The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Plan a flight · Sun 9:39 pm EDT (01:39 UTC)

Willow Run Airport to Salt Lake City International YIP → SLC

1,276 nautical miles (1,468 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 276°, about 282° magnetic at the departure end (variation 6W). At 120 knots that is 11 h 12 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 6-knot headwind), arriving about 6:51 am MDT (12:51 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 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

  • SIGMET 3W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 31,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 10:55 pm EDT (02:55 UTC). Over the route from 987 to 987 nm out.
    as issued
    WSUS33 KKCI 120055
    MKCW WST 120055
    CONVECTIVE SIGMET 3W
    VALID UNTIL 0255Z
    MT WY
    FROM 10WSW MLS-70E DDY-20N LAR-50E BPI-30NE BIL-10WSW MLS
    AREA TS MOV FROM 22040KT. TOPS TO FL310.
  • SIGMET 1W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 34,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 10:55 pm EDT (02:55 UTC). Near the route, 1077 nm along the route.
    as issued
    WSUS33 KKCI 120055
    MKCW WST 120055
    CONVECTIVE SIGMET 1W
    VALID UNTIL 0255Z
    CO NM WY AZ UT
    FROM 40NNW CHE-40WNW TBE-60WNW CME-40N SJN-40ESE MTU-40NNW CHE
    AREA SEV TS MOV FROM 23040KT. TOPS TO FL340.
    WIND GUSTS TO 60KT POSS.
  • 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 first 10 nm of the route.
  • AIRMET TANGO 3W: low-level wind shear (due to air speed loss or gain of 20 knots or more below 2,000 ft above the ground). Over the route from 379 to 548 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 36,000 ft. Over the last 419 nm of the route.
  • AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the last 369 nm of the route.
  • AIRMET TANGO 1W: low-level wind shear (due to air speed loss or gain of 20 knots or more below 2,000 ft above the ground). Over the route from 977 to 1196 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 5W: strong surface winds (30 knots or more) (due to sustained surface winds greater than 30 knots). Over the route from 1057 to 1156 nm out.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the last 199 nm of the route.
  • AIRMET ZULU 3C: moderate icing up to 22,000 ft. Over the last 189 nm of the route.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 2E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the last 70 nm of the 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 YIP.

Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first

Not fetched just now.

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 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 11 forecast points nearest it (FWA, MKG, JOT, DBQ, MCW, OMA, FSD, ONL, BFF, RKS, SLC). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

HeightAverage windHead- or tailwindTemperatureGround speedTime en routeArrival
4,500 ft200° at 12 kt+6 kt17 °C114 kt11 h 12 min6:51 am MDT (12:51 UTC)
6,500 ft220° at 12 kt+9 kt16 °C111 kt11 h 30 min7:09 am MDT (13:09 UTC)
8,500 ft220° at 20 kt+15 kt12 °C105 kt12 h 09 min7:48 am MDT (13:48 UTC)
10,500 ft230° at 22 kt+18 kt8 °C102 kt12 h 31 min8:10 am MDT (14:10 UTC)
12,500 ft230° at 23 kt+21 kt4 °C99 kt12 h 53 min8:32 am MDT (14:32 UTC)
14,500 ft230° at 23 kt+21 kt-1 °C99 kt12 h 53 min8:32 am MDT (14:32 UTC)
16,500 ft240° at 23 kt+22 kt-5 °C98 kt13 h 01 min8:40 am MDT (14:40 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180240° at 24 kt+23 kt-9 °C97 kt13 h 09 min8:48 am MDT (14:48 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240250° at 28 kt+29 kt-20 °C91 kt14 h 01 min9:40 am MDT (15:40 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300260° at 33 kt+36 kt-34 °C84 kt15 h 11 min10:50 am MDT (16:50 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340260° at 44 kt+46 kt-42 °C74 kt17 h 15 min12:54 pm MDT (18:54 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390270° at 58 kt+60 kt-49 °C60 kt21 h 16 min4:55 pm MDT (22:55 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
PointFrom3,0006,0009,00012,00018,00024,00030,00034,00039,000
FWAused from 0 nm out; 92 nm from the line350/9350/24 15°360/25 9°360/29 4°350/31 -10°340/39 -22°330/40 -37°320/38 -43°320/48 -48°
MKGused from 50 nm out; 67 nm from the line250/5320/10 15°310/19 9°320/21 3°310/23 -10°330/37 -22°330/51 -38°320/44 -47°300/60 -49°
JOTused from 150 nm out; 65 nm from the line230/11290/12 16°300/19 10°320/19 4°300/17 -9°330/31 -20°320/49 -37°320/53 -45°320/67 -49°
DBQused from 249 nm out; 45 nm from the line220/23240/22 16°240/24 10°260/18 5°270/16 -8°290/27 -19°310/42 -35°320/55 -44°300/71 -52°
MCWused from 399 nm out; 38 nm from the line200/35240/33 18°250/20 10°260/10 6°270/18 -8°260/28 -19°280/30 -34°290/49 -43°280/70 -54°
OMAused from 498 nm out; 76 nm from the line190/34230/34 19°250/25 12°250/18 6°250/22 -7°250/28 -19°260/34 -32°260/39 -41°280/56 -51°
FSDused from 548 nm out; 68 nm from the line200/16220/20 17°240/26 13°230/19 6°240/25 -9°240/28 -20°250/39 -33°250/44 -43°260/63 -52°
ONLused from 598 nm out; 49 nm from the line200/20 17°230/26 14°240/21 7°250/27 -9°260/32 -19°240/44 -34°240/56 -41°250/62 -51°
BFFused from 797 nm out; 70 nm from the line120/24180/31 13°210/26 7°230/25 -7°240/41 -20°230/52 -36°250/56 -41°260/57 -45°
RKSused from 997 nm out; 117 nm from the line190/43210/65 3°210/57 -9°210/56 -21°210/47 -33°230/63 -37°240/77 -46°
SLCused from 1196 nm out; 55 nm from the line280/8210/39 5°210/52 -1°200/50 -11°200/56 -23°220/61 -28°230/73 -37°230/73 -45°

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
YIP Detroit, MI departure no report just now 715 ft
JXN Jackson, MI 40 nm out, 3 nm southwest of the line, tower no report just now 1,000 ft
UGN Chicago/Waukegan, IL 189 nm out, 5 nm southwest of the line, tower no report just now 728 ft
DBQ Dubuque, IA 319 nm out, 9 nm south of the line, tower no report just now 1,076 ft
ALO Waterloo, IA 389 nm out, 5 nm west of the line, tower no report just now 873 ft
SUX Sioux City, IA 568 nm out, 5 nm south of the line, tower no report just now 1,098 ft
ONL O'Neill, NE 668 nm out, 8 nm northwest of the line no report just now 2,033 ft
AIA Alliance, NE 857 nm out, 1 nm northeast of the line no report just now 3,930 ft
GUR Guernsey, WY 937 nm out, 25 nm north of the line, tower no report just now 4,401 ft
SAA Saratoga, WY 1037 nm out, 9 nm south of the line no report just now 7,014 ft
EVW Evanston, WY 1226 nm out, 19 nm north of the line no report just now 7,142 ft
SLC Salt Lake City, UT destination no report just now 4,230 ft

The highest airport on this list sits at 7,142 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At SLC when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 6:51 am MDT (12:51 UTC)

SLC has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.

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 YIP 6:57 pm EDT (22:57 UTC), at SLC 6:52 pm MDT (00:52 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:19 pm MDT (01:19 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at SLC is before sunrise there (7:35 am MDT (13:35 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 now, the upper Mississippi valley
Radar now, the upper Mississippi valley · loop National Weather Service
Radar now, the northern Rockies
Radar now, the northern Rockies · 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: Willow Run Airport, Salt Lake City International.