Hartsfield/Jackson Atlanta International to Rapid City Regional ATL → RAP
1,068 nautical miles (1,229 statute miles) northwest on a straight line, true course 311°, about 316° magnetic at the departure end (variation 5W). At 120 knots that is 9 h 32 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 8-knot headwind), arriving about 9:22 am MDT (15:22 UTC). 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: 46 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 8C: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 32,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 2:55 am EDT (06:55 UTC). Near the route, at the destination end.
as issued
WSUS32 KKCI 120455 MKCC WST 120455 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 8C VALID UNTIL 0655Z NE SD WY FROM 50WNW RAP-20SSW RAP-60NW BFF-40ENE DDY-50WNW RAP DMSHG AREA TS MOV FROM 22040KT. TOPS TO FL320.
- AIRMET TANGO 5W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 10,000 ft. Near the route, at the departure end.
- 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 route from 70 to 170 nm out.
- 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 499 to 918 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 170 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). Near the route, at the destination end.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 38,000 ft. Near the route, at the destination end.
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 ATL.
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 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 12 forecast points nearest it (ATL, HSV, BNA, CGI, STL, COU, MKC, OMA, GRI, ONL, PIR, 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 20 kt | +8 kt | 18 °C | 112 kt | 9 h 32 min | 9:22 am MDT (15:22 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 250° at 17 kt | +10 kt | 16 °C | 110 kt | 9 h 43 min | 9:33 am MDT (15:33 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 260° at 16 kt | +12 kt | 13 °C | 108 kt | 9 h 53 min | 9:43 am MDT (15:43 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 260° at 14 kt | +11 kt | 9 °C | 109 kt | 9 h 48 min | 9:38 am MDT (15:38 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 270° at 13 kt | +11 kt | 5 °C | 109 kt | 9 h 48 min | 9:38 am MDT (15:38 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 270° at 15 kt | +13 kt | 1 °C | 107 kt | 9 h 59 min | 9:49 am MDT (15:49 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 270° at 18 kt | +15 kt | -4 °C | 105 kt | 10 h 10 min | 10:00 am MDT (16:00 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 270° at 19 kt | +17 kt | -7 °C | 103 kt | 10 h 22 min | 10:12 am MDT (16:12 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 270° at 24 kt | +20 kt | -19 °C | 100 kt | 10 h 41 min | 10:31 am MDT (16:31 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 280° at 37 kt | +34 kt | -33 °C | 86 kt | 12 h 25 min | 12:15 pm MDT (18:15 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 290° at 47 kt | +45 kt | -40 °C | 75 kt | 14 h 14 min | 2:04 pm MDT (20:04 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 290° at 46 kt | +44 kt | -49 °C | 76 kt | 14 h 03 min | 1:53 pm MDT (19:53 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATL | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 320/30 | 330/37 16° | 340/44 11° | 330/35 7° | 310/33 -6° | 300/38 -18° | 330/58 -33° | 330/48 -40° | 320/34 -49° |
| HSV | used from 50 nm out; 61 nm from the line | 310/20 | 330/20 16° | 320/27 11° | 340/23 5° | 320/23 -7° | 340/30 -17° | 320/50 -33° | 330/61 -41° | 340/41 -50° |
| BNA | used from 150 nm out; 42 nm from the line | 310/20 | 340/20 17° | 330/24 10° | 340/22 5° | 330/26 -6° | 340/29 -18° | 330/52 -33° | 320/62 -41° | 340/45 -50° |
| CGI | used from 250 nm out; 57 nm from the line | 240/20 | 270/15 15° | 280/15 11° | 300/13 6° | 290/20 -6° | 280/24 -18° | 300/34 -32° | 300/47 -41° | 310/49 -51° |
| STL | used from 399 nm out; 54 nm from the line | 250/24 | 250/24 16° | 260/23 9° | 270/16 6° | 260/25 -6° | 270/29 -19° | 290/34 -33° | 290/48 -41° | 290/54 -51° |
| COU | used from 449 nm out; 15 nm from the line | 230/31 | 230/30 15° | 260/16 11° | 270/14 6° | 260/24 -6° | 270/27 -18° | 270/37 -32° | 280/49 -41° | 290/56 -51° |
| MKC | used from 549 nm out; 48 nm from the line | 220/44 | 250/28 18° | 250/18 13° | 240/12 6° | 280/24 -6° | 240/34 -18° | 260/47 -30° | 260/51 -40° | 270/58 -50° |
| OMA | used from 649 nm out; 48 nm from the line | 220/47 | 240/33 19° | 250/18 11° | 230/17 6° | 260/29 -8° | 250/33 -19° | 250/51 -33° | 260/61 -40° | 270/62 -49° |
| GRI | used from 749 nm out; 53 nm from the line | 230/35 21° | 230/23 13° | 220/20 7° | 240/25 -8° | 240/37 -20° | 250/49 -33° | 260/57 -38° | 260/58 -47° | |
| ONL | used from 799 nm out; 36 nm from the line | 210/31 20° | 230/27 13° | 230/18 7° | 220/19 -8° | 240/26 -20° | 250/44 -35° | 270/52 -39° | 260/57 -47° | |
| PIR | used from 948 nm out; 78 nm from the line | 170/22 19° | 190/25 13° | 210/32 6° | 240/23 -9° | 250/32 -21° | 250/38 -36° | 260/44 -40° | 260/52 -47° | |
| RAP | used from 998 nm out; 45 nm from the line | 180/23 12° | 200/38 13° | 210/38 6° | 220/28 -10° | 230/34 -21° | 230/37 -36° | 250/52 -38° | 250/59 -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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATL Atlanta, GA | departure | no report just now | 1,026 ft | ||||
| RYY Atlanta, GA | 20 nm out, 12 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,040 ft | ||||
| MRC Columbia/Mount Pleasant, TN | 180 nm out, 2 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 681 ft | ||||
| PAH Paducah, KY | 299 nm out, 21 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 410 ft | ||||
| CGI Cape Girardeau, MO | 329 nm out, 5 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 341 ft | ||||
| COU Columbia, MO | 489 nm out, 4 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 889 ft | ||||
| STJ St Joseph, MO | 619 nm out, 23 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 826 ft | ||||
| LNK Lincoln, NE | 729 nm out, 17 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,218 ft | ||||
| OLU Columbus, NE | 769 nm out, 4 nm west of the line | no report just now | 1,447 ft | ||||
| RBE Bassett, NE | 888 nm out, 4 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 2,349 ft | ||||
| RAP Rapid City, SD | destination | no report just now | 3,203 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 3,203 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, 9:22 am MDT (15:22 UTC)
RAP has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/7634 CENTRALIA, MO, Monday, October 12, 2026 UTC 21 nm from the route, 499 nm along the route · a hazard on the ground (fire-fighting, a chemical spill, rescue work) · today · ZKC
Daylight
Sunset at ATL 7:07 pm EDT (23:07 UTC), at RAP 6:13 pm MDT (00:13 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:42 pm MDT (00:42 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: Hartsfield/Jackson Atlanta International, Rapid City Regional.