Yellowstone Regional to Billings Logan International COD → BIL
80 nautical miles (92 statute miles) north on a straight line, true course 015°, about 004° magnetic at the departure end (variation 11E). At 120 knots that is 26 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 65-knot tailwind), arriving about 6:42 am MDT (12:42 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now COD is marginal VFR, wind from the north-northeast (020°) at 6 knots; BIL is marginal VFR, wind from the west-northwest (290°) at 4 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: 7 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 23,000 ft. Over the first 70 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 18,000 ft. Over the last 0 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 COD.
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 1 forecast point nearest it (BIL). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.
| Height | Average wind | Head- or tailwind | Temperature | Ground speed | Time en route | Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5,500 ft | 300° at 14 kt | +4 kt | 116 kt | 41 min | 6:57 am MDT (12:57 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 280° at 16 kt | −1 kt | 121 kt | 40 min | 6:56 am MDT (12:56 UTC) | |
| 9,500 ft | 270° at 20 kt | −6 kt | -2 °C | 126 kt | 38 min | 6:54 am MDT (12:54 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 260° at 25 kt | −10 kt | -2 °C | 130 kt | 37 min | 6:53 am MDT (12:53 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 250° at 25 kt | −14 kt | -5 °C | 134 kt | 36 min | 6:52 am MDT (12:52 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 240° at 26 kt | −19 kt | -8 °C | 139 kt | 35 min | 6:51 am MDT (12:51 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 220° at 27 kt | −24 kt | -12 °C | 144 kt | 33 min | 6:49 am MDT (12:49 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 220° at 28 kt | −25 kt | -13 °C | 145 kt | 33 min | 6:49 am MDT (12:49 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 210° at 51 kt | −49 kt | -25 °C | 169 kt | 28 min | 6:44 am MDT (12:44 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 220° at 56 kt | −51 kt | -33 °C | 171 kt | 28 min | 6:44 am MDT (12:44 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 220° at 61 kt | −55 kt | -39 °C | 175 kt | 27 min | 6:43 am MDT (12:43 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 220° at 72 kt | −65 kt | -45 °C | 185 kt | 26 min | 6:42 am MDT (12:42 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; 55 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° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| COD Cody, WY | departure | marginal VFR Sky: overcast at 1,600 feet | from the north-northeast (020°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | 1,600 ft | 5,102 ft | 5:56 am MDT (11:56 UTC) |
| POY Powell, WY | 20 nm out, 5 nm east of the line | low IFR Sky: overcast at 300 feet Weather: mist | from the northwest (310°) at 16 knots | 1 mi | 300 ft | 5,096 ft | 11:50 UTC |
| BIL Billings, MT | destination | 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) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 5,102 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At BIL when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 6:42 am MDT (12:42 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 marginal VFR
The whole forecast for BIL
- 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
The forecast for COD, the departure
- From Mon 6:00 am MDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the north-northeast at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 1,000 feet, overcast at 1,800 feet
- From Mon 12:00 pm MDT (18:00 UTC): wind from the northeast at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 1,500 feet, overcast at 3,000 feet
- 30% chance between Mon 4:00 pm MDT (22:00 UTC) and 8:00 pm MDT (02:00 UTC): visibility 6 miles, light showers rain snow
- From Mon 8:00 pm MDT (02:00 UTC): wind from the east-northeast at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, showers nearby, scattered clouds at 500 feet, a broken layer at 1,000 feet and more above
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 COD 6:35 pm MDT (00:35 UTC), at BIL 6:32 pm MDT (00:32 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:02 pm MDT (01:02 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at BIL is before sunrise there (7:26 am MDT (13:26 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: Yellowstone Regional, Billings Logan International.