St. Louis Lambert International to Chicago/Rockford International STL → RFD
215 nautical miles (247 statute miles) north on a straight line, true course 015°, about 016° magnetic at the departure end (variation 1W). At 120 knots that is 1 h 39 min at the quickest height in today's winds (3,500 ft, a 10-knot tailwind), arriving about 8:26 pm CDT (01:26 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now STL is VFR, wind from the south-southeast (160°) at 5 knots; RFD is VFR, wind from the south (170°) at 5 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: 400 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
No SIGMET or AIRMET covers any part of this route right now.
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 STL.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
- A321 at 35,000 ft, 35 nm east, 4:23 pm CDT (21:23 UTC): light chop turbulence, remarks: zkc fdc fn. 49 nm along the route, 35 nm east of the line.
as filed, and in English
SLO UA /OV VLA340025/TM 2123/FL350/TP A321/TB OCNL LGT CHOP/RM ZKC FDC FN
- Report
- a routine report filed through SLO
- Where
- 25 nm north (340°) of VLA
- Time
- 21:23 UTC
- Height
- at 35,000 ft
- Aircraft
- A321
- Turbulence
- occasional light chop
- Remarks
- zkc fdc fn
- B738 at 38,000 ft, 27 nm southeast, 4:19 pm CDT (21:19 UTC): light chop turbulence up to 37,000 ft, remarks: zkc fdc fn. 49 nm along the route, 27 nm southeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
SPI UA /OV SPI170030/TM 2119/FL380/TP B738/TB CONS LGT CHOP BLO 370/RM ZKC FDC FN
- Report
- a routine report filed through SPI
- Where
- 30 nm south (170°) of SPI
- Time
- 21:19 UTC
- Height
- at 38,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B738
- Turbulence
- continuous light chop below 37,000 ft
- Remarks
- zkc fdc fn
- G280 at 43,000 ft, 5 nm northwest, 4:07 pm CDT (21:07 UTC): no turbulence. 117 nm along the route, 5 nm northwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
PIA UA /OV PIA/TM 2107/FL430/TP G280/TB NEG
- Report
- a routine report filed through PIA
- Where
- over PIA
- Time
- 21:07 UTC
- Height
- at 43,000 ft
- Aircraft
- G280
- Turbulence
- none
- E50P at 36,000 ft, 42 nm east, 4:25 pm CDT (21:25 UTC): light chop turbulence. 147 nm along the route, 42 nm east of the line.
as filed, and in English
PNT UA /OV PNT/TM 2125/FL360/TP E50P/TB INTMT LGT CHOP
- Report
- a routine report filed through PNT
- Where
- over PNT
- Time
- 21:25 UTC
- Height
- at 36,000 ft
- Aircraft
- E50P
- Turbulence
- intermittent light chop
- C17 at 500 ft, 34 nm east, 4:15 pm CDT (21:15 UTC): overcast above 500 ft. 195 nm along the route, 34 nm east of the line.
as filed, and in English
KADW UA /OV 1L ARR/TM 2115/FL005/TP C17/SK OVC005
- Report
- a routine report filed through KADW
- Where
- 1L arrival
- Time
- 21:15 UTC
- Height
- at 500 ft
- Aircraft
- C17
- Sky
- overcast from 500 ft
Winds aloft along the route, and the time en route the forecast for use 20:00–03:00 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 3 forecast points nearest it (STL, SPI, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3,500 ft | 220° at 11 kt | −10 kt | 130 kt | 1 h 39 min | 8:26 pm CDT (01:26 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 260° at 11 kt | −5 kt | 125 kt | 1 h 43 min | 8:30 pm CDT (01:30 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 280° at 15 kt | −3 kt | 14 °C | 123 kt | 1 h 45 min | 8:32 pm CDT (01:32 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 280° at 19 kt | −1 kt | 9 °C | 121 kt | 1 h 47 min | 8:34 pm CDT (01:34 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 290° at 20 kt | +3 kt | 5 °C | 117 kt | 1 h 50 min | 8:37 pm CDT (01:37 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 300° at 20 kt | +4 kt | 1 °C | 116 kt | 1 h 51 min | 8:38 pm CDT (01:38 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 300° at 19 kt | +6 kt | -3 °C | 114 kt | 1 h 53 min | 8:40 pm CDT (01:40 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 310° at 19 kt | +7 kt | -7 °C | 113 kt | 1 h 54 min | 8:41 pm CDT (01:41 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 310° at 19 kt | +7 kt | -8 °C | 113 kt | 1 h 54 min | 8:41 pm CDT (01:41 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 330° at 26 kt | +18 kt | -19 °C | 102 kt | 2 h 06 min | 8:53 pm CDT (01:53 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 320° at 48 kt | +27 kt | -35 °C | 93 kt | 2 h 19 min | 9:06 pm CDT (02:06 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 320° at 58 kt | +33 kt | -44 °C | 87 kt | 2 h 28 min | 9:15 pm CDT (02:15 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 320° at 64 kt | +34 kt | -50 °C | 86 kt | 2 h 30 min | 9:17 pm CDT (02:17 UTC) |
Based on data from the 11th at 18:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 00:00 UTC for use 20:00 to 03:00 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STL | used from 0 nm out; 24 nm from the line | 210/13 | 260/16 17° | 270/21 10° | 280/24 5° | 310/20 -7° | 320/22 -18° | 320/44 -33° | 320/59 -43° | 310/69 -51° |
| SPI | used from 49 nm out; 13 nm from the line | 210/13 | 260/11 17° | 270/18 10° | 290/21 4° | 310/20 -8° | 330/25 -19° | 320/49 -34° | 320/60 -44° | 320/59 -50° |
| JOT | used from 147 nm out; 54 nm from the line | 230/11 | 290/12 16° | 300/19 10° | 320/19 4° | 300/17 -9° | 330/31 -20° | 320/49 -37° | 320/53 -45° | 320/67 -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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STL St Louis, MO | departure | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 25,000 feet | from the south-southeast (160°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 617 ft | 5:51 pm CDT (22:51 UTC) |
| SPI Springfield, IL | 68 nm out, 14 nm east of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (170°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 597 ft | 22:52 UTC |
| PIA Peoria, IL | 117 nm out, 2 nm north of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (190°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 660 ft | 22:54 UTC |
| VYS Peru, IL | 166 nm out, 12 nm east of the line | VFR | from the east-northeast (060°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 654 ft | 10:30 UTC |
| RPJ Rochelle, IL | 195 nm out, 6 nm east of the line | VFR | from the south (170°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 780 ft | 23:35 UTC |
| RFD Chicago/Rockford, IL | destination | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 25,000 feet | from the south (170°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 742 ft | 5:54 pm CDT (22:54 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 780 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At RFD when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 8:26 pm CDT (01:26 UTC)
Wind from the south at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies VFR
The whole forecast for RFD
- From Sun 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 12:00 pm CDT (17:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 12 knots, gusting to 22, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 20,000 feet
- From Mon 6:00 pm CDT (23:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 12 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 12,000 feet
The forecast for STL, the departure
- From Sun 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 11:00 am CDT (16:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 12 knots, gusting to 20, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 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 STL 6:29 pm CDT (23:29 UTC), at RFD 6:21 pm CDT (23:21 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:49 pm CDT (23:49 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at RFD is after sunset there (6:21 pm CDT (23:21 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: St. Louis Lambert International, Chicago/Rockford International.