Plan a flight · Mon 1:44 am EDT (05:44 UTC)

South Bend International to Charlotte/Douglas International SBN → CLT

464 nautical miles (534 statute miles) southeast on a straight line, true course 145°, about 150° magnetic at the departure end (variation 5W). At 120 knots that is 2 h 38 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 56-knot tailwind), arriving about 4:22 am EDT (08:22 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now SBN is VFR, wind calm; CLT is 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: 1,986 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 first 395 nm of the route.
AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 277 to 405 nm out.
AIRMET TANGO 5W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) from 29,000 ft to 40,000 ft. Over the route from 356 to 435 nm out.
AIRMET TANGO 5W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 10,000 ft. Over the last 99 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 SBN.

Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first

LJ45 at 10,000 ft, 15 nm east, 12:31 am EDT (04:31 UTC): no turbulence, clear, remarks: ground fog at fwa FV10SM on final runway 14. 40 nm along the route, 15 nm east 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

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 5 forecast points nearest it (FWA, CVG, CRW, TRI, GSP). 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	320° at 19 kt	−19 kt		139 kt	3 h 20 min	5:04 am EDT (09:04 UTC)
5,500 ft	330° at 23 kt	−23 kt	11 °C	143 kt	3 h 15 min	4:59 am EDT (08:59 UTC)
7,500 ft	340° at 26 kt	−25 kt	11 °C	145 kt	3 h 12 min	4:56 am EDT (08:56 UTC)
9,500 ft	340° at 27 kt	−27 kt	8 °C	147 kt	3 h 09 min	4:53 am EDT (08:53 UTC)
11,500 ft	340° at 26 kt	−26 kt	4 °C	146 kt	3 h 11 min	4:55 am EDT (08:55 UTC)
13,500 ft	340° at 27 kt	−27 kt	0 °C	147 kt	3 h 09 min	4:53 am EDT (08:53 UTC)
15,500 ft	330° at 29 kt	−29 kt	-3 °C	149 kt	3 h 07 min	4:51 am EDT (08:51 UTC)
17,500 ft	330° at 31 kt	−31 kt	-7 °C	151 kt	3 h 04 min	4:48 am EDT (08:48 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180	330° at 31 kt	−31 kt	-8 °C	151 kt	3 h 04 min	4:48 am EDT (08:48 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240	330° at 38 kt	−38 kt	-20 °C	158 kt	2 h 56 min	4:40 am EDT (08:40 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300	330° at 46 kt	−46 kt	-35 °C	166 kt	2 h 48 min	4:32 am EDT (08:32 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340	330° at 56 kt	−56 kt	-40 °C	176 kt	2 h 38 min	4:22 am EDT (08:22 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390	320° at 45 kt	−45 kt	-48 °C	165 kt	2 h 49 min	4:33 am EDT (08:33 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
FWA	used from 0 nm out; 44 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°
CVG	used from 99 nm out; 58 nm from the line	320/18	350/32 16°	350/35 10°	350/30 3°	330/30 -7°	340/44 -20°	340/58 -35°	330/72 -41°	320/36 -49°
CRW	used from 247 nm out; 74 nm from the line	330/20	330/23 11°	340/25 8°	340/21 2°	340/33 -9°	340/41 -20°	330/42 -35°	320/44 -39°	320/43 -47°
TRI	used from 296 nm out; 46 nm from the line		330/22 11°	330/29 7°	330/32 3°	330/36 -8°	320/34 -19°	320/36 -34°	320/43 -39°	320/46 -47°
GSP	used from 444 nm out; 63 nm from the line	320/22	340/19 13°	320/18 8°	310/24 5°	300/34 -7°	300/36 -18°	290/30 -33°	300/32 -39°	320/42 -49°

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
SBN South Bend, IN	departure	VFR	calm	9 mi	none	798 ft	12:54 am EDT (04:54 UTC)
ASW Warsaw, IN	30 nm out, 5 nm east of the line	VFR	calm	7 mi	none	849 ft	05:35 UTC
FWA Fort Wayne, IN	69 nm out, 18 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
MIE Muncie, IN	99 nm out, 15 nm southwest of the line, tower	marginal VFR Weather: mist	from the south-southwest (200°) at 3 knots	5 mi	none	937 ft	04:53 UTC
LUK Cincinnati, OH	178 nm out, 15 nm southwest of the line, tower	low IFR Sky: a few clouds at 200 feet, a broken layer at 2,500 feet Weather: fog	from the south-southwest (210°) at 4 knots	0.25 mi	2,500 ft	481 ft	05:38 UTC
GEO Georgetown, OH	207 nm out, 5 nm northwest of the line	no report just now				957 ft
SYM Morehead, KY	247 nm out, 12 nm west of the line	low IFR Sky: overcast at 300 feet Weather: light rain	variable at 5 knots	1.5 mi	300 ft	1,028 ft	23:22 UTC
PBX Pikeville, KY	306 nm out, 8 nm northeast of the line	low IFR Sky: overcast at 300 feet	from the west (260°) at 4 knots	7 mi	300 ft	1,464 ft	05:35 UTC
TRI Bristol/Johnson/Kingsport, TN	365 nm out, 21 nm southwest of the line, tower	marginal VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 1,200 feet, a broken layer at 2,000 feet, overcast at 2,600 feet	from the west-southwest (240°) at 10 knots	10+ mi	2,000 ft	1,518 ft	04:53 UTC
MRN Morganton, NC	415 nm out, 9 nm southwest of the line	VFR	from the southwest (220°) at 4 knots	10+ mi	none	1,269 ft	05:35 UTC
HKY Hickory, NC	425 nm out, 2 nm southwest of the line, tower	VFR	from the west (270°) at 5 knots	10+ mi	none	1,189 ft	04:53 UTC
CLT Charlotte, NC	destination	VFR Sky: a few clouds at 5,000 feet	from the west-southwest (250°) at 7 knots	10+ mi	none	747 ft	12:52 am EDT (04:52 UTC)

The highest airport on this list sits at 1,518 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At CLT when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 4:22 am EDT (08:22 UTC)

Wind from the west at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 5,000 feet VFR

The whole forecast for CLT

From Mon 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the west at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 5,000 feet
From Mon 8:00 am EDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the west at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
From Mon 11:00 am EDT (15:00 UTC): wind from the north-northwest at 10 knots, gusting to 18, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
From Mon 7:00 pm EDT (23:00 UTC): wind from the north-northwest at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet

The forecast for SBN, the departure

From Mon 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
At times between Mon 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC) and 5:00 am EDT (09:00 UTC): visibility 2 miles, mist
From Mon 6:00 am EDT (10:00 UTC): wind from the south at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
From Mon 2:00 pm EDT (18:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 12 knots, gusting to 20, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
From Mon 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 10,000 feet

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

6/8029 Cincinnati, OH, Friday, October 9, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local 22 nm from the route, 178 nm along the route · a VIP movement · until 12 October · ZID

Daylight

Sunset at SBN 7:09 pm EDT (23:09 UTC), at CLT 6:52 pm EDT (22:52 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:18 pm EDT (23:18 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at CLT is before sunrise there (7:27 am EDT (11:27 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 central Great Lakes · loop National Weather Service

Radar now, the lower Mississippi valley · loop National Weather Service

Radar now, the Southeast · loop National Weather Service

Radar, the whole country · loop National Weather Service

Surface analysis now Weather Prediction Center

Forecast chart, 12 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center

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: South Bend International, Charlotte/Douglas International.