Boeing Fld/King County International to Dane County Rgnl/Truax Field BFI → MSN
1,405 nautical miles (1,617 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 089°, about 074° magnetic at the departure end (variation 15E). At 120 knots that is 8 h 44 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 41-knot tailwind), arriving about 7:17 am CDT (12:17 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: 3 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 1C: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 30,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 9:55 pm PDT (04:55 UTC). Over the route from 757 to 787 nm out.
as issued
WSUS32 KKCI 120255 MKCC WST 120255 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 1C VALID UNTIL 0455Z SD ND MT WY FROM 30WSW DIK-50NW DPR-60WNW RAP-50ENE SHR-30WSW DIK AREA TS MOV FROM 22040KT. TOPS TO FL300.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 39,000 ft. Over the first 169 nm of the route.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 20,000 ft. Over the route from 60 to 498 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 239 to 548 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 36,000 ft. Over the route from 259 to 458 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 route from 269 to 917 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 route from 996 to 1096 nm out.
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 BFI.
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 eastbound cruising heights for this course (VFR: odd thousands plus 500 ft; above 18,000 ft the forecast levels), with the wind averaged along the line from the 13 forecast points nearest it (SEA, YKM, GEG, GPI, GTF, BIL, MLS, DIK, ABR, AXN, MSP, LSE, DBQ). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.
| Height | Average wind | Head- or tailwind | Temperature | Ground speed | Time en route | Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5,500 ft | 160° at 6 kt | +4 kt | 1 °C | 116 kt | 12 h 07 min | 10:40 am CDT (15:40 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 190° at 6 kt | +2 kt | 6 °C | 118 kt | 11 h 54 min | 10:27 am CDT (15:27 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 210° at 9 kt | −1 kt | 2 °C | 121 kt | 11 h 37 min | 10:10 am CDT (15:10 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 220° at 13 kt | −5 kt | -1 °C | 125 kt | 11 h 14 min | 9:47 am CDT (14:47 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 230° at 16 kt | −8 kt | -4 °C | 128 kt | 10 h 59 min | 9:32 am CDT (14:32 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 230° at 19 kt | −11 kt | -8 °C | 131 kt | 10 h 44 min | 9:17 am CDT (14:17 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 230° at 22 kt | −15 kt | -12 °C | 135 kt | 10 h 24 min | 8:57 am CDT (13:57 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 240° at 22 kt | −15 kt | -13 °C | 135 kt | 10 h 24 min | 8:57 am CDT (13:57 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 230° at 25 kt | −16 kt | -23 °C | 136 kt | 10 h 20 min | 8:53 am CDT (13:53 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 230° at 29 kt | −18 kt | -37 °C | 138 kt | 10 h 11 min | 8:44 am CDT (13:44 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 240° at 39 kt | −30 kt | -42 °C | 150 kt | 9 h 22 min | 7:55 am CDT (12:55 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 250° at 49 kt | −41 kt | -47 °C | 161 kt | 8 h 44 min | 7:17 am CDT (12:17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEA | used from 0 nm out; 26 nm from the line | 050/7 | 050/11 1° | 050/12 -5° | 030/31 -7° | 010/61 -15° | 010/69 -26° | 360/73 -40° | 360/62 -47° | 330/21 -43° |
| YKM | used from 50 nm out; 59 nm from the line | 070/10 | 040/15 -1° | 020/27 -8° | 030/25 -13° | 020/48 -20° | 010/83 -27° | 010/77 -37° | 010/49 -40° | 350/14 -41° |
| GEG | used from 100 nm out; 69 nm from the line | 080/16 -2° | 050/17 -7° | 080/9 -10° | 190/33 -21° | 180/31 -32° | L/V -35° | L/V -37° | 270/8 -40° | |
| GPI | used from 249 nm out; 73 nm from the line | 070/19 -5° | 100/16 -7° | 080/10 -8° | 130/8 -19° | 170/37 -28° | 200/50 -40° | 210/43 -40° | 220/41 -42° | |
| GTF | used from 349 nm out; 71 nm from the line | 070/11 | 080/15 -7° | 110/19 -9° | 190/25 -14° | 200/34 -23° | 200/54 -39° | 220/66 -40° | 220/77 -44° | |
| BIL | used from 548 nm out; 67 nm from the line | 080/13 | 180/9 -2° | 210/38 0° | 220/51 -11° | 210/46 -22° | 210/58 -35° | 230/73 -39° | 230/72 -45° | |
| MLS | used from 598 nm out; 53 nm from the line | 150/23 2° | 190/29 4° | 210/44 2° | 220/32 -10° | 210/36 -21° | 200/48 -37° | 230/63 -40° | 240/71 -47° | |
| DIK | used from 747 nm out; 42 nm from the line | 150/24 7° | 200/38 6° | 220/53 0° | 230/51 -9° | 230/49 -21° | 240/37 -37° | 240/47 -44° | 250/65 -48° | |
| ABR | used from 897 nm out; 69 nm from the line | 070/14 | 250/10 17° | 270/16 11° | 260/28 5° | 260/36 -10° | 260/41 -22° | 270/33 -37° | 260/42 -42° | 260/50 -48° |
| AXN | used from 1046 nm out; 72 nm from the line | 100/14 | 250/21 14° | 240/24 12° | 240/31 5° | 260/36 -10° | 260/40 -21° | 250/42 -36° | 260/48 -45° | 260/53 -50° |
| MSP | used from 1146 nm out; 55 nm from the line | 230/26 | 240/30 17° | 240/24 12° | 250/22 5° | 250/35 -10° | 260/36 -21° | 250/41 -36° | 250/49 -45° | 260/58 -52° |
| LSE | used from 1246 nm out; 42 nm from the line | 230/40 | 240/24 17° | 240/13 10° | 250/13 6° | 280/22 -9° | 250/28 -21° | 250/41 -34° | 260/42 -44° | 270/62 -53° |
| DBQ | used from 1395 nm out; 72 nm from the line | 230/33 | 250/30 16° | 280/15 9° | 260/15 5° | 260/21 -7° | 260/24 -20° | 250/37 -33° | 270/42 -43° | 280/63 -52° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BFI Seattle, WA | departure | no report just now | 21 ft | ||||
| MWH Moses Lake, WA | 120 nm out, 20 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,188 ft | ||||
| GEG Spokane, WA | 189 nm out, 7 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 2,385 ft | ||||
| THM Thompson Falls, MT | 289 nm out, 9 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 2,467 ft | ||||
| GTF Great Falls, MT | 438 nm out, 18 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 3,680 ft | ||||
| MLS Miles City, MT | 678 nm out, 12 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 2,634 ft | ||||
| BHK Baker, MT | 737 nm out, 5 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 2,980 ft | ||||
| MBG Mobridge, SD | 907 nm out, 14 nm south of the line | no report just now | 1,716 ft | ||||
| GDB Granite Falls, MN | 1116 nm out, 4 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 1,047 ft | ||||
| RST Rochester, MN | 1256 nm out, 8 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,317 ft | ||||
| LSE La Crosse, WI | 1315 nm out, 11 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 655 ft | ||||
| MSN Madison, WI | destination | no report just now | 886 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 3,680 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At MSN when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 7:17 am CDT (12:17 UTC)
MSN 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 BFI 6:27 pm PDT (01:27 UTC), at MSN 6:19 pm CDT (23:19 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:48 pm CDT (23:48 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: Boeing Fld/King County International, Dane County Rgnl/Truax Field.