Billings Logan International to San Francisco International BIL → SFO
789 nautical miles (908 statute miles) southwest on a straight line, true course 236°, about 226° magnetic at the departure end (variation 10E). At 120 knots that is 6 h 22 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 4-knot tailwind), arriving about 2:01 am PDT (09:01 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
- SIGMET W10W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 30,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 20 knots, until 9:55 pm MDT (03:55 UTC). Near the route, 390 nm along the route.
as issued
WSUS33 KKCI 120155 MKCW WST 120155 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 10W VALID UNTIL 0355Z NV FROM 70SW TWF-40NNW BVL-40SW ELY-30ESE OAL-40WNW OAL-70SW TWF AREA TS MOV FROM 23020KT. TOPS TO FL300.
- 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 260 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 36,000 ft. Over the first 510 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the first 140 nm of the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the first 280 nm of the route.
- AIRMET ZULU 3C: moderate icing up to 22,000 ft. Over the route from 40 to 550 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 39,000 ft. Over the last 80 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 BIL.
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 8 forecast points nearest it (BIL, DLN, PIH, BOI, BAM, RNO, SAC, SFO). 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 | 050° at 4 kt | −4 kt | 2 °C | 124 kt | 6 h 22 min | 2:01 am PDT (09:01 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 030° at 3 kt | −3 kt | 2 °C | 123 kt | 6 h 25 min | 2:04 am PDT (09:04 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 320° at 3 kt | 0 | -2 °C | 120 kt | 6 h 34 min | 2:13 am PDT (09:13 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 250° at 8 kt | +8 kt | -4 °C | 112 kt | 7 h 03 min | 2:42 am PDT (09:42 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 230° at 17 kt | +16 kt | -7 °C | 104 kt | 7 h 35 min | 3:14 am PDT (10:14 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 220° at 22 kt | +21 kt | -10 °C | 99 kt | 7 h 58 min | 3:37 am PDT (10:37 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 220° at 27 kt | +26 kt | -13 °C | 94 kt | 8 h 24 min | 4:03 am PDT (11:03 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 220° at 31 kt | +30 kt | -16 °C | 90 kt | 8 h 46 min | 4:25 am PDT (11:25 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 210° at 37 kt | +34 kt | -25 °C | 86 kt | 9 h 10 min | 4:49 am PDT (11:49 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 220° at 47 kt | +46 kt | -31 °C | 74 kt | 10 h 40 min | 6:19 am PDT (13:19 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 220° at 55 kt | +55 kt | -35 °C | 65 kt | 12 h 08 min | 7:47 am PDT (14:47 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 230° at 51 kt | +50 kt | -42 °C | 70 kt | 11 h 16 min | 6:55 am PDT (13:55 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BIL | used from 0 nm out; 25 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° | |
| DLN | used from 100 nm out; 77 nm from the line | 090/6 -6° | 240/22 -4° | 210/34 -16° | 210/62 -25° | 210/66 -34° | 210/82 -36° | 220/77 -42° | ||
| PIH | used from 200 nm out; 46 nm from the line | L/V | 240/13 1° | 240/15 -3° | 210/42 -15° | 200/70 -25° | 220/74 -29° | 220/71 -36° | 220/62 -43° | |
| BOI | used from 300 nm out; 88 nm from the line | 300/7 2° | 280/5 -4° | 210/16 -9° | 210/60 -20° | 210/75 -29° | 210/63 -32° | 220/64 -32° | 220/54 -39° | |
| BAM | used from 400 nm out; 64 nm from the line | 310/7 0° | 270/19 -7° | 200/38 -17° | 190/49 -28° | 220/69 -29° | 220/63 -33° | 230/48 -41° | ||
| RNO | used from 550 nm out; 48 nm from the line | 010/9 | 320/10 -2° | 210/23 -9° | 210/34 -19° | 220/36 -25° | 230/31 -29° | 230/41 -33° | 230/38 -42° | |
| SAC | used from 649 nm out; 49 nm from the line | 110/6 | L/V 4° | 010/11 -2° | 350/11 -7° | 340/24 -16° | 360/44 -23° | 330/24 -30° | 270/21 -35° | 230/23 -43° |
| SFO | used from 749 nm out; 20 nm from the line | 120/13 | 090/14 5° | 040/14 -1° | 350/17 -5° | 360/42 -14° | 360/64 -23° | 350/38 -32° | 300/19 -37° | 250/18 -44° |
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 | no report just now | 3,662 ft | ||||
| RED Red Lodge, MT | 50 nm out, 15 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 5,762 ft | ||||
| WYS West Yellowstone, MT | 130 nm out, 7 nm north of the line | no report just now | 6,649 ft | ||||
| RXE Rexburg, ID | 180 nm out, 18 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 4,862 ft | ||||
| JER Jerome, ID | 310 nm out, 5 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 4,053 ft | ||||
| TWF Twin Falls, ID | 320 nm out, 13 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 4,153 ft | ||||
| WMC Winnemucca, NV | 500 nm out, 7 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 4,307 ft | ||||
| RNO Reno, NV | 619 nm out, 4 nm west of the line, tower | no report just now | 4,414 ft | ||||
| TRK Truckee, CA | 639 nm out, 6 nm west of the line, tower | no report just now | 5,904 ft | ||||
| CCR Concord, CA | 759 nm out, 7 nm west of the line, tower | no report just now | 25 ft | ||||
| SFO San Francisco, CA | destination | no report just now | 13 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 6,649 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At SFO when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 2:01 am PDT (09:01 UTC)
SFO has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/6740 SACRAMENTO, CA, Thursday, October 8, 2026 through Sunday, October 11, 2026 Local 1 nm from the route, 709 nm along the route · air shows/sports · ended 11 October · ZOA
- 6/7231 Santa Clara, CA, Sunday, October 11, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 UTC 22 nm from the route, at the destination end · drones kept away from a public gathering · until 12 October · ZOA
Daylight
Sunset at BIL 6:33 pm MDT (00:33 UTC), at SFO 6:36 pm PDT (01:36 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:02 pm PDT (02:02 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at SFO is before sunrise there (7:14 am PDT (14:14 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, San Francisco International.