Billings Logan International to Ketchikan International BIL → KTN
1,045 nautical miles (1,203 statute miles) northwest on a straight line, true course 312°, about 302° magnetic at the departure end (variation 10E). At 120 knots that is 8 h 42 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, no wind along the track), arriving about 1:36 pm AKDT (21:36 UTC). Right now BIL is marginal VFR, wind from the west-northwest (290°) at 4 knots; KTN is marginal VFR, wind from the southeast (130°) at 3 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
- 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 first 269 nm of the route.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 18,000 ft. Over the first 299 nm of the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the first 239 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 39,000 ft. Over the route from 209 to 299 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 BIL.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
No pilot reports within 50 nautical miles of the line in the last three hours.
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 5 forecast points nearest it (BIL, GTF, GPI, GEG, SEA). 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 | 030° at 4 kt | 0 | -3 °C | 120 kt | 8 h 42 min | 1:36 pm AKDT (21:36 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 030° at 4 kt | 0 | -2 °C | 120 kt | 8 h 42 min | 1:36 pm AKDT (21:36 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 030° at 4 kt | 0 | -4 °C | 120 kt | 8 h 42 min | 1:36 pm AKDT (21:36 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 010° at 7 kt | +2 kt | -6 °C | 118 kt | 8 h 51 min | 1:45 pm AKDT (21:45 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 010° at 12 kt | +3 kt | -7 °C | 117 kt | 8 h 56 min | 1:50 pm AKDT (21:50 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 010° at 14 kt | +4 kt | -11 °C | 116 kt | 9 h 01 min | 1:55 pm AKDT (21:55 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 010° at 15 kt | +4 kt | -14 °C | 116 kt | 9 h 01 min | 1:55 pm AKDT (21:55 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 010° at 17 kt | +4 kt | -17 °C | 116 kt | 9 h 01 min | 1:55 pm AKDT (21:55 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 330° at 14 kt | +9 kt | -28 °C | 111 kt | 9 h 25 min | 2:19 pm AKDT (22:19 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 340° at 16 kt | +10 kt | -39 °C | 110 kt | 9 h 30 min | 2:24 pm AKDT (22:24 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 290° at 16 kt | +12 kt | -43 °C | 108 kt | 9 h 41 min | 2:35 pm AKDT (22:35 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 250° at 19 kt | +9 kt | -44 °C | 111 kt | 9 h 25 min | 2:19 pm AKDT (22:19 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BIL | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 300/14 | 270/19 -2° | 260/26 -2° | 220/28 -13° | 210/51 -25° | 220/56 -33° | 220/61 -39° | 220/72 -45° | |
| GTF | used from 100 nm out; 29 nm from the line | L/V | L/V -7° | 240/8 -8° | 240/30 -14° | 240/40 -28° | 210/52 -38° | 210/76 -38° | 220/72 -43° | |
| GPI | used from 199 nm out; 61 nm from the line | 090/8 -4° | 140/7 -7° | 090/10 -8° | 110/10 -19° | 210/25 -30° | 200/24 -40° | 210/31 -39° | 210/35 -42° | |
| GEG | used from 448 nm out; 184 nm from the line | 060/7 -2° | 070/12 -6° | 050/8 -8° | 120/11 -21° | 110/18 -33° | 030/22 -37° | 040/6 -38° | 240/7 -41° | |
| SEA | used from 597 nm out; 280 nm from the line | 350/5 | 010/6 0° | 010/9 -4° | 010/27 -6° | 010/51 -15° | 360/58 -26° | 360/60 -41° | 350/55 -48° | 340/30 -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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BIL Billings, MT | departure | marginal VFR Sky: a few clouds at 1,200 feet, overcast at 2,500 feet | from the west-northwest (290°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | 2,500 ft | 3,662 ft | 5:53 am MDT (11:53 UTC) |
| HWQ Harlowton, MT | 70 nm out, 8 nm south of the line | no report just now | 4,311 ft | ||||
| GTF Great Falls, MT | 149 nm out, 5 nm northwest of the line, tower | low IFR Sky: sky obscured at 400 feet Weather: light snow, mist | from the northwest (310°) at 5 knots | 0.5 mi | 400 ft | 3,680 ft | 12:46 UTC |
| CYXT Terrace, | 926 nm out, 3 nm south of the line | VFR Sky: overcast at 7,000 feet | calm | 20 mi | 7,000 ft | 713 ft | 12:00 UTC |
| KTN Ketchikan, AK | destination | marginal VFR Sky: a broken layer at 2,700 feet, overcast at 4,100 feet | from the southeast (130°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | 2,700 ft | 92 ft | 4:37 am AKDT (12:37 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 4,311 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At KTN when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 1:36 pm AKDT (21:36 UTC)
Wind from the southeast at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, light rain, a broken layer at 2,000 feet, overcast at 5,000 feet marginal VFR
The whole forecast for KTN
- From Mon 4:00 am AKDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the southeast at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 4,000 feet, overcast at 7,000 feet
- From Mon 7:00 am AKDT (15:00 UTC): wind from the southeast at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, light rain, a broken layer at 2,000 feet, overcast at 5,000 feet
- From Mon 3:00 pm AKDT (23:00 UTC): wind from the south-southeast at 3 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, light drizzle, a broken layer at 1,500 feet, overcast at 4,000 feet
- From Mon 8:00 pm AKDT (04:00 UTC): wind from the southeast at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 1,500 feet
The forecast for BIL, the departure
- From Mon 6:00 am MDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the north-northwest at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, light rain snow, a broken layer at 1,200 feet, overcast at 2,200 feet
- From Mon 1:00 pm MDT (19:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 1,500 feet, overcast at 2,500 feet
- From Mon 6:00 pm MDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the east at 9 knots, visibility 6 miles, light drizzle, mist, a few clouds at 300 feet, overcast at 1,800 feet
- From Mon 10:00 pm MDT (04:00 UTC): wind from the east at 9 knots, visibility 4 miles, light drizzle, mist, scattered clouds at 300 feet, overcast at 1,200 feet
- From Tue 3:00 am MDT (09:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility 3 miles, light rain, mist, scattered clouds at 300 feet, a broken layer at 1,200 feet and more above
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/8927 Kalispell, MT, Wednesday, October 14, 2026 through Wednesday, October 14, 2026 Local 22 nm from the route, 279 nm along the route · a VIP movement · starts Wednesday 14 October · ZSE
- 6/8923 Kalispell, MT, Wednesday, October 14, 2026 through Wednesday, October 14, 2026 Local 22 nm from the route, 279 nm along the route · a VIP movement · starts Wednesday 14 October · ZLC
Daylight
Sunset at BIL 6:32 pm MDT (00:32 UTC), at KTN 5:52 pm AKDT (01:52 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:29 pm AKDT (02:29 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: Billings Logan International, Ketchikan International.