Bozeman Yellowstone International to Idaho Falls Regional BZN → IDA
141 nautical miles (163 statute miles) south on a straight line, true course 196°, about 183° magnetic at the departure end (variation 13E). At 120 knots that is 1 h 17 min at the quickest height in today's winds (8,500 ft, a 10-knot headwind), arriving about 6:53 am MDT (12:53 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now BZN is marginal VFR, wind from the southwest (230°) at 3 knots; IDA is VFR, wind from the north-northeast (030°) at 8 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 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 whole route.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 18,000 ft. Over the first 38 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 94 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 BZN.
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 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 2 forecast points nearest it (DLN, PIH). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.
| Height | Average wind | Head- or tailwind | Temperature | Ground speed | Time en route | Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8,500 ft | 170° at 11 kt | +10 kt | -4 °C | 110 kt | 1 h 17 min | 6:53 am MDT (12:53 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 190° at 18 kt | +18 kt | -3 °C | 102 kt | 1 h 23 min | 6:59 am MDT (12:59 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 200° at 25 kt | +25 kt | -5 °C | 95 kt | 1 h 29 min | 7:05 am MDT (13:05 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 210° at 26 kt | +26 kt | -10 °C | 94 kt | 1 h 30 min | 7:06 am MDT (13:06 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 210° at 28 kt | +27 kt | -14 °C | 93 kt | 1 h 31 min | 7:07 am MDT (13:07 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 210° at 29 kt | +28 kt | -18 °C | 92 kt | 1 h 32 min | 7:08 am MDT (13:08 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 210° at 41 kt | +40 kt | -28 °C | 80 kt | 1 h 46 min | 7:22 am MDT (13:22 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 210° at 65 kt | +63 kt | -32 °C | 57 kt | 2 h 28 min | 8:04 am MDT (14:04 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 210° at 70 kt | +67 kt | -36 °C | 53 kt | 2 h 40 min | 8:16 am MDT (14:16 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 210° at 64 kt | +62 kt | -44 °C | 58 kt | 2 h 26 min | 8:02 am MDT (14:02 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DLN | used from 0 nm out; 53 nm from the line | 190/10 -4° | 220/23 -4° | 210/21 -18° | 210/43 -28° | 210/60 -33° | 210/72 -37° | 210/67 -44° | ||
| PIH | used from 94 nm out; 66 nm from the line | 070/8 | 150/19 1° | 180/32 -4° | 210/44 -17° | 210/37 -28° | 210/74 -31° | 220/68 -35° | 220/60 -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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BZN Bozeman, MT | departure | marginal VFR Sky: a few clouds at 500 feet, scattered clouds at 1,000 feet, overcast at 2,400 feet | from the southwest (230°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | 2,400 ft | 4,473 ft | 4:56 am MDT (10:56 UTC) |
| EKS Ennis, MT | 38 nm out, 12 nm northwest of the line | marginal VFR Sky: overcast at 1,200 feet | calm | 10+ mi | 1,200 ft | 5,432 ft | 10:55 UTC |
| WYS West Yellowstone, MT | 66 nm out, 20 nm east of the line | IFR Sky: a broken layer at 500 feet, overcast at 1,000 feet Weather: mist, unknown precipitation | calm | 6 mi | 500 ft | 6,649 ft | 10:50 UTC |
| RXE Rexburg, ID | 123 nm out, 6 nm east of the line | marginal VFR Sky: overcast at 2,200 feet | from the northeast (040°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | 2,200 ft | 4,862 ft | 10:53 UTC |
| IDA Idaho Falls, ID | destination | VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 2,900 feet, scattered clouds at 3,700 feet, overcast at 5,500 feet | from the north-northeast (030°) at 8 knots | 10+ mi | 5,500 ft | 4,743 ft | 4:53 am MDT (10:53 UTC) |
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 IDA when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 6:53 am MDT (12:53 UTC)
Wind light and variable, visibility 5 miles, light rain, mist, a broken layer at 600 feet, overcast at 1,500 feet IFR
The whole forecast for IDA
- From Mon 1:00 am MDT (07:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility 6 miles, mist, showers nearby, scattered clouds at 900 feet, a broken layer at 1,500 feet and more above
- From Mon 5:00 am MDT (11:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility 5 miles, light rain, mist, a broken layer at 600 feet, overcast at 1,500 feet
- From Mon 12:00 pm MDT (18:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 11 knots, visibility 6 miles, light rain showers, mist, scattered clouds at 1,500 feet, overcast at 2,500 feet
- From Mon 10:00 pm MDT (04:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility 6 miles, mist, showers nearby, scattered clouds at 2,500 feet, a broken layer at 3,500 feet and more above
The forecast for BZN, the departure
- From Mon 4:00 am MDT (10:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility 6 miles, mist, overcast at 300 feet
- From Mon 10:00 am MDT (16:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 400 feet, overcast at 800 feet
- From Mon 2:00 pm MDT (20:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 800 feet, a broken layer at 1,500 feet
- From Mon 6:00 pm MDT (00:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility 6 miles, mist, scattered clouds at 800 feet, a broken layer at 2,000 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 BZN 6:42 pm MDT (00:42 UTC), at IDA 6:48 pm MDT (00:48 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:17 pm MDT (01:17 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at IDA is before sunrise there (7:38 am MDT (13:38 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: Bozeman Yellowstone International, Idaho Falls Regional.