Abilene Regional to Rapid City Regional ABI → RAP
716 nautical miles (824 statute miles) north on a straight line, true course 348°, about 343° magnetic at the departure end (variation 5E). At 120 knots that is 4 h 58 min at the quickest height in today's winds (24,000 ft, a 24-knot tailwind), arriving about 7:36 am MDT (13:36 UTC). Right now ABI is VFR, wind from the south (170°) at 9 knots; RAP is low IFR, wind from the east-southeast (120°) at 10 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: 1 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 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 99 to 487 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the last 119 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 ABI.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
No pilot reports within 50 nautical miles of the line in the last three hours.
Winds aloft along the route, and the time en route the forecast for use 08:00–15:00 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 (ABI, AMA, GAG, GCK, GLD, BFF, RAP). 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 | 240° at 30 kt | −6 kt | 20 °C | 126 kt | 5 h 41 min | 8:19 am MDT (14:19 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 250° at 30 kt | −6 kt | 19 °C | 126 kt | 5 h 41 min | 8:19 am MDT (14:19 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 250° at 29 kt | −5 kt | 15 °C | 125 kt | 5 h 44 min | 8:22 am MDT (14:22 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 240° at 28 kt | −7 kt | 10 °C | 127 kt | 5 h 38 min | 8:16 am MDT (14:16 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 240° at 28 kt | −10 kt | 6 °C | 130 kt | 5 h 30 min | 8:08 am MDT (14:08 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 230° at 30 kt | −13 kt | 0 °C | 133 kt | 5 h 23 min | 8:01 am MDT (14:01 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 230° at 32 kt | −16 kt | -4 °C | 136 kt | 5 h 16 min | 7:54 am MDT (13:54 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 220° at 34 kt | −18 kt | -8 °C | 138 kt | 5 h 11 min | 7:49 am MDT (13:49 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 220° at 44 kt | −24 kt | -20 °C | 144 kt | 4 h 58 min | 7:36 am MDT (13:36 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 240° at 62 kt | −14 kt | -29 °C | 134 kt | 5 h 21 min | 7:59 am MDT (13:59 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 250° at 60 kt | −3 kt | -37 °C | 123 kt | 5 h 49 min | 8:27 am MDT (14:27 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 260° at 55 kt | −1 kt | -48 °C | 121 kt | 5 h 55 min | 8:33 am MDT (14:33 UTC) |
Based on data from the 12th at 06:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 12:00 UTC for use 08:00 to 15:00 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABI | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 200/30 19° | 220/12 16° | 220/11 9° | 230/15 -5° | 250/26 -15° | 250/39 -28° | 270/36 -38° | 280/30 -51° | |
| AMA | used from 99 nm out; 88 nm from the line | 230/32 | 230/28 14° | 230/27 7° | 230/38 -6° | 230/50 -17° | 250/69 -28° | 260/62 -37° | 270/65 -49° | |
| GAG | used from 199 nm out; 44 nm from the line | 240/35 22° | 240/27 14° | 230/25 6° | 240/38 -7° | 230/44 -19° | 250/73 -28° | 270/66 -37° | 270/58 -49° | |
| GCK | used from 298 nm out; 22 nm from the line | 240/40 22° | 240/40 14° | 240/38 7° | 230/39 -7° | 230/45 -20° | 250/73 -28° | 260/74 -36° | 260/64 -49° | |
| GLD | used from 398 nm out; 9 nm from the line | 260/37 | 260/25 14° | 250/27 8° | 230/36 -8° | 230/49 -21° | 250/71 -30° | 260/82 -36° | 250/73 -48° | |
| BFF | used from 497 nm out; 91 nm from the line | 280/28 | 260/39 11° | 240/34 5° | 210/38 -11° | 210/52 -22° | 230/61 -31° | 230/61 -36° | 240/56 -45° | |
| RAP | used from 647 nm out; 45 nm from the line | 250/28 16° | 260/31 10° | 240/25 4° | 210/35 -10° | 200/45 -23° | 230/47 -31° | 230/47 -36° | 230/51 -46° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABI Abilene, TX | departure | VFR | from the south (170°) at 9 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,790 ft | 2:52 am CDT (07:52 UTC) |
| CDS Childress, TX | 129 nm out, 6 nm southwest of the line | VFR | from the south (180°) at 11 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,953 ft | 07:53 UTC |
| HHF Canadian, TX | 209 nm out, 9 nm northeast of the line | VFR | from the southwest (220°) at 12 knots | 10+ mi | none | 2,396 ft | 08:15 UTC |
| PYX Perryton, TX | 249 nm out, 3 nm south of the line | no report just now | 2,918 ft | ||||
| GCK Garden City, KS | 338 nm out, 20 nm east of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southwest (200°) at 21 knots, gusting to 32 | 10+ mi | none | 2,890 ft | 07:54 UTC |
| GLD Goodland, KS | 428 nm out, 6 nm west of the line | VFR | from the south-southwest (200°) at 14 knots, gusting to 23 | 10+ mi | none | 3,657 ft | 07:53 UTC |
| SYF St Francis, KS | 458 nm out, 7 nm southwest of the line | VFR | from the southwest (220°) at 11 knots, gusting to 22 | 10+ mi | none | 3,429 ft | 08:15 UTC |
| OKS Oshkosh, NE | 557 nm out, 8 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 3,394 ft | ||||
| AIA Alliance, NE | 597 nm out, 18 nm west of the line | low IFR Sky: overcast at 200 feet Weather: mist | from the north (360°) at 12 knots | 3 mi | 200 ft | 3,930 ft | 07:53 UTC |
| IEN Pine Ridge, SD | 647 nm out, 10 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 3,332 ft | ||||
| RAP Rapid City, SD | destination | low IFR Sky: sky obscured at 200 feet Weather: light rain, fog | from the east-southeast (120°) at 10 knots | 0.5 mi | 200 ft | 3,203 ft | 2:34 am MDT (08:34 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 3,930 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At RAP when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 7:36 am MDT (13:36 UTC)
Wind from the north-northwest at 10 knots, visibility 1 mile, mist, overcast at 300 feet low IFR
At times between Mon 6:00 am MDT (12:00 UTC) and 10:00 am MDT (16:00 UTC): visibility ½ mile, fog, sky obscured at 200 feet low IFR
The whole forecast for RAP
- From Mon 2:00 am MDT (08:00 UTC): wind from the east-southeast at 6 knots, visibility ¾ mile, mist, overcast at 200 feet
- At times between Mon 2:00 am MDT (08:00 UTC) and 6:00 am MDT (12:00 UTC): visibility ¼ mile, fog, sky obscured at 200 feet
- From Mon 6:00 am MDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the north-northwest at 10 knots, visibility 1 mile, mist, overcast at 300 feet
- At times between Mon 6:00 am MDT (12:00 UTC) and 10:00 am MDT (16:00 UTC): visibility ½ mile, fog, sky obscured at 200 feet
- From Mon 12:00 pm MDT (18:00 UTC): wind from the north-northwest at 20 knots, gusting to 30, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 2,500 feet
The forecast for ABI, the departure
- From Mon 2:00 am CDT (07:00 UTC): wind from the south at 12 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- At times between Mon 2:00 am CDT (07:00 UTC) and 6:00 am CDT (11:00 UTC): wind from the south at 13 knots, gusting to 20
- From Mon 8:00 am CDT (13:00 UTC): wind from the south at 15 knots, gusting to 25, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 3,500 feet
- From Mon 11:00 am CDT (16:00 UTC): wind from the south at 16 knots, gusting to 24, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 4,000 feet
- From Mon 2:00 pm CDT (19:00 UTC): wind from the south at 17 knots, gusting to 26, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 5,000 feet
- From Mon 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south-southeast at 11 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 5,000 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 ABI 7:08 pm CDT (00:08 UTC), at RAP 6:12 pm MDT (00:12 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:41 pm MDT (00:41 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: Abilene Regional, Rapid City Regional.