Aspen-Pitkin County/Sardy Field to Rifle Garfield County ASE → RIL
44 nautical miles (51 statute miles) northwest on a straight line, true course 295°, about 286° magnetic at the departure end (variation 9E). At 120 knots that is 23 min at the quickest height in today's winds (8,500 ft, a 4-knot headwind), arriving about 12:21 am MDT (06:21 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 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 whole route.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 38,000 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 last 18 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
- urgent E75L at 9,000 ft, 0 nm northeast, 10:30 pm MDT (04:30 UTC): remarks: low-level wind shear + 20K 1000-1500 above ground on approach. At the departure end, 0 nm northeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
ASE UUA /OV ASE/TM 0430/FL090/TP E75L/RM LLWS +/- 20K 1000-1500 AGL ON APCH
- Report
- an urgent report filed through ASE
- Where
- over ASE
- Time
- 04:30 UTC
- Height
- at 9,000 ft
- Aircraft
- E75L
- Remarks
- low-level wind shear + 20K 1000-1500 above ground on approach
- B733 at 20,000 ft, 47 nm south, 9:16 pm MDT (03:16 UTC): light chop turbulence up to 20,000 ft, clear from 20,000 ft to 60,000 ft, remarks: during the climb ZDVWC-12. At the departure end, 47 nm south of the line.
as filed, and in English
GUC UA /OV HBU/TM 0316/FL200/TP B733/SK SKC/TB OCNL LGT CHOP BLO 200/RM DURC ZDVWC-12
- Report
- a routine report filed through GUC
- Where
- over HBU
- Time
- 03:16 UTC
- Height
- at 20,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B733
- Sky
- clear
- Turbulence
- occasional light chop below 20,000 ft
- Remarks
- during the climb ZDVWC-12
- BE20 at 16,000 ft, 0 nm east, 9:28 pm MDT (03:28 UTC): light chop turbulence, light rime icing, -3 °C, remarks: ZDVWC-11. At the destination end, 0 nm east of the line.
as filed, and in English
RIL UA /OV RIL/TM 0328/FL160/TP BE20/TA M03/TB LGT CHOP/IC LGT RIME/RM ZDVWC-11
- Report
- a routine report filed through RIL
- Where
- over RIL
- Time
- 03:28 UTC
- Height
- at 16,000 ft
- Aircraft
- BE20
- Temperature
- −3 °C
- Turbulence
- light chop
- Icing
- light rime
- Remarks
- ZDVWC-11
- UAL2479 at 36,000 ft, 23 nm south, 9:11 pm MDT (03:11 UTC): no turbulence, wind 231° at 49 knots. At the destination end, 23 nm south of the line.
as filed, and in English
ARP UAL2479 3910N 10753W 0311 F360 231/049KT TB SMTH IC
- Report
- a routine report filed through ARP
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.
| Height | Average wind | Head- or tailwind | Temperature | Ground speed | Time en route | Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8,500 ft | 210° at 43 kt | +4 kt | 7 °C | 116 kt | 23 min | 12:21 am MDT (06:21 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 220° at 43 kt | +11 kt | 4 °C | 109 kt | 24 min | 12:22 am MDT (06:22 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 230° at 45 kt | +19 kt | 0 °C | 101 kt | 26 min | 12:24 am MDT (06:24 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 230° at 46 kt | +16 kt | -4 °C | 104 kt | 25 min | 12:23 am MDT (06:23 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 220° at 48 kt | +14 kt | -9 °C | 106 kt | 25 min | 12:23 am MDT (06:23 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 220° at 49 kt | +13 kt | -12 °C | 107 kt | 25 min | 12:23 am MDT (06:23 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 220° at 62 kt | +16 kt | -22 °C | 104 kt | 25 min | 12:23 am MDT (06:23 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 220° at 59 kt | +15 kt | -28 °C | 105 kt | 25 min | 12:23 am MDT (06:23 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 230° at 60 kt | +25 kt | -33 °C | 95 kt | 28 min | 12:26 am MDT (06:26 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 220° at 55 kt | +14 kt | -45 °C | 106 kt | 25 min | 12:23 am MDT (06:23 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GJT | used from 0 nm out; 59 nm from the line | 210/43 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
| Airport | Where | Conditions | Wind | Visibility | Ceiling | Elevation | Reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ASE Aspen, CO | departure | no report just now | 7,837 ft | ||||
| GWS Glenwood Springs, CO | 26 nm out, 7 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 5,921 ft | ||||
| RIL Rifle, CO | destination | no report just now | 5,536 ft |
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 RIL when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 12:21 am MDT (06:21 UTC)
RIL 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 ASE 6:33 pm MDT (00:33 UTC), at RIL 6:36 pm MDT (00:36 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:03 pm MDT (01:03 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at RIL is before sunrise there (7:17 am MDT (13:17 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: Aspen-Pitkin County/Sardy Field, Rifle Garfield County.