Sarasota/Bradenton International to Chicago Midway International SRQ → MDW
901 nautical miles (1,037 statute miles) north on a straight line, true course 345°, about 350° magnetic at the departure end (variation 5W). At 120 knots that is 8 h 50 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 18-knot headwind), arriving about 6:48 am CDT (11:48 UTC), after sunset at the destination. 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: 1,017 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 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 446 to 485 nm out.
- 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 route from 515 to 525 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 SRQ.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
- CRJ9 at 32,000 ft, 26 nm west, 10:00 pm EDT (02:00 UTC): moderate chop turbulence, remarks: ZTLFD-22. 376 nm along the route, 26 nm west of the line.
as filed, and in English
ATL UA /OV ATL240035/TM 0200/FL320/TP CRJ9/TB OCNL MOD CHOP /RM ZTLFD-22
- Report
- a routine report filed through ATL
- Where
- 35 nm southwest (240°) of ATL
- Time
- 02:00 UTC
- Height
- at 32,000 ft
- Aircraft
- CRJ9
- Turbulence
- occasional moderate chop
- Remarks
- ZTLFD-22
- B738 at 36,000 ft, 45 nm east, 8:23 pm EDT (00:23 UTC): light chop turbulence. 99 nm along the route, 45 nm east of the line.
as filed, and in English
OCF UA /OV OCF/TM 0023/FL360/TP B738/TB LGT CHOP
- Report
- a routine report filed through OCF
- Where
- over OCF
- Time
- 00:23 UTC
- Height
- at 36,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B738
- Turbulence
- light chop
- E170 at 32,000 ft, 5 nm west, 8:07 pm EDT (00:07 UTC): light turbulence. 158 nm along the route, 5 nm west of the line.
as filed, and in English
CTY UA /OV CTY320030/TM 0007/FL320/TP E170/TB CONS LGT
- Report
- a routine report filed through CTY
- Where
- 30 nm northwest (320°) of CTY
- Time
- 00:07 UTC
- Height
- at 32,000 ft
- Aircraft
- E170
- Turbulence
- continuous light
- A321 at 34,000 ft, 43 nm west, 8:01 pm EDT (00:01 UTC): light chop turbulence. 198 nm along the route, 43 nm west of the line.
as filed, and in English
TLH UA /OV TLH/TM 0001/FL340/TP A321/TB OCNL LGT CHOP
- Report
- a routine report filed through TLH
- Where
- over TLH
- Time
- 00:01 UTC
- Height
- at 34,000 ft
- Aircraft
- A321
- Turbulence
- occasional light chop
- B747 at 33,000 ft, 38 nm west, 9:02 pm EDT (01:02 UTC): no turbulence. 228 nm along the route, 38 nm west of the line.
as filed, and in English
TLH UA /OV TLH360025/TM 0102/FL330/TP B747/TB NEG
- Report
- a routine report filed through TLH
- Where
- 25 nm north (360°) of TLH
- Time
- 01:02 UTC
- Height
- at 33,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B747
- Turbulence
- none
- E170 at 33,000 ft, 35 nm west, 9:53 pm EDT (01:53 UTC): light chop turbulence, remarks: ZTLFD-22. 406 nm along the route, 35 nm west of the line.
as filed, and in English
ATL UA /OV ATL280045/TM 0153/FL330/TP E170/TB CONS LGT CHOP /RM ZTLFD-22
- Report
- a routine report filed through ATL
- Where
- 45 nm west (280°) of ATL
- Time
- 01:53 UTC
- Height
- at 33,000 ft
- Aircraft
- E170
- Turbulence
- continuous light chop
- Remarks
- ZTLFD-22
- B739 at 34,000 ft, 39 nm west, 9:51 pm EDT (01:51 UTC): light to moderate chop turbulence, remarks: zme. 604 nm along the route, 39 nm west of the line.
as filed, and in English
BWG UA /OV BWG270010/TM 0151/FL340/TP B739/TB CONS LGT OCNL MOD CHOP/RM ZME
- Report
- a routine report filed through BWG
- Where
- 10 nm west (270°) of BWG
- Time
- 01:51 UTC
- Height
- at 34,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B739
- Turbulence
- continuous light occasional moderate chop
- Remarks
- zme
- B38M at 21,000 ft, 30 nm east, 9:09 pm EDT (01:09 UTC): no turbulence, no icing. 663 nm along the route, 30 nm east of the line.
as filed, and in English
SDF UA /OV IIU/TM 0109/FL210/TP B38M/TB NEG/IC NEG
- Report
- a routine report filed through SDF
- Where
- over IIU
- Time
- 01:09 UTC
- Height
- at 21,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B38M
- Turbulence
- none
- Icing
- none
- A21N at 17,000 ft, 14 nm east, 9:28 pm EDT (01:28 UTC): no icing, clear from 17,000 ft to 60,000 ft, remarks: clear since departing KIND southbound. 723 nm along the route, 14 nm east of the line.
as filed, and in English
IND UA /OV IND183045/TM 0128/FL170/TP A21N/SK SKC/IC NEG/RM CLR SINCE DEPARTING KIND SOUTHBOUND
- Report
- a routine report filed through IND
- Where
- 45 nm south (183°) of IND
- Time
- 01:28 UTC
- Height
- at 17,000 ft
- Aircraft
- A21N
- Sky
- clear
- Icing
- none
- Remarks
- clear since departing KIND southbound
- B39M at 35,000 ft, 3 nm northeast, 8:29 pm EDT (00:29 UTC): no turbulence, remarks: smooth. At the destination end, 3 nm northeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
IKK UA /OV CGT/TM 0029/FL350/TP B39M/TB NEG/RM SMOOTH
- Report
- a routine report filed through IKK
- Where
- over CGT
- Time
- 00:29 UTC
- Height
- at 35,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B39M
- Turbulence
- none
- Remarks
- smooth
- CRJ7 at 17,000 ft, 39 nm northeast, 8:04 pm EDT (00:04 UTC): no turbulence. At the destination end, 39 nm northeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
BEH UA /OV ELX270040/TM 0004/FL170/TP CRJ7/TB NEG
- Report
- a routine report filed through BEH
- Where
- 40 nm west (270°) of ELX
- Time
- 00:04 UTC
- Height
- at 17,000 ft
- Aircraft
- CRJ7
- Turbulence
- none
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 westbound cruising heights for this course (VFR: even thousands plus 500 ft; above 18,000 ft the forecast levels), with the wind averaged along the line from the 9 forecast points nearest it (PIE, TLH, CSG, ATL, TYS, BNA, LOU, IND, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4,500 ft | 320° at 20 kt | +18 kt | 102 kt | 8 h 50 min | 6:48 am CDT (11:48 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 330° at 23 kt | +23 kt | 15 °C | 97 kt | 9 h 17 min | 7:15 am CDT (12:15 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 330° at 24 kt | +24 kt | 12 °C | 96 kt | 9 h 23 min | 7:21 am CDT (12:21 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 330° at 22 kt | +22 kt | 8 °C | 98 kt | 9 h 12 min | 7:10 am CDT (12:10 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 330° at 20 kt | +19 kt | 5 °C | 101 kt | 8 h 55 min | 6:53 am CDT (11:53 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 320° at 21 kt | +19 kt | 1 °C | 101 kt | 8 h 55 min | 6:53 am CDT (11:53 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 310° at 23 kt | +19 kt | -3 °C | 101 kt | 8 h 55 min | 6:53 am CDT (11:53 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 310° at 24 kt | +19 kt | -7 °C | 101 kt | 8 h 55 min | 6:53 am CDT (11:53 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 310° at 28 kt | +23 kt | -18 °C | 97 kt | 9 h 17 min | 7:15 am CDT (12:15 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 320° at 41 kt | +39 kt | -33 °C | 81 kt | 11 h 07 min | 9:05 am CDT (14:05 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 320° at 44 kt | +40 kt | -41 °C | 80 kt | 11 h 16 min | 9:14 am CDT (14:14 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 320° at 37 kt | +33 kt | -50 °C | 87 kt | 10 h 21 min | 8:19 am CDT (13:19 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PIE | used from 0 nm out; 7 nm from the line | 350/6 | L/V 18° | 290/6 14° | 280/9 9° | 250/18 -6° | 250/23 -17° | 240/30 -31° | 220/31 -41° | 220/30 -52° |
| TLH | used from 99 nm out; 86 nm from the line | 320/18 | 350/31 18° | 340/24 13° | 310/17 8° | 280/22 -7° | 300/25 -17° | 320/28 -33° | 320/24 -41° | 320/25 -50° |
| CSG | used from 248 nm out; 68 nm from the line | 310/24 | 340/35 17° | 340/37 12° | 330/22 8° | 310/30 -7° | 290/30 -18° | 340/57 -32° | 340/55 -41° | 320/33 -49° |
| ATL | used from 347 nm out; 17 nm from the line | 320/30 | 330/37 16° | 340/44 11° | 330/35 7° | 310/33 -6° | 300/38 -18° | 330/58 -33° | 330/48 -40° | 320/34 -49° |
| TYS | used from 446 nm out; 73 nm from the line | 320/20 | 340/18 11° | 340/32 9° | 340/36 4° | 330/37 -7° | 330/38 -19° | 330/50 -34° | 330/53 -38° | 330/44 -48° |
| BNA | used from 545 nm out; 56 nm from the line | 310/20 | 340/20 17° | 330/24 10° | 340/22 5° | 330/26 -6° | 340/29 -18° | 330/52 -33° | 320/62 -41° | 340/45 -50° |
| LOU | used from 594 nm out; 57 nm from the line | 310/18 | 340/28 16° | 340/29 10° | 350/27 3° | 330/27 -7° | 340/39 -19° | 330/58 -33° | 330/67 -41° | 330/40 -49° |
| IND | used from 693 nm out; 52 nm from the line | 290/16 | 310/20 16° | 320/21 10° | 330/13 3° | 300/25 -7° | 320/32 -19° | 330/46 -34° | 320/61 -43° | 320/63 -50° |
| JOT | used from 842 nm out; 34 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SRQ Sarasota/Bradenton, FL | departure | no report just now | 29 ft | ||||
| PIE St Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 30 nm out, 2 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 10 ft | ||||
| CDK Cedar Key, FL | 109 nm out, 2 nm east of the line | no report just now | 11 ft | ||||
| VLD Valdosta, GA | 208 nm out, 17 nm east of the line, tower | no report just now | 203 ft | ||||
| OPN Thomaston, GA | 347 nm out, 4 nm east of the line | no report just now | 797 ft | ||||
| FTY Atlanta, GA | 396 nm out, 5 nm east of the line, tower | no report just now | 841 ft | ||||
| CHA Chattanooga, TN | 475 nm out, 7 nm west of the line, tower | no report just now | 682 ft | ||||
| TZV Tompkinsville, KY | 584 nm out, 3 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 1,036 ft | ||||
| SDF Louisville, KY | 663 nm out, 24 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 500 ft | ||||
| BMG Bloomington, IN | 733 nm out, 2 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 845 ft | ||||
| LAF Lafayette, IN | 812 nm out, 10 nm east of the line, tower | no report just now | 605 ft | ||||
| MDW Chicago, IL | destination | no report just now | 619 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,036 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, 6:48 am CDT (11:48 UTC)
MDW has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/6783 Perry, GA, Friday, October 9, 2026 through Monday, October 19, 2026 UTC 20 nm from the route, 307 nm along the route · drones kept away from a public gathering · until 19 October · ZTL
Daylight
Sunset at SRQ 7:04 pm EDT (23:04 UTC), at MDW 6:14 pm CDT (23:14 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:42 pm CDT (23:42 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at MDW is before sunrise there (6:59 am CDT (11:59 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: Sarasota/Bradenton International, Chicago Midway International.