Bismarck Municipal to General Mitchell International BIS → MKE
592 nautical miles (682 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 108°, about 101° magnetic at the departure end (variation 7E). At 120 knots that is 3 h 22 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 56-knot tailwind), arriving about 10:39 am CDT (15:39 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: 2 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 C18C: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 36,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 8:55 am CDT (13:55 UTC). Over the route from 10 to 79 nm out.
as issued
WSUS32 KKCI 121155 MKCC WST 121155 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 18C VALID UNTIL 1355Z SD ND FROM 50NE BIS-70W FAR-40N PIR-40N DPR-50NE BIS AREA TS MOV FROM 22040KT. TOPS TO FL360.
- 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 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 BIS.
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 08:00–15:00 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 5 forecast points nearest it (ABR, AXN, MSP, LSE, GRB). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.
| Height | Average wind | Head- or tailwind | Temperature | Ground speed | Time en route | Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3,500 ft | 240° at 9 kt | −5 kt | 125 kt | 4 h 44 min | 12:01 pm CDT (17:01 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 240° at 14 kt | −8 kt | 128 kt | 4 h 38 min | 11:55 am CDT (16:55 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 240° at 18 kt | −10 kt | 14 °C | 130 kt | 4 h 33 min | 11:50 am CDT (16:50 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 240° at 22 kt | −12 kt | 10 °C | 132 kt | 4 h 29 min | 11:46 am CDT (16:46 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 250° at 23 kt | −16 kt | 6 °C | 136 kt | 4 h 21 min | 11:38 am CDT (16:38 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 250° at 24 kt | −18 kt | 1 °C | 138 kt | 4 h 17 min | 11:34 am CDT (16:34 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 260° at 25 kt | −20 kt | -4 °C | 140 kt | 4 h 14 min | 11:31 am CDT (16:31 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 260° at 26 kt | −22 kt | -9 °C | 142 kt | 4 h 10 min | 11:27 am CDT (16:27 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 260° at 26 kt | −22 kt | -10 °C | 142 kt | 4 h 10 min | 11:27 am CDT (16:27 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 260° at 33 kt | −29 kt | -21 °C | 149 kt | 3 h 58 min | 11:15 am CDT (16:15 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 260° at 34 kt | −30 kt | -37 °C | 150 kt | 3 h 57 min | 11:14 am CDT (16:14 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 270° at 47 kt | −44 kt | -42 °C | 164 kt | 3 h 37 min | 10:54 am CDT (15:54 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 270° at 59 kt | −56 kt | -48 °C | 176 kt | 3 h 22 min | 10:39 am CDT (15:39 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABR | used from 0 nm out; 102 nm from the line | 080/12 | 210/12 17° | 220/22 12° | 230/26 5° | 220/28 -10° | 230/41 -21° | 250/36 -36° | 260/47 -39° | 260/63 -47° |
| AXN | used from 148 nm out; 60 nm from the line | 110/6 | 260/10 16° | 240/17 12° | 250/20 5° | 260/29 -10° | 260/35 -22° | 260/29 -38° | 270/48 -41° | 270/61 -48° |
| MSP | used from 296 nm out; 15 nm from the line | 250/12 | 250/17 17° | 240/26 12° | 250/26 5° | 280/26 -9° | 280/32 -22° | 270/37 -38° | 280/47 -41° | 280/55 -48° |
| LSE | used from 395 nm out; 22 nm from the line | 250/25 | 240/21 17° | 240/28 11° | 250/28 5° | 280/24 -10° | 280/31 -21° | 260/35 -37° | 270/45 -43° | 280/59 -47° |
| GRB | used from 494 nm out; 81 nm from the line | 250/32 | 250/22 17° | 240/18 8° | 280/21 6° | 280/34 -11° | 280/35 -21° | 280/39 -37° | 270/52 -45° | 290/60 -49° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BIS Bismarck, ND | departure | no report just now | 1,661 ft | ||||
| ASY Ashley, ND | 69 nm out, 24 nm south of the line | no report just now | 2,034 ft | ||||
| GWR Gwinner, ND | 128 nm out, 12 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 1,265 ft | ||||
| MOX Morris, MN | 207 nm out, 4 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 1,135 ft | ||||
| LJF Litchfield, MN | 276 nm out, 4 nm south of the line | no report just now | 1,139 ft | ||||
| FCM Minneapolis, MN | 326 nm out, 1 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 906 ft | ||||
| RGK Red Wing, MN | 375 nm out, 6 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 778 ft | ||||
| CMY Sparta, WI | 454 nm out, 0 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 839 ft | ||||
| DLL Baraboo, WI | 503 nm out, 6 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 980 ft | ||||
| UES Waukesha, WI | 572 nm out, 4 nm southeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 911 ft | ||||
| MKE Milwaukee, WI | destination | no report just now | 728 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 2,034 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At MKE when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 10:39 am CDT (15:39 UTC)
MKE has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/6656 ANOKA, MN, Monday, October 5, 2026 through Monday, October 19, 2026 Local 21 nm from the route, 326 nm along the route · security · until 19 October · ZMP
Daylight
Sunset at BIS 6:59 pm CDT (23:59 UTC), at MKE 6:14 pm CDT (23:14 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:42 pm CDT (23:42 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: Bismarck Municipal, General Mitchell International.