Aircraft
- LJ45
- Sky
- clear
- Turbulence
- smooth
- Remarks
- ground fog at fwa FV10SM on final runway 14
- MD83 climbing, 0 nm northeast, 12:04 am CDT (05:04 UTC): a routine report with nothing remarked on. At the destination end, 0 nm northeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
CMH UA /OV LCK/TM 0504/FLDURC/TP MD83/SK B010 T037
- Report
- a routine report filed through CMH
- Where
- over LCK
- Time
- 05:04 UTC
- Height
- during the climb
- Aircraft
- MD83
- Sky
- B010 T037
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 3 forecast points nearest it (JOT, FWA, CMH). 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 | 290° at 16 kt | −16 kt | 136 kt | 2 h 19 min | 4:11 am EDT (08:11 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 310° at 18 kt | −18 kt | 138 kt | 2 h 17 min | 4:09 am EDT (08:09 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 310° at 17 kt | −17 kt | 12 °C | 137 kt | 2 h 18 min | 4:10 am EDT (08:10 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 320° at 15 kt | −15 kt | 9 °C | 135 kt | 2 h 20 min | 4:12 am EDT (08:12 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 320° at 13 kt | −11 kt | 5 °C | 131 kt | 2 h 24 min | 4:16 am EDT (08:16 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 320° at 15 kt | −14 kt | 1 °C | 134 kt | 2 h 21 min | 4:13 am EDT (08:13 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 310° at 20 kt | −19 kt | -3 °C | 139 kt | 2 h 16 min | 4:08 am EDT (08:08 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 310° at 24 kt | −24 kt | -7 °C | 144 kt | 2 h 11 min | 4:03 am EDT (08:03 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 310° at 25 kt | −25 kt | -8 °C | 145 kt | 2 h 10 min | 4:02 am EDT (08:02 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 320° at 34 kt | −33 kt | -20 °C | 153 kt | 2 h 03 min | 3:55 am EDT (07:55 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 330° at 45 kt | −39 kt | -36 °C | 159 kt | 1 h 58 min | 3:50 am EDT (07:50 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 320° at 59 kt | −54 kt | -43 °C | 174 kt | 1 h 48 min | 3:40 am EDT (07:40 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 320° at 58 kt | −53 kt | -50 °C | 173 kt | 1 h 49 min | 3:41 am EDT (07:41 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; 36 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° |
| FWA | used from 98 nm out; 68 nm from the line | 300/17 | 320/20 16° | 330/20 10° | 340/15 3° | 310/27 -8° | 320/37 -20° | 330/52 -36° | 330/65 -43° | 330/60 -50° |
| CMH | used from 245 nm out; 42 nm from the line | 330/15 | 340/22 14° | 340/24 9° | 340/23 4° | 340/35 -9° | 340/49 -20° | 340/58 -37° | 330/70 -42° | 340/55 -47° |
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: a broken layer at 25,000 feet | calm | 10+ mi | 25,000 ft | 742 ft | 11:54 pm CDT (04:54 UTC) |
| DPA Chicago/West Chicago, IL | 39 nm out, 2 nm east of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (170°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 758 ft | 04:52 UTC |
| GYY Gary/Chicago, IN | 78 nm out, 4 nm east of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (180°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 596 ft | 05:35 UTC |
| OXI Knox, IN | 118 nm out, 3 nm east of the line | marginal VFR Weather: mist | from the south-southeast (150°) at 3 knots | 5 mi | none | 685 ft | 05:35 UTC |
| RCR Rochester, IN | 147 nm out, 4 nm southwest of the line | VFR | from the south (170°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 789 ft | 05:35 UTC |
| FWA Fort Wayne, IN | 186 nm out, 13 nm northeast of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 400 feet Weather: mist, shallow fog | from the southwest (220°) at 5 knots | 6 mi | none | 814 ft | 04:54 UTC |
| DAY Dayton, OH | 255 nm out, 24 nm south of the line, tower | marginal VFR Sky: overcast at 1,400 feet | from the west (280°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | 1,400 ft | 1,009 ft | 04:56 UTC |
| UYF London, OH | 284 nm out, 7 nm south of the line | IFR Sky: overcast at 900 feet | from the northwest (310°) at 3 knots | 7 mi | 900 ft | 1,081 ft | 05:35 UTC |
| LCK Columbus, OH | destination | marginal VFR Sky: overcast at 1,200 feet | from the west-northwest (300°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | 1,200 ft | 743 ft | 12:55 am EDT (04:55 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,081 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At LCK when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 3:40 am EDT (07:40 UTC)
Wind from the west-northwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 1,200 feet marginal VFR
The whole forecast for LCK
- From Mon 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 1,200 feet
- From Mon 4:00 am EDT (08:00 UTC): wind from the west at 4 knots, visibility 4 miles, mist, overcast at 800 feet
- At times between Mon 6:00 am EDT (10:00 UTC) and 9:00 am EDT (13:00 UTC): visibility 2 miles, mist, scattered clouds at 800 feet
- From Mon 10:00 am EDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 10,000 feet, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
The forecast for RFD, the departure
- From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 12:00 pm CDT (17:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 13 knots, gusting to 23, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 6:00 pm CDT (23:00 UTC): wind from the 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 LCK 6:57 pm EDT (22:57 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:24 pm EDT (23:24 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at LCK is before sunrise there (7:38 am EDT (11:38 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, Rickenbacker International.