Eglin Afb/Destin-Ft Walton Beach Airport to Chicago Midway International VPS → MDW
681 nautical miles (784 statute miles) north on a straight line, true course 355°, about 358° magnetic at the departure end (variation 3W). At 120 knots that is 6 h 15 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 11-knot headwind), arriving about 8:44 am CDT (13:44 UTC). Right now VPS is VFR, wind from the west-northwest (300°) at 7 knots; MDW is VFR, wind from the south-southwest (210°) 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: 156 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 route from 247 to 543 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 VPS.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
- B38M at 29,000 ft, 25 nm west, 11:52 pm CDT (04:52 UTC): no turbulence from 23,000 ft to 29,000 ft. 612 nm along the route, 25 nm west of the line.
as filed, and in English
TIP UA /OV RBS/TM 0452/FL290/TP B38M/TB NEG 230-290
- Report
- a routine report filed through TIP
- Where
- over RBS
- Time
- 04:52 UTC
- Height
- at 29,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B38M
- Turbulence
- no from 23,000 ft to 29,000 ft
- B739 at 35,000 ft, 19 nm west, 2:05 am CDT (07:05 UTC): no turbulence. 632 nm along the route, 19 nm west of the line.
as filed, and in English
TIP UA /OV RBS010023/TM 0705/FL350/TP B739/TB NEG
- Report
- a routine report filed through TIP
- Where
- 23 nm north (010°) of RBS
- Time
- 07:05 UTC
- Height
- at 35,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B739
- 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 7 forecast points nearest it (MGM, BHM, HSV, BNA, EVV, 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 | 310° at 17 kt | +11 kt | 109 kt | 6 h 15 min | 8:44 am CDT (13:44 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 320° at 18 kt | +15 kt | 16 °C | 105 kt | 6 h 29 min | 8:58 am CDT (13:58 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 320° at 20 kt | +17 kt | 11 °C | 103 kt | 6 h 37 min | 9:06 am CDT (14:06 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 320° at 18 kt | +15 kt | 8 °C | 105 kt | 6 h 29 min | 8:58 am CDT (13:58 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 330° at 16 kt | +14 kt | 4 °C | 106 kt | 6 h 25 min | 8:54 am CDT (13:54 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 320° at 18 kt | +14 kt | 0 °C | 106 kt | 6 h 25 min | 8:54 am CDT (13:54 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 310° at 20 kt | +15 kt | -4 °C | 105 kt | 6 h 29 min | 8:58 am CDT (13:58 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 310° at 22 kt | +15 kt | -7 °C | 105 kt | 6 h 29 min | 8:58 am CDT (13:58 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 320° at 28 kt | +24 kt | -18 °C | 96 kt | 7 h 06 min | 9:35 am CDT (14:35 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 320° at 43 kt | +37 kt | -33 °C | 83 kt | 8 h 12 min | 10:41 am CDT (15:41 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 320° at 56 kt | +45 kt | -42 °C | 75 kt | 9 h 05 min | 11:34 am CDT (16:34 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 320° at 48 kt | +41 kt | -50 °C | 79 kt | 8 h 37 min | 11:06 am CDT (16:06 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MGM | used from 0 nm out; 85 nm from the line | 310/19 | 340/24 17° | 340/28 11° | 330/16 7° | 300/23 -7° | 320/32 -16° | 330/46 -33° | 330/55 -42° | 330/41 -50° |
| BHM | used from 148 nm out; 13 nm from the line | 310/19 | 330/20 17° | 320/28 11° | 340/21 6° | 310/22 -7° | 330/33 -17° | 330/50 -32° | 330/57 -41° | 330/41 -50° |
| HSV | used from 197 nm out; 29 nm from the line | 310/20 | 330/20 16° | 320/27 11° | 340/23 5° | 320/23 -7° | 340/30 -17° | 320/50 -33° | 330/61 -41° | 340/41 -50° |
| BNA | used from 296 nm out; 27 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° |
| EVV | used from 395 nm out; 38 nm from the line | 280/15 | 290/12 17° | 310/16 10° | 320/13 5° | 310/22 -6° | 320/26 -18° | 320/38 -33° | 310/56 -41° | 320/55 -51° |
| IND | used from 543 nm out; 58 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 592 nm out; 54 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VPS Valparaiso/Destin-Ft Walton Beach, FL | departure | VFR | from the west-northwest (300°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | none | 84 ft | 1:55 am CDT (06:55 UTC) |
| CEW Crestview, FL | 20 nm out, 3 nm southeast of the line | marginal VFR Weather: mist | calm | 4 mi | none | 213 ft | 06:53 UTC |
| SEM Selma, AL | 109 nm out, 15 nm west of the line, tower | reported, no category | from the east (080°) at 27 knots, gusting to 37 | 3,300 ft | 166 ft | 01:30 UTC | |
| BHM Birmingham, AL | 188 nm out, 4 nm southeast of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 650 ft | 06:53 UTC |
| HSV Huntsville, AL | 247 nm out, 8 nm northeast of the line, tower | VFR | from the east (090°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 628 ft | 06:53 UTC |
| BNA Nashville, TN | 336 nm out, 20 nm east of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 9 mi | none | 599 ft | 06:53 UTC |
| JWN Nashville, TN | 346 nm out, 11 nm east of the line, tower | low IFR Sky: overcast at 200 feet Weather: fog | calm | 0.25 mi | 200 ft | 501 ft | 07:15 UTC |
| OWB Owensboro, KY | 434 nm out, 5 nm northeast of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 407 ft | 06:56 UTC |
| HUF Terre Haute, IN | 543 nm out, 8 nm east of the line, tower | IFR Weather: mist | from the east (100°) at 3 knots | 2.5 mi | none | 589 ft | 07:22 UTC |
| DNV Danville, IL | 582 nm out, 4 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 696 ft | ||||
| IKK Kankakee, IL | 642 nm out, 9 nm southwest of the line | VFR | from the south (180°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 629 ft | 07:15 UTC |
| MDW Chicago, IL | destination | VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 25,000 feet | from the south-southwest (210°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 619 ft | 1:53 am CDT (06:53 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 696 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, 8:44 am CDT (13:44 UTC)
Wind from the south at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for MDW
- From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 12:00 pm CDT (17:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 13 knots, gusting to 24, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 6:00 pm CDT (23:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 12 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 12,000 feet
The forecast for VPS, the departure
- From Sun 8:00 pm CDT (01:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 6 knots, clear skies
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/0708 Goodlettsville, TN, Saturday, August 1, 2026 through Sunday, August 1, 2027 UTC 20 nm from the route, 355 nm along the route · security · until 1 August · ZME
Daylight
Sunset at VPS 6:18 pm CDT (23:18 UTC), at MDW 6:14 pm CDT (23:14 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:42 pm CDT (23:42 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: Eglin Afb/Destin-Ft Walton Beach Airport, Chicago Midway International.