Billings Logan International to Salt Lake City International BIL → SLC
337 nautical miles (387 statute miles) southwest on a straight line, true course 208°, about 198° magnetic at the departure end (variation 10E). At 120 knots that is 2 h 47 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 1-knot tailwind), arriving about 12:16 am MDT (06:16 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now BIL is IFR, wind from the north (010°) at 8 knots; SLC is VFR, wind from the south-southeast (150°) at 6 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: 2,317 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 158 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the first 297 nm of the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the whole route.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Over the last 307 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). Over the route from 69 to 208 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 36,000 ft. Over the last 247 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
- S22T at 15,000 ft, 15 nm west, 7:47 pm MDT (01:47 UTC): moderate rime icing above 15,000 ft, -5 °C. 119 nm along the route, 15 nm west of the line.
as filed, and in English
JAC UA /OV DNW010020/TM 0147/FL150/TP S22T/TA M05/IC MOD RIME 150 /ZLC
- Report
- a routine report filed through JAC
- Where
- 20 nm north (010°) of DNW
- Time
- 01:47 UTC
- Height
- at 15,000 ft
- Aircraft
- S22T
- Temperature
- −5 °C
- Icing
- moderate rime at 15,000 ft zlc
- A306 at 4,700 ft, 4 nm west, 6:51 pm MDT (00:51 UTC): a routine report with nothing remarked on. At the departure end, 4 nm west of the line.
as filed, and in English
BIL UA /OV BIL280001/TM 0051/FL047/TP A306/SK BASE 047
- Report
- a routine report filed through BIL
- Where
- 1 nm west (280°) of BIL
- Time
- 00:51 UTC
- Height
- at 4,700 ft
- Aircraft
- A306
- Sky
- base 4,700 ft
- A320 descending, 24 nm northwest, 6:54 pm MDT (00:54 UTC): overcast above 7,500 ft, remarks: braking action good during the descent runway 19. 158 nm along the route, 24 nm northwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
JAC UA /OV JAC/TM 0054/FLUNKN/TP A320/SK OVC075/RM BRAKING ACTION GOOD DURD RY19
- Report
- a routine report filed through JAC
- Where
- over JAC
- Time
- 00:54 UTC
- Height
- height not given
- Aircraft
- A320
- Sky
- overcast from 7,500 ft
- Remarks
- braking action good during the descent runway 19
- B737 at 16,000 ft, 19 nm west, 6:45 pm MDT (00:45 UTC): no turbulence, light rime icing from 13,000 ft to 17,000 ft, 8 °C, remarks: during the climb. At the destination end, 19 nm west of the line.
as filed, and in English
SLC UA /OV TCH230020/TM 0045/FL160/TP B737/TA 8/TB NEG/IC LT RIME 130-170/RM DURC
- Report
- a routine report filed through SLC
- Where
- 20 nm southwest (230°) of TCH
- Time
- 00:45 UTC
- Height
- at 16,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B737
- Temperature
- 8 °C
- Turbulence
- none
- Icing
- lt rime from 13,000 ft to 17,000 ft
- Remarks
- during the climb
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 4 forecast points nearest it (BIL, LND, PIH, SLC). 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 | 100° at 5 kt | −1 kt | 121 kt | 2 h 47 min | 12:16 am MDT (06:16 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 120° at 4 kt | 0 | 120 kt | 2 h 48 min | 12:17 am MDT (06:17 UTC) | |
| 8,500 ft | 200° at 12 kt | +11 kt | 6 °C | 109 kt | 3 h 06 min | 12:35 am MDT (06:35 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 210° at 20 kt | +20 kt | 1 °C | 100 kt | 3 h 22 min | 12:51 am MDT (06:51 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 220° at 29 kt | +28 kt | -2 °C | 92 kt | 3 h 40 min | 1:09 am MDT (07:09 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 220° at 34 kt | +33 kt | -5 °C | 87 kt | 3 h 52 min | 1:21 am MDT (07:21 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 220° at 39 kt | +39 kt | -9 °C | 81 kt | 4 h 10 min | 1:39 am MDT (07:39 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 220° at 43 kt | +43 kt | -12 °C | 77 kt | 4 h 23 min | 1:52 am MDT (07:52 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 210° at 48 kt | +48 kt | -24 °C | 72 kt | 4 h 41 min | 2:10 am MDT (08:10 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 210° at 59 kt | +59 kt | -31 °C | 61 kt | 5 h 31 min | 3:00 am MDT (09:00 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 220° at 69 kt | +67 kt | -37 °C | 53 kt | 6 h 22 min | 3:51 am MDT (09:51 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 230° at 67 kt | +63 kt | -44 °C | 57 kt | 5 h 55 min | 3:24 am MDT (09:24 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° | |
| LND | used from 99 nm out; 86 nm from the line | 200/23 6° | 220/31 1° | 220/39 -11° | 230/39 -23° | 220/51 -28° | 220/66 -37° | 230/68 -45° | ||
| PIH | used from 198 nm out; 80 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° | |
| SLC | used from 247 nm out; 64 nm from the line | 200/5 | 230/8 2° | 220/20 -2° | 210/40 -12° | 190/53 -25° | 210/62 -30° | 220/69 -34° | 220/64 -43° |
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 | IFR Sky: overcast at 1,000 feet Weather: light rain, light snow, mist | from the north (010°) at 8 knots | 2.5 mi | 1,000 ft | 3,662 ft | 9:23 pm MDT (03:23 UTC) |
| RED Red Lodge, MT | 49 nm out, 10 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 5,762 ft | ||||
| JAC Jackson, WY | 158 nm out, 24 nm west of the line, tower | VFR Sky: overcast at 5,000 feet Weather: light rain | from the south-southeast (160°) at 10 knots | 10+ mi | 5,000 ft | 6,451 ft | 02:56 UTC |
| AFO Afton, WY | 208 nm out, 9 nm west of the line | marginal VFR Sky: a broken layer at 2,900 feet, a broken layer at 3,600 feet, overcast at 5,000 feet | from the south-southeast (160°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | 2,900 ft | 6,220 ft | 03:15 UTC |
| LGU Logan, UT | 277 nm out, 21 nm west of the line | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 5,500 feet, scattered clouds at 7,000 feet | from the east-southeast (110°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 4,456 ft | 02:51 UTC |
| OGD Ogden, UT | 317 nm out, 12 nm northwest of the line, tower | VFR Sky: overcast at 5,000 feet | from the south-southwest (210°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | 5,000 ft | 4,472 ft | 02:53 UTC |
| SLC Salt Lake City, UT | destination | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 800 feet, a broken layer at 7,000 feet, overcast at 9,000 feet Weather: light rain | from the south-southeast (150°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | 7,000 ft | 4,230 ft | 8:54 pm MDT (02:54 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 6,451 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At SLC when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 12:16 am MDT (06:16 UTC)
Wind from the south-southeast at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, light rain, scattered clouds at 2,000 feet, a broken layer at 6,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for SLC
- From Sun 9:00 pm MDT (03:00 UTC): wind from the south-southeast at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, light rain, scattered clouds at 2,000 feet, a broken layer at 6,000 feet
- From Mon 2:00 am MDT (08:00 UTC): wind from the south at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 4,000 feet, a broken layer at 8,000 feet
- 30% chance between Mon 2:00 am MDT (08:00 UTC) and 6:00 am MDT (12:00 UTC): wind variable at 10 knots, gusting to 25, light rain showers, a broken layer at 4,000 feet
- From Mon 6:00 am MDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the south at 11 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, light rain showers, a few clouds at 2,000 feet, a broken layer at 5,000 feet
- From Mon 3:00 pm MDT (21:00 UTC): wind from the northwest at 11 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, light rain showers, scattered clouds at 2,000 feet, a broken layer at 5,000 feet
The forecast for BIL, the departure
- From Sun 8:00 pm MDT (02:00 UTC): wind from the north-northeast at 11 knots, visibility 3 miles, light snow, mist, overcast at 500 feet
- From Sun 9:00 pm MDT (03:00 UTC): wind from the north at 8 knots, visibility 2 miles, light snow, mist, freezing fog, a broken layer at 500 feet
- From Mon 8:00 am MDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the north-northwest at 5 knots, visibility 6 miles, mist, showers nearby, scattered clouds at 300 feet, a broken layer at 700 feet and more above
- From Mon 3:00 pm MDT (21:00 UTC): wind from the northeast at 6 knots, visibility 6 miles, mist, overcast at 1,500 feet
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 BIL 6:33 pm MDT (00:33 UTC), at SLC 6:52 pm MDT (00:52 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:19 pm MDT (01:19 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at SLC is before sunrise there (7:35 am MDT (13:35 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, Salt Lake City International.