Santa Barbara Municipal to Chicago Midway International SBA → MDW
1,569 nautical miles (1,805 statute miles) northeast on a straight line, true course 064°, about 050° magnetic at the departure end (variation 14E). At 120 knots that is 9 h 01 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 54-knot tailwind), arriving about 7:07 am CDT (12:07 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 6E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 10 to 70 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 15,000 ft. Over the route from 60 to 230 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: strong surface winds (30 knots or more) (due to sustained surface winds greater than 30 knots). Near the route, 160 nm along the route.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Over the route from 190 to 540 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the route from 240 to 849 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 260 to 540 nm out.
- 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 290 to 460 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 35,000 ft to 45,000 ft. Near the route, 420 nm along the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 36,000 ft. Over the route from 430 to 889 nm out.
- 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 550 to 759 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 650 to 739 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: 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 869 to 1319 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 SBA.
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 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 14 forecast points nearest it (SBA, WJF, LAS, BCE, GJT, PUB, DEN, GLD, GRI, OMA, DSM, BRL, DBQ, JOT). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.
| Height | Average wind | Head- or tailwind | Temperature | Ground speed | Time en route | Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5,500 ft | 230° at 30 kt | −27 kt | 13 °C | 147 kt | 10 h 40 min | 8:46 am CDT (13:46 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 230° at 27 kt | −25 kt | 11 °C | 145 kt | 10 h 49 min | 8:55 am CDT (13:55 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 230° at 24 kt | −22 kt | 9 °C | 142 kt | 11 h 03 min | 9:09 am CDT (14:09 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 230° at 25 kt | −23 kt | 4 °C | 143 kt | 10 h 58 min | 9:04 am CDT (14:04 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 230° at 27 kt | −25 kt | -1 °C | 145 kt | 10 h 49 min | 8:55 am CDT (13:55 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 230° at 29 kt | −27 kt | -5 °C | 147 kt | 10 h 40 min | 8:46 am CDT (13:46 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 230° at 31 kt | −29 kt | -9 °C | 149 kt | 10 h 32 min | 8:38 am CDT (13:38 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 230° at 32 kt | −30 kt | -10 °C | 150 kt | 10 h 28 min | 8:34 am CDT (13:34 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 230° at 42 kt | −39 kt | -20 °C | 159 kt | 9 h 52 min | 7:58 am CDT (12:58 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 230° at 50 kt | −48 kt | -31 °C | 168 kt | 9 h 20 min | 7:26 am CDT (12:26 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 240° at 53 kt | −54 kt | -37 °C | 174 kt | 9 h 01 min | 7:07 am CDT (12:07 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 240° at 50 kt | −52 kt | -47 °C | 172 kt | 9 h 07 min | 7:13 am CDT (12:13 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SBA | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | L/V | 190/13 5° | 210/20 2° | 220/22 -3° | 260/19 -13° | 230/35 -22° | 220/43 -28° | 220/46 -36° | 220/45 -44° |
| WJF | used from 50 nm out; 18 nm from the line | 200/28 6° | 210/28 3° | 210/29 -4° | 210/28 -14° | 220/41 -20° | 220/47 -29° | 220/46 -37° | 220/53 -44° | |
| LAS | used from 150 nm out; 76 nm from the line | 210/21 10° | 200/18 5° | 200/23 -2° | 210/49 -14° | 210/63 -21° | 220/58 -30° | 220/61 -35° | 210/56 -44° | |
| BCE | used from 350 nm out; 55 nm from the line | 220/27 -1° | 210/40 -13° | 220/54 -21° | 220/64 -30° | 220/64 -34° | 220/52 -44° | |||
| GJT | used from 500 nm out; 99 nm from the line | 210/43 7° | 230/45 1° | 220/49 -12° | 220/62 -22° | 220/59 -28° | 230/60 -33° | 220/55 -45° | ||
| PUB | used from 699 nm out; 74 nm from the line | 230/25 13° | 230/32 6° | 220/44 -8° | 230/49 -21° | 240/70 -28° | 240/67 -34° | 240/58 -46° | ||
| DEN | used from 749 nm out; 43 nm from the line | 240/21 14° | 250/44 6° | 220/49 -8° | 220/49 -21° | 230/54 -30° | 240/57 -35° | 240/49 -45° | ||
| GLD | used from 849 nm out; 52 nm from the line | 230/49 | 230/42 15° | 220/26 8° | 240/18 -7° | 230/27 -21° | 240/62 -30° | 240/61 -35° | 250/57 -47° | |
| GRI | used from 999 nm out; 73 nm from the line | 230/35 21° | 230/23 13° | 220/20 7° | 240/25 -8° | 240/37 -20° | 250/49 -33° | 260/57 -38° | 260/58 -47° | |
| OMA | used from 1149 nm out; 38 nm from the line | 220/47 | 240/33 19° | 250/18 11° | 230/17 6° | 260/29 -8° | 250/33 -19° | 250/51 -33° | 260/61 -40° | 270/62 -49° |
| DSM | used from 1249 nm out; 37 nm from the line | 230/40 | 250/33 17° | 250/18 12° | 240/17 5° | 260/28 -8° | 270/34 -19° | 260/41 -33° | 260/55 -41° | 270/62 -51° |
| BRL | used from 1349 nm out; 55 nm from the line | 230/24 | 240/29 15° | 290/16 10° | 280/15 4° | 260/23 -7° | 260/32 -19° | 260/36 -33° | 280/48 -41° | 280/59 -52° |
| DBQ | used from 1449 nm out; 61 nm from the line | 230/33 | 250/30 16° | 280/15 9° | 260/15 5° | 260/21 -7° | 260/24 -20° | 250/37 -33° | 270/42 -43° | 280/63 -52° |
| JOT | used from 1499 nm out; 28 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° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SBA Santa Barbara, CA | departure | no report just now | 13 ft | ||||
| MHV Mojave, CA | 90 nm out, 2 nm east of the line, tower | no report just now | 2,801 ft | ||||
| VGT Las Vegas, NV | 250 nm out, 3 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 2,205 ft | ||||
| KNB Kanab, UT | 390 nm out, 2 nm south of the line | no report just now | 4,867 ft | ||||
| AIB Nucla, CO | 590 nm out, 2 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 5,945 ft | ||||
| COS Colorado Springs, CO | 769 nm out, 23 nm southeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 6,187 ft | ||||
| SYF St Francis, KS | 919 nm out, 4 nm south of the line | no report just now | 3,429 ft | ||||
| MCK Mc Cook, NE | 979 nm out, 8 nm north of the line | no report just now | 2,582 ft | ||||
| LNK Lincoln, NE | 1159 nm out, 6 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,218 ft | ||||
| DSM Des Moines, IA | 1309 nm out, 21 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 957 ft | ||||
| ARR Chicago/Aurora, IL | 1539 nm out, 3 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 712 ft | ||||
| MDW Chicago, IL | destination | no report just now | 619 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 6,187 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At MDW when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 7:07 am CDT (12:07 UTC)
MDW has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/8890 LAS VEGAS, NV, Tuesday, October 13, 2026 Local on the route, 230 nm along the route · a VIP movement · starts tomorrow · ZLA
- 6/8808 Las Vegas, NV, Tuesday, October 13, 2026 Local 4 nm from the route, 250 nm along the route · security · starts tomorrow · ZLA
- 6/8784 LAKE GEORGE, CO, Sunday, October 11, 2026 through Tuesday, October 13, 2026 UTC 3 nm from the route, 749 nm along the route · a hazard on the ground (fire-fighting, a chemical spill, rescue work) · until 13 October · ZDV
- 6/8770 COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, Saturday, October 10, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 UTC 8 nm from the route, 769 nm along the route · a hazard on the ground (fire-fighting, a chemical spill, rescue work) · until 12 October · ZDV
Daylight
Sunset at SBA 6:28 pm PDT (01:28 UTC), at MDW 6:14 pm CDT (23:14 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:42 pm CDT (23:42 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: Santa Barbara Municipal, Chicago Midway International.