Centennial Airport to Friedman Memorial APA → SUN
485 nautical miles (559 statute miles) northwest on a straight line, true course 302°, about 294° magnetic at the departure end (variation 8E). At 120 knots that is 3 h 59 min at the quickest height in today's winds (12,500 ft, a 2-knot tailwind), arriving about 12:06 pm MDT (18:06 UTC). Right now APA is VFR, wind from the south-southwest (210°) at 5 knots; SUN is low IFR, wind from the southeast (130°) 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
- SIGMET W27W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 27,000 ft, moving from the west at 45 knots, until 9:55 am MDT (15:55 UTC). Over the route from 307 to 357 nm out.
as issued
WSUS33 KKCI 121355 MKCW WST 121355 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 27W VALID UNTIL 1555Z WY UT ID FROM 40E PIH-20NW BPI-50E SLC-20SW SLC-40E PIH DMSHG AREA TS MOV FROM 26045KT. TOPS TO FL270.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) from 34,000 ft to 43,000 ft. Over the first 208 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 22,000 ft. Over the first 129 nm of the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the last 426 nm of the route.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Over the last 357 nm of the route.
- 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 149 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 APA.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
- urgent C172 at 6,700 ft, 0 nm south, 6:54 am MDT (12:54 UTC): remarks: low-level wind shear + 10 knots during the climb. At the departure end, 0 nm south of the line.
as filed, and in English
APA UUA /OV KAPA/TM 1254/FL067/TP C172/RM LLWS +/- 10 KTS DURC
- Report
- an urgent report filed through APA
- Where
- over KAPA
- Time
- 12:54 UTC
- Height
- at 6,700 ft
- Aircraft
- C172
- Remarks
- low-level wind shear + 10 knots during the climb
- urgent FA7X at 6,800 ft, 0 nm south, 6:40 am MDT (12:40 UTC): remarks: low-level wind shear a 40-knot loss of airspeed knots during the climb runway 35R. At the departure end, 0 nm south of the line.
as filed, and in English
APA UUA /OV KAPA/TM 1240/FL068/TP FA7X/RM LLWS -40 KTS DURC RY 35R
- Report
- an urgent report filed through APA
- Where
- over KAPA
- Time
- 12:40 UTC
- Height
- at 6,800 ft
- Aircraft
- FA7X
- Remarks
- low-level wind shear a 40-knot loss of airspeed knots during the climb runway 35R
- urgent TBM7 at 100 ft, 1 nm southeast, 6:30 am MDT (12:30 UTC): light chop turbulence, remarks: low-level wind shear a 10-knot loss of airspeed. At the departure end, 1 nm southeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
APA UUA /OV APA140001/TM 1230/FL001/TP TBM7/TB LGT CHOP/RM LLWS +-10KTS
- Report
- an urgent report filed through APA
- Where
- 1 nm southeast (140°) of APA
- Time
- 12:30 UTC
- Height
- at 100 ft
- Aircraft
- TBM7
- Turbulence
- light chop
- Remarks
- low-level wind shear a 10-knot loss of airspeed
- C172 at 9,500 ft, 34 nm south, 6:43 am MDT (12:43 UTC): moderate chop turbulence. At the departure end, 34 nm south of the line.
as filed, and in English
COS UA /OV BRK348/005/TM 1243/FL095/TP C172/TB TB MOD CHOP
- Report
- a routine report filed through COS
- Where
- BRK348/005
- Time
- 12:43 UTC
- Height
- at 9,500 ft
- Aircraft
- C172
- Turbulence
- turbulence moderate chop
- C172 at 200 ft, 1 nm north, 6:35 am MDT (12:35 UTC): moderate turbulence, remarks: low-level wind shear a 15-knot loss of airspeed. At the departure end, 1 nm north of the line.
as filed, and in English
APA UA /OV APA350001/TM 1235/FL002/TP C172/TB MOD TURB/RM LLWS +-15KTS
- Report
- a routine report filed through APA
- Where
- 1 nm north (350°) of APA
- Time
- 12:35 UTC
- Height
- at 200 ft
- Aircraft
- C172
- Turbulence
- moderate turbulence
- Remarks
- low-level wind shear a 15-knot loss of airspeed
- B738 descending, 21 nm southwest, 6:55 am MDT (12:55 UTC): moderate turbulence from 16,000 ft to 20,000 ft. At the departure end, 21 nm southwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
DEN UA /OV 40SW DEN/TM 1255/FLDURD/TP B738/TB MOD 200-160
- Report
- a routine report filed through DEN
- Where
- 40SW den
- Time
- 12:55 UTC
- Height
- during the descent
- Aircraft
- B738
- Turbulence
- moderate from 20,000 ft to 16,000 ft
- B738 descending, 31 nm northeast, 7:01 am MDT (13:01 UTC): moderate turbulence from 11,000 ft to 20,000 ft. 40 nm along the route, 31 nm northeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
DEN UA /OV 40NW DEN/TM 1301/FLDURD/TP B738/TB MOD 200-110
- Report
- a routine report filed through DEN
- Where
- 40NW den
- Time
- 13:01 UTC
- Height
- during the descent
- Aircraft
- B738
- Turbulence
- moderate from 20,000 ft to 11,000 ft
- B737 at 16,000 ft, 34 nm northeast, 6:23 am MDT (12:23 UTC): moderate turbulence, remarks: during the descent. 40 nm along the route, 34 nm northeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
DEN UA /OV DEN320040/TM 1223/FL160/TP B737/TB MOD/RM DURD
- Report
- a routine report filed through DEN
- Where
- 40 nm northwest (320°) of DEN
- Time
- 12:23 UTC
- Height
- at 16,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B737
- Turbulence
- moderate
- Remarks
- during the descent
- C172 at 7,800 ft, 6 nm south, 7:57 am MDT (13:57 UTC): light to moderate chop turbulence. At the departure end, 6 nm south of the line.
as filed, and in English
APA UA /OV APA150006/TM 1357/FL078/TP C172/TB LGT-MOD CHOP
- Report
- a routine report filed through APA
- Where
- 6 nm southeast (150°) of APA
- Time
- 13:57 UTC
- Height
- at 7,800 ft
- Aircraft
- C172
- Turbulence
- light to moderate chop
- CRJ2 at 7,000 ft, 17 nm northeast, 7:30 am MDT (13:30 UTC): no turbulence. At the departure end, 17 nm northeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
DEN UA /OV 5N/TM 1330/FL070/TP CRJ2/TB NEG
- Report
- a routine report filed through DEN
- Where
- 5N
- Time
- 13:30 UTC
- Height
- at 7,000 ft
- Aircraft
- CRJ2
- Turbulence
- none
- B737 at 13,000 ft, 46 nm south, 7:00 am MDT (13:00 UTC): light turbulence. At the departure end, 46 nm south of the line.
as filed, and in English
COS UA /OV BRK082/11/TM 1300/FL130/TP B737/TB TB LGT
- Report
- a routine report filed through COS
- Where
- BRK082/11
- Time
- 13:00 UTC
- Height
- at 13,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B737
- Turbulence
- turbulence light
- B738 at 5,500 ft, 19 nm northeast, 6:28 am MDT (12:28 UTC): no turbulence. At the departure end, 19 nm northeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
DEN UA /OV KDEN/TM 1228/FLSFC/TP B738/TB NEG
- Report
- a routine report filed through DEN
- Where
- over KDEN
- Time
- 12:28 UTC
- Height
- at the surface
- Aircraft
- B738
- Turbulence
- none
- B737 at 17,000 ft, 23 nm southeast, 6:24 am MDT (12:24 UTC): no turbulence, no icing, vfr; clear up to 60,000 ft, remarks: not bad for denver. At the departure end, 23 nm southeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
DEN UA /OV DEN170035/TM 1224/FL170/TP B737/SK VFR/WX SKC/TA UNK/TB NEG/IC NEG/RM NOT BAD FOR DENVER
- Report
- a routine report filed through DEN
- Where
- 35 nm south (170°) of DEN
- Time
- 12:24 UTC
- Height
- at 17,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B737
- Sky
- vfr
- Weather
- clear sky
- Temperature
- UNK
- Turbulence
- none
- Icing
- none
- Remarks
- not bad for denver
- B737 at 18,000 ft, 34 nm northeast, 7:50 am MDT (13:50 UTC): light to moderate turbulence, remarks: from the surface to 18,000 ft. At the departure end, 34 nm northeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
DEN UA /OV DEN350020/TM 1350/FL180/TP B737/TB LGT-MOD/RM SFC-180
- Report
- a routine report filed through DEN
- Where
- 20 nm north (350°) of DEN
- Time
- 13:50 UTC
- Height
- at 18,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B737
- Turbulence
- light to moderate
- Remarks
- from the surface to 18,000 ft
9 more routine reports are on the map.
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 3 forecast points nearest it (DEN, RKS, PIH). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.
| Height | Average wind | Head- or tailwind | Temperature | Ground speed | Time en route | Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8,500 ft | 220° at 8 kt | +1 kt | 11 °C | 119 kt | 4 h 05 min | 12:12 pm MDT (18:12 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 210° at 15 kt | −1 kt | 1 °C | 121 kt | 4 h | 12:07 pm MDT (18:07 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 210° at 23 kt | −2 kt | -2 °C | 122 kt | 3 h 59 min | 12:06 pm MDT (18:06 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 210° at 31 kt | 0 | -6 °C | 120 kt | 4 h 03 min | 12:10 pm MDT (18:10 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 210° at 38 kt | +2 kt | -11 °C | 118 kt | 4 h 07 min | 12:14 pm MDT (18:14 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 210° at 44 kt | +4 kt | -14 °C | 116 kt | 4 h 11 min | 12:18 pm MDT (18:18 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 220° at 47 kt | +8 kt | -24 °C | 112 kt | 4 h 20 min | 12:27 pm MDT (18:27 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 220° at 63 kt | +9 kt | -31 °C | 111 kt | 4 h 22 min | 12:29 pm MDT (18:29 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 220° at 63 kt | +17 kt | -35 °C | 103 kt | 4 h 43 min | 12:50 pm MDT (18:50 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 230° at 58 kt | +16 kt | -44 °C | 104 kt | 4 h 40 min | 12:47 pm MDT (18:47 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DEN | used from 0 nm out; 29 nm from the line | 270/24 11° | 230/13 5° | 230/48 -8° | 230/46 -20° | 230/63 -30° | 240/78 -36° | 240/78 -48° | ||
| RKS | used from 99 nm out; 104 nm from the line | 250/9 | 230/21 -1° | 210/43 -14° | 220/59 -23° | 220/55 -32° | 220/53 -35° | 220/48 -44° | ||
| PIH | used from 297 nm out; 81 nm from the line | 070/8 | 150/19 1° | 180/32 -4° | 210/44 -17° | 210/37 -28° | 210/74 -31° | 220/68 -35° | 220/60 -43° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| APA Denver, CO | departure | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 11,000 feet | from the south-southwest (210°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 5,884 ft | 7:53 am MDT (13:53 UTC) |
| BJC Denver, CO | 20 nm out, 11 nm northeast of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southwest (210°) at 8 knots | 10+ mi | none | 5,673 ft | 13:45 UTC |
| GNB Granby, CO | 59 nm out, 1 nm east of the line | VFR | from the east (100°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 8,207 ft | 13:55 UTC |
| SBS Steamboat Springs, CO | 109 nm out, 0 nm southeast of the line | VFR Sky: a broken layer at 5,000 feet, overcast at 6,000 feet | from the east (100°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | 5,000 ft | 6,882 ft | 13:55 UTC |
| DWX Dixon, WY | 149 nm out, 12 nm northeast of the line | VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 4,200 feet, scattered clouds at 4,800 feet, overcast at 5,000 feet | from the south-southeast (150°) at 12 knots, gusting to 18 | 10+ mi | 5,000 ft | 6,548 ft | 13:55 UTC |
| RKS Rock Springs, WY | 228 nm out, 6 nm northeast of the line | VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 8,000 feet, a broken layer at 12,000 feet | from the east (100°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | 12,000 ft | 6,764 ft | 13:54 UTC |
| EMM Kemmerer, WY | 297 nm out, 15 nm south of the line | VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 4,200 feet, scattered clouds at 9,500 feet | from the south (190°) at 9 knots | 10+ mi | none | 7,288 ft | 13:55 UTC |
| PIH Pocatello, ID | 406 nm out, 3 nm east of the line, tower | VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 1,400 feet, a broken layer at 3,100 feet, overcast at 5,000 feet Weather: light rain | from the south (180°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | 3,100 ft | 4,451 ft | 13:53 UTC |
| AOC Arco, ID | 446 nm out, 24 nm north of the line | no report just now | 5,334 ft | ||||
| SUN Hailey, ID | destination | low IFR Sky: a broken layer at 400 feet, overcast at 900 feet Weather: light rain | from the southeast (130°) at 10 knots | 4 mi | 400 ft | 5,319 ft | 7:47 am MDT (13:47 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 8,207 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At SUN when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 12:06 pm MDT (18:06 UTC)
Wind light and variable, visibility 6 miles, light rain showers, a broken layer at 400 feet, overcast at 2,000 feet low IFR
The whole forecast for SUN
- From Mon 6:00 am MDT (12:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility 6 miles, light rain showers, a broken layer at 400 feet, overcast at 2,000 feet
- From Mon 1:00 pm MDT (19:00 UTC): wind from the south-southeast at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, showers nearby, a few clouds at 1,200 feet, scattered clouds at 2,500 feet and more above
- From Mon 10:00 pm MDT (04:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, showers nearby, scattered clouds at 3,000 feet, a broken layer at 5,000 feet and more above
The forecast for APA, the departure
- From Mon 6:00 am MDT (12:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 8:00 am MDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the south at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 9:30 am MDT (15:30 UTC): wind from the southwest at 15 knots, gusting to 25, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Tue 12:00 am MDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the north at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 2,000 feet, scattered clouds at 4,000 feet
- From Tue 5:00 am MDT (11:00 UTC): wind from the north-northeast at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 1,000 feet, a broken layer at 2,000 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 APA 6:23 pm MDT (00:23 UTC), at SUN 6:57 pm MDT (00:57 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:26 pm MDT (01:26 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: Centennial Airport, Friedman Memorial.