The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Plan a flight · Mon 2:17 am MDT (08:17 UTC)

Aspen-Pitkin County/Sardy Field to Grand Junction Regional ASE → GJT

77 nautical miles (89 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 266°, about 257° magnetic at the departure end (variation 9E). At 120 knots that is 48 min at the quickest height in today's winds (8,500 ft, a 24-knot headwind), arriving about 3:05 am MDT (09:05 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now ASE is VFR, wind from the south-southeast (160°) at 4 knots; GJT is VFR, wind from the east-southeast (120°) at 19 knots, gusting to 26. 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: 66 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

  • 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 first 48 nm of the route.
  • AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 42,000 ft. Over the whole route.
  • AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the whole route.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the whole route.
  • AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Over the last 68 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 ASE.

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

  • PC12 at 12,000 ft, 32 nm west, 1:08 am MDT (07:08 UTC): light turbulence, no icing, 4 °C, remarks: instrument conditions ZDVWC-11. At the destination end, 32 nm west of the line.
    as filed, and in English
    GJT UA /OV JNC237019/TM 0708/FL120/TP PC12/TA 04/TB OCNL LGT/IC NEG/RM IMC. ZDVWC-11
    Report
    a routine report filed through GJT
    Where
    19 nm southwest (237°) of JNC
    Time
    07:08 UTC
    Height
    at 12,000 ft
    Aircraft
    PC12
    Temperature
    4 °C
    Turbulence
    occasional light
    Icing
    none
    Remarks
    instrument conditions ZDVWC-11
  • E170 at 4,800 ft, 0 nm west, 12:31 am MDT (06:31 UTC): no turbulence, no icing, clear from 4,800 ft to 60,000 ft, remarks: during the descent rnav Y 11 lgjt zdvwc. At the destination end, 0 nm west of the line.
    as filed, and in English
    GJT UA /OV GJT/TM 0631/FL048/TP E170/SK SKC/TB NEG/IC NEG/RM DURD RNAV Y 11 LGJT. ZDVWC
    Report
    a routine report filed through GJT
    Where
    over GJT
    Time
    06:31 UTC
    Height
    at 4,800 ft
    Aircraft
    E170
    Sky
    clear
    Turbulence
    none
    Icing
    none
    Remarks
    during the descent rnav Y 11 lgjt zdvwc

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 1 forecast point nearest it (GJT). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

HeightAverage windHead- or tailwindTemperatureGround speedTime en routeArrival
8,500 ft210° at 43 kt+24 kt7 °C96 kt48 min3:05 am MDT (09:05 UTC)
10,500 ft220° at 43 kt+30 kt4 °C90 kt51 min3:08 am MDT (09:08 UTC)
12,500 ft230° at 45 kt+36 kt0 °C84 kt55 min3:12 am MDT (09:12 UTC)
14,500 ft230° at 46 kt+36 kt-4 °C84 kt55 min3:12 am MDT (09:12 UTC)
16,500 ft220° at 48 kt+35 kt-9 °C85 kt54 min3:11 am MDT (09:11 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180220° at 49 kt+34 kt-12 °C86 kt54 min3:11 am MDT (09:11 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240220° at 62 kt+43 kt-22 °C77 kt1 h3:17 am MDT (09:17 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300220° at 59 kt+41 kt-28 °C79 kt58 min3:15 am MDT (09:15 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340230° at 60 kt+49 kt-33 °C71 kt1 h 05 min3:22 am MDT (09:22 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390220° at 55 kt+38 kt-45 °C82 kt56 min3:13 am MDT (09:13 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
PointFrom3,0006,0009,00012,00018,00024,00030,00034,00039,000
GJTused from 0 nm out; 53 nm from the line210/43 7°230/45 1°220/49 -12°220/62 -22°220/59 -28°230/60 -33°220/55 -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
ASE Aspen, CO departure VFR Sky: a broken layer at 8,000 feet, overcast at 10,000 feet Weather: light rain from the south-southeast (160°) at 4 knots 10+ mi 8,000 ft 7,837 ft 1:53 am MDT (07:53 UTC)
GWS Glenwood Springs, CO 19 nm out, 18 nm north of the line no report just now 5,921 ft
GJT Grand Junction, CO destination VFR Sky: a few clouds at 6,000 feet, a broken layer at 8,500 feet, overcast at 11,000 feet from the east-southeast (120°) at 19 knots, gusting to 26 10+ mi 8,500 ft 4,861 ft 1:53 am MDT (07:53 UTC)

The highest airport on this list sits at 7,837 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At GJT when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 3:05 am MDT (09:05 UTC)

Wind from the south at 18 knots, gusting to 27, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 3,500 feet, a broken layer at 7,000 feet VFR

30% chance between Mon 2:00 am MDT (08:00 UTC) and 8:00 am MDT (14:00 UTC): visibility 4 miles, light rain showers, a broken layer at 3,500 feet marginal VFR

The whole forecast for GJT
  • From Mon 12:00 am MDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the north at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, showers nearby, scattered clouds at 7,000 feet, a broken layer at 10,000 feet
  • From Mon 2:00 am MDT (08:00 UTC): wind from the south at 18 knots, gusting to 27, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 3,500 feet, a broken layer at 7,000 feet
  • 30% chance between Mon 2:00 am MDT (08:00 UTC) and 8:00 am MDT (14:00 UTC): visibility 4 miles, light rain showers, a broken layer at 3,500 feet
  • From Mon 8:00 am MDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the south-southeast at 19 knots, gusting to 31, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 4,500 feet, a broken layer at 7,000 feet
  • 30% chance between Mon 8:00 am MDT (14:00 UTC) and 12:00 pm MDT (18:00 UTC): visibility 4 miles, light rain showers, a broken layer at 3,500 feet
  • From Mon 12:00 pm MDT (18:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 16 knots, gusting to 24, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 4,000 feet, a broken layer at 6,000 feet
  • 30% chance between Mon 12:00 pm MDT (18:00 UTC) and 6:00 pm MDT (00:00 UTC): visibility 4 miles, light rain showers, a broken layer at 4,000 feet, a broken layer at 6,000 feet
  • From Mon 6:00 pm MDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the west at 12 knots, gusting to 21, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 6,000 feet, scattered clouds at 8,000 feet
  • 30% chance between Mon 6:00 pm MDT (00:00 UTC) and 12:00 am MDT (06:00 UTC): visibility 4 miles, light thunderstorms with rain, a broken layer at 6,000 feet (thunderheads)
The forecast for ASE, the departure
  • From Mon 12:00 am MDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south-southeast at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, a broken layer at 8,000 feet, a broken layer at 10,000 feet
  • At times between Mon 12:00 am MDT (06:00 UTC) and 4:00 am MDT (10:00 UTC): visibility 4 miles, light rain showers, a broken layer at 6,000 feet
  • From Mon 5:00 am MDT (11:00 UTC): wind from the south at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 5,000 feet, scattered clouds at 12,000 feet
  • From Mon 9:00 am MDT (15:00 UTC): wind from the south at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 4,500 feet, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
  • From Mon 1:00 pm MDT (19:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 11 knots, gusting to 25, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 7,000 feet, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
  • From Mon 6:00 pm MDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 6,000 feet, a few clouds at 20,000 feet
  • 30% chance between Mon 6:00 pm MDT (00:00 UTC) and 12:00 am MDT (06:00 UTC): visibility 4 miles, light rain showers, a broken layer at 6,000 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 ASE 6:31 pm MDT (00:31 UTC), at GJT 6:38 pm MDT (00:38 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:05 pm MDT (01:05 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at GJT is before sunrise there (7:20 am MDT (13:20 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 southern Rockies
Radar now, the southern 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: Aspen-Pitkin County/Sardy Field, Grand Junction Regional.