Cherry Capital Airport to Gerald R Ford International TVC → GRR
112 nautical miles (129 statute miles) south on a straight line, true course 179°, about 184° magnetic at the departure end (variation 5W). At 120 knots that is 40 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 47-knot tailwind), arriving about 11:46 pm EDT (03:46 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now TVC is VFR, wind from the south-southwest (210°) at 5 knots; GRR is VFR, wind from the south-southeast (150°) 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: 502 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 TVC.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
- A320 at 33,000 ft, 40 nm southeast, 8:36 pm EDT (00:36 UTC): moderate turbulence above 33,000 ft, remarks: zob. At the destination end, 40 nm southeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
JXN UA /OV JXN280030/TM 0036/FL330/TP A320/TB OCNL MOD 330/RM ZOB
- Report
- a routine report filed through JXN
- Where
- 30 nm west (280°) of JXN
- Time
- 00:36 UTC
- Height
- at 33,000 ft
- Aircraft
- A320
- Turbulence
- occasional moderate at 33,000 ft
- Remarks
- zob
- A21N at 31,000 ft, 35 nm east, 8:39 pm EDT (00:39 UTC): light turbulence above 31,000 ft, remarks: zob. 65 nm along the route, 35 nm east of the line.
as filed, and in English
MOP UA /OV MOP/TM 0039/FL310/TP A21N/TB CONS LGT 310/RM ZOB
- Report
- a routine report filed through MOP
- Where
- over MOP
- Time
- 00:39 UTC
- Height
- at 31,000 ft
- Aircraft
- A21N
- Turbulence
- continuous light at 31,000 ft
- Remarks
- zob
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 2 forecast points nearest it (TVC, MKG). 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 | 270° at 22 kt | −1 kt | 121 kt | 56 min | 12:02 am EDT (04:02 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 290° at 18 kt | −5 kt | 14 °C | 125 kt | 54 min | 12:00 am EDT (04:00 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 290° at 15 kt | −6 kt | 11 °C | 126 kt | 53 min | 11:59 pm EDT (03:59 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 290° at 11 kt | −4 kt | 6 °C | 124 kt | 54 min | 12:00 am EDT (04:00 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 280° at 10 kt | −2 kt | 2 °C | 122 kt | 55 min | 12:01 am EDT (04:01 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 290° at 15 kt | −6 kt | -2 °C | 126 kt | 53 min | 11:59 pm EDT (03:59 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 290° at 21 kt | −9 kt | -6 °C | 129 kt | 52 min | 11:58 pm EDT (03:58 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 300° at 25 kt | −12 kt | -9 °C | 132 kt | 51 min | 11:57 pm EDT (03:57 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 300° at 33 kt | −17 kt | -20 °C | 137 kt | 49 min | 11:55 pm EDT (03:55 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 320° at 49 kt | −36 kt | -36 °C | 156 kt | 43 min | 11:49 pm EDT (03:49 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 320° at 60 kt | −47 kt | -46 °C | 167 kt | 40 min | 11:46 pm EDT (03:46 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 310° at 78 kt | −47 kt | -53 °C | 167 kt | 40 min | 11:46 pm EDT (03:46 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TVC | used from 0 nm out; 23 nm from the line | 260/31 | 280/22 15° | 290/18 10° | 270/13 2° | 290/25 -10° | 300/35 -21° | 310/52 -37° | 320/59 -47° | 300/84 -54° |
| MKG | used from 47 nm out; 39 nm from the line | 260/22 | 290/16 15° | 300/11 10° | 290/5 3° | 300/26 -9° | 300/32 -20° | 320/48 -36° | 320/61 -45° | 310/74 -53° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TVC Traverse City, MI | departure | VFR | from the south-southwest (210°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 623 ft | 10:53 pm EDT (02:53 UTC) |
| CAD Cadillac, MI | 28 nm out, 6 nm east of the line | VFR | from the southwest (230°) at 9 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,306 ft | 02:55 UTC |
| RQB Big Rapids, MI | 65 nm out, 4 nm northeast of the line | VFR | from the south-southwest (200°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 994 ft | 02:55 UTC |
| GRR Grand Rapids, MI | destination | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 25,000 feet | from the south-southeast (150°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 793 ft | 10:53 pm EDT (02:53 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,306 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At GRR when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 11:46 pm EDT (03:46 UTC)
Wind from the south-southwest at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for GRR
- From Sun 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 8:00 am EDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 3:00 pm EDT (19:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 13 knots, gusting to 21, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 6:00 pm EDT (22:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 11 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
The forecast for TVC, the departure
- From Sun 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
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 TVC 7:03 pm EDT (23:03 UTC), at GRR 7:04 pm EDT (23:04 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:33 pm EDT (23:33 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at GRR is after sunset there (7:06 pm EDT (23:06 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: Cherry Capital Airport, Gerald R Ford International.