Chicago/Rockford International to Hampton Roads Executive RFD → PVG
669 nautical miles (770 statute miles) southeast on a straight line, true course 115°, about 118° magnetic at the departure end (variation 3W). At 120 knots that is 3 h 56 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 50-knot tailwind), arriving about 8:37 am EDT (12:37 UTC). Right now RFD is VFR, wind from the south-southeast (160°) at 3 knots; PVG is marginal VFR, wind from the west-southwest (250°) 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: 29 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, fog). Over the route from 170 to 579 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 389 to 529 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 5W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 10,000 ft. Over the route from 469 to 629 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) from 30,000 ft to 41,000 ft. Over the last 60 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
- B739 at 35,000 ft, 48 nm south, 2:05 am CDT (07:05 UTC): no turbulence. 70 nm along the route, 48 nm south of the line.
as filed, and in English
TIP UA /OV RBS010023/TM 0705/FL350/TP B739/TB NEG
- Report
- a routine report filed through TIP
- Where
- 23 nm north (010°) of RBS
- Time
- 07:05 UTC
- Height
- at 35,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B739
- Turbulence
- none
- E145 at 800 ft, 14 nm northeast, 1:07 am CDT (06:07 UTC): a routine report with nothing remarked on. 609 nm along the route, 14 nm northeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
RIC UA /OV RIC340001/TM 0607/FL008/TP E145
- Report
- a routine report filed through RIC
- Where
- 1 nm north (340°) of RIC
- Time
- 06:07 UTC
- Height
- at 800 ft
- Aircraft
- E145
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 7 forecast points nearest it (JOT, FWA, CMH, CRW, EKN, RIC, ORF). 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 | 300° at 17 kt | −18 kt | 138 kt | 4 h 51 min | 9:32 am EDT (13:32 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 320° at 19 kt | −18 kt | 10 °C | 138 kt | 4 h 51 min | 9:32 am EDT (13:32 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 320° at 20 kt | −18 kt | 11 °C | 138 kt | 4 h 51 min | 9:32 am EDT (13:32 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 330° at 21 kt | −19 kt | 8 °C | 139 kt | 4 h 49 min | 9:30 am EDT (13:30 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 320° at 23 kt | −22 kt | 4 °C | 142 kt | 4 h 43 min | 9:24 am EDT (13:24 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 320° at 25 kt | −24 kt | 0 °C | 144 kt | 4 h 39 min | 9:20 am EDT (13:20 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 320° at 28 kt | −27 kt | -3 °C | 147 kt | 4 h 33 min | 9:14 am EDT (13:14 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 310° at 30 kt | −29 kt | -7 °C | 149 kt | 4 h 29 min | 9:10 am EDT (13:10 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 310° at 31 kt | −30 kt | -8 °C | 150 kt | 4 h 28 min | 9:09 am EDT (13:09 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 320° at 33 kt | −32 kt | -20 °C | 152 kt | 4 h 24 min | 9:05 am EDT (13:05 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 310° at 38 kt | −37 kt | -35 °C | 157 kt | 4 h 16 min | 8:57 am EDT (12:57 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 310° at 50 kt | −49 kt | -42 °C | 169 kt | 3 h 58 min | 8:39 am EDT (12:39 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 310° at 50 kt | −50 kt | -50 °C | 170 kt | 3 h 56 min | 8:37 am EDT (12:37 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; 35 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 100 nm out; 66 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° |
| CMH | used from 250 nm out; 37 nm from the line | 320/12 | 340/26 15° | 340/22 9° | 320/24 3° | 320/32 -7° | 320/36 -20° | 330/42 -35° | 320/59 -44° | 320/57 -50° |
| CRW | used from 350 nm out; 58 nm from the line | 320/17 | 340/23 12° | 340/32 8° | 340/35 4° | 330/40 -7° | 340/45 -20° | 340/57 -34° | 340/64 -42° | 320/38 -50° |
| EKN | used from 399 nm out; 46 nm from the line | 330/20 10° | 350/29 7° | 340/32 2° | 340/44 -8° | 350/50 -21° | 350/63 -35° | 340/69 -40° | 330/42 -50° | |
| RIC | used from 549 nm out; 39 nm from the line | 350/34 | 340/27 12° | 340/36 8° | 330/31 3° | 310/32 -9° | 320/34 -21° | 300/37 -34° | 290/37 -39° | 290/42 -46° |
| ORF | used from 649 nm out; 21 nm from the line | 310/30 | 320/27 11° | 310/30 8° | 320/30 3° | 290/36 -8° | 270/40 -21° | 250/52 -32° | 250/50 -39° | 260/42 -48° |
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 | from the south-southeast (160°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | 25,000 ft | 742 ft | 2:54 am CDT (07:54 UTC) |
| DPA Chicago/West Chicago, IL | 40 nm out, 2 nm east of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (180°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 758 ft | 07:52 UTC |
| GYY Gary/Chicago, IN | 80 nm out, 3 nm east of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southwest (200°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 596 ft | 08:15 UTC |
| FWA Fort Wayne, IN | 190 nm out, 12 nm northeast of the line, tower | IFR Sky: a few clouds at 30,000 feet Weather: mist, shallow fog | from the south (190°) at 4 knots | 2.5 mi | none | 814 ft | 07:54 UTC |
| DAY Dayton, OH | 260 nm out, 25 nm southwest of the line, tower | low IFR Sky: overcast at 400 feet | from the west-northwest (300°) at 5 knots | 8 mi | 400 ft | 1,009 ft | 07:56 UTC |
| TZR Columbus, OH | 300 nm out, 3 nm southeast of the line, tower | IFR Sky: overcast at 900 feet | from the west-northwest (300°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | 900 ft | 904 ft | 08:15 UTC |
| PKB Parkersburg, WV | 389 nm out, 9 nm north of the line, tower | marginal VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 1,000 feet, a broken layer at 1,400 feet, overcast at 2,100 feet | from the west (280°) at 5 knots | 9 mi | 1,400 ft | 858 ft | 08:33 UTC |
| USW Spencer, WV | 409 nm out, 17 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 928 ft | ||||
| SHD Staunton/Waynesboro/Harrisonburg, VA | 519 nm out, 14 nm northeast of the line | low IFR Sky: overcast at 200 feet Weather: fog | calm | 0.5 mi | 200 ft | 1,201 ft | 08:35 UTC |
| CHO Charlottesville, VA | 549 nm out, 18 nm north of the line, tower | VFR Sky: overcast at 9,000 feet | calm | 10+ mi | 9,000 ft | 640 ft | 07:53 UTC |
| RIC Richmond, VA | 609 nm out, 14 nm northeast of the line, tower | IFR Sky: overcast at 700 feet Weather: mist | from the northwest (310°) at 9 knots | 4 mi | 700 ft | 167 ft | 07:54 UTC |
| PVG Norfolk, VA | destination | marginal VFR Sky: overcast at 2,100 feet | from the west-southwest (250°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | 2,100 ft | 28 ft | 3:56 am EDT (07:56 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,201 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At PVG when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 8:37 am EDT (12:37 UTC)
PVG has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
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 PVG 6:33 pm EDT (22:33 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:59 pm EDT (22:59 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, Hampton Roads Executive.