The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Plan a flight · Mon 2:51 am EDT (06:51 UTC)

South Bend International to Fort Wayne International SBN → FWA

67 nautical miles (77 statute miles) southeast on a straight line, true course 131°, about 136° magnetic at the departure end (variation 5W). At 120 knots that is 22 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 61-knot tailwind), arriving about 3:13 am EDT (07:13 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now SBN is VFR, wind calm; FWA is marginal VFR, wind from the south (180°) at 4 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: 463 flights in the DOT's last twelve reported months, the route's page.

The return flight

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 whole 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, 4 nm north, 12:31 am EDT (04:31 UTC): no turbulence, clear, remarks: ground fog at fwa FV10SM on final runway 14. 48 nm along the route, 4 nm north 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 1 forecast point nearest it (FWA). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

HeightAverage windHead- or tailwindTemperatureGround speedTime en routeArrival
3,500 ft300° at 17 kt−17 kt137 kt29 min3:20 am EDT (07:20 UTC)
5,500 ft320° at 19 kt−19 kt139 kt29 min3:20 am EDT (07:20 UTC)
7,500 ft320° at 20 kt−19 kt13 °C139 kt29 min3:20 am EDT (07:20 UTC)
9,500 ft330° at 19 kt−18 kt9 °C138 kt29 min3:20 am EDT (07:20 UTC)
11,500 ft340° at 16 kt−14 kt4 °C134 kt30 min3:21 am EDT (07:21 UTC)
13,500 ft330° at 17 kt−17 kt0 °C137 kt29 min3:20 am EDT (07:20 UTC)
15,500 ft320° at 21 kt−21 kt-3 °C141 kt29 min3:20 am EDT (07:20 UTC)
17,500 ft310° at 26 kt−26 kt-7 °C146 kt28 min3:19 am EDT (07:19 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180310° at 27 kt−27 kt-8 °C147 kt27 min3:18 am EDT (07:18 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240320° at 37 kt−37 kt-20 °C157 kt26 min3:17 am EDT (07:17 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300330° at 52 kt−49 kt-36 °C169 kt24 min3:15 am EDT (07:15 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340330° at 65 kt−61 kt-43 °C181 kt22 min3:13 am EDT (07:13 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390330° at 60 kt−57 kt-50 °C177 kt23 min3:14 am EDT (07:14 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
PointFrom3,0006,0009,00012,00018,00024,00030,00034,00039,000
FWAused from 0 nm out; 43 nm from the line300/17320/20 16°330/20 10°340/15 3°310/27 -8°320/37 -20°330/52 -36°330/65 -43°330/60 -50°

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

AirportWhereConditionsWindVisibilityCeilingElevationReported
SBN South Bend, IN departure VFR calm 8 mi none 798 ft 2:09 am EDT (06:09 UTC)
ASW Warsaw, IN 29 nm out, 7 nm south of the line VFR calm 7 mi none 849 ft 06:35 UTC
FWA Fort Wayne, IN destination marginal VFR Weather: mist, shallow fog from the south (180°) at 4 knots 5 mi none 814 ft 1:54 am EDT (05:54 UTC)

The highest airport on this list sits at 849 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At FWA when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 3:13 am EDT (07:13 UTC)

Wind light and variable, visibility 3 miles, mist, a few clouds at 1,000 feet marginal VFR

The whole forecast for FWA
  • From Mon 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility 3 miles, mist, a few clouds at 1,000 feet
  • From Mon 3:30 am EDT (07:30 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility 2 miles, mist, scattered clouds at 1,000 feet
  • At times between Mon 4:00 am EDT (08:00 UTC) and 7:00 am EDT (11:00 UTC): visibility ½ mile, fog, a broken layer at 500 feet
  • From Mon 9:00 am EDT (13:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 11 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

No temporary flight restriction on or near this route right now.

Daylight

Sunset at SBN 7:09 pm EDT (23:09 UTC), at FWA 7:05 pm EDT (23:05 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:32 pm EDT (23:32 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at FWA is before sunrise there (7:48 am EDT (11:48 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
Radar now, the central Great Lakes · loop National Weather Service
Radar, the whole country
Radar, the whole country · loop National Weather Service
Surface analysis now
Surface analysis now Weather Prediction Center
Forecast chart, 12 hours ahead
Forecast chart, 12 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center
Forecast chart, 24 hours ahead
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, Fort Wayne International.