The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Plan a flight · Mon 5:23 am MDT (11:23 UTC)

City Of Colorado Springs Municipal to Sheridan County COS → SHR

372 nautical miles (428 statute miles) north on a straight line, true course 345°, about 337° magnetic at the departure end (variation 8E). At 120 knots that is 2 h 32 min at the quickest height in today's winds (30,000 ft, a 27-knot tailwind), arriving about 7:55 am MDT (13:55 UTC). Right now COS is VFR, wind from the southwest (230°) at 11 knots, gusting to 22; SHR is IFR, wind from the northwest (310°) at 14 knots, gusting to 22. 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: 4 flights in the DOT's last twelve reported months, the route's page.

The return flight

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 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 first 29 nm of the route.
  • AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) from 34,000 ft to 43,000 ft. Over the first 274 nm of the route.
  • AIRMET TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 22,000 ft. Over the first 245 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 127 to 274 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 5W: strong surface winds (30 knots or more) (due to sustained surface winds greater than 30 knots). Near the route, 225 nm along the route.
  • 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 last 69 nm of the route.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 304 to 353 nm out.
  • AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Over the last 39 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 COS.

Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first

  • B763 at 23,000 ft, 14 nm west, 4:26 am MDT (10:26 UTC): light chop turbulence, remarks: zdvwc. 78 nm along the route, 14 nm west of the line.
    as filed, and in English
    DEN UA /OV DEN278037/TM 1026/FL230/TP B763/TB OCNL LGT CHOP/RM ZDVWC
    Report
    a routine report filed through DEN
    Where
    37 nm west (278°) of DEN
    Time
    10:26 UTC
    Height
    at 23,000 ft
    Aircraft
    B763
    Turbulence
    occasional light chop
    Remarks
    zdvwc
  • BE9L at 17,000 ft, 24 nm southwest, 3:42 am MDT (09:42 UTC): light rime icing from 15,000 ft to 17,000 ft, 0 °C, remarks: zdvwc. 274 nm along the route, 24 nm southwest of the line.
    as filed, and in English
    CPR UA /OV DDY250025/TM 0942/FL170/TP BE9L/TA 00/IC LGT RIME 150-170/RM ZDVWC
    Report
    a routine report filed through CPR
    Where
    25 nm west (250°) of DDY
    Time
    09:42 UTC
    Height
    at 17,000 ft
    Aircraft
    BE9L
    Temperature
    0 °C
    Icing
    light rime from 15,000 ft to 17,000 ft
    Remarks
    zdvwc

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 4 forecast points nearest it (DEN, BFF, LND, BIL). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

HeightAverage windHead- or tailwindTemperatureGround speedTime en routeArrival
8,500 ft260° at 23 kt+4 kt8 °C116 kt3 h 12 min8:35 am MDT (14:35 UTC)
10,500 ft250° at 23 kt−1 kt6 °C121 kt3 h 04 min8:27 am MDT (14:27 UTC)
12,500 ft240° at 25 kt−7 kt2 °C127 kt2 h 56 min8:19 am MDT (14:19 UTC)
14,500 ft230° at 31 kt−13 kt-2 °C133 kt2 h 48 min8:11 am MDT (14:11 UTC)
16,500 ft220° at 37 kt−18 kt-7 °C138 kt2 h 42 min8:05 am MDT (14:05 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180220° at 42 kt−22 kt-10 °C142 kt2 h 37 min8:00 am MDT (14:00 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240220° at 49 kt−25 kt-22 °C145 kt2 h 34 min7:57 am MDT (13:57 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300230° at 59 kt−27 kt-31 °C147 kt2 h 32 min7:55 am MDT (13:55 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340230° at 65 kt−25 kt-36 °C145 kt2 h 34 min7:57 am MDT (13:57 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390230° at 64 kt−22 kt-46 °C142 kt2 h 37 min8:00 am MDT (14:00 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
PointFrom3,0006,0009,00012,00018,00024,00030,00034,00039,000
DENused from 0 nm out; 41 nm from the line270/24 11°230/13 5°230/48 -8°230/46 -20°230/63 -30°240/78 -36°240/78 -48°
BFFused from 147 nm out; 96 nm from the line280/28260/39 11°240/34 5°210/38 -11°210/52 -22°230/61 -31°230/61 -36°240/56 -45°
LNDused from 245 nm out; 108 nm from the line240/10 3°240/30 0°220/42 -13°230/52 -23°220/54 -33°220/52 -36°220/53 -44°
BILused from 343 nm out; 104 nm from the line300/14270/19 -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

AirportWhereConditionsWindVisibilityCeilingElevationReported
COS Colorado Springs, CO departure VFR Sky: a few clouds at 20,000 feet from the southwest (230°) at 11 knots, gusting to 22 10+ mi none 6,187 ft 4:54 am MDT (10:54 UTC)
BJC Denver, CO 69 nm out, 1 nm west of the line, tower VFR from the west-northwest (300°) at 3 knots 10+ mi none 5,673 ft 11:15 UTC
FNL Fort Collins/Loveland, CO 98 nm out, 12 nm east of the line, tower VFR from the south-southeast (160°) at 4 knots 10+ mi none 5,020 ft 10:56 UTC
LAR Laramie, WY 157 nm out, 3 nm west of the line VFR from the southwest (230°) at 6 knots 10+ mi none 7,283 ft 10:53 UTC
CPR Casper, WY 255 nm out, 11 nm west of the line, tower VFR Sky: a broken layer at 5,500 feet, a broken layer at 7,000 feet from the west-southwest (240°) at 14 knots 10+ mi 5,500 ft 5,344 ft 10:53 UTC
BYG Buffalo, WY 343 nm out, 6 nm northeast of the line marginal VFR Sky: a few clouds at 400 feet, overcast at 2,500 feet from the north-northwest (340°) at 19 knots, gusting to 28 10+ mi 2,500 ft 4,970 ft 10:53 UTC
SHR Sheridan, WY destination IFR Sky: a broken layer at 900 feet, overcast at 3,000 feet from the northwest (310°) at 14 knots, gusting to 22 10+ mi 900 ft 4,021 ft 5:11 am MDT (11:11 UTC)

The highest airport on this list sits at 7,283 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At SHR when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 7:55 am MDT (13:55 UTC)

Wind from the northwest at 11 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, light drizzle, scattered clouds at 800 feet, overcast at 2,500 feet marginal VFR

The whole forecast for SHR
  • From Mon 6:00 am MDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the northwest at 11 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, light drizzle, scattered clouds at 800 feet, overcast at 2,500 feet
  • From Mon 1:00 pm MDT (19:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 1,000 feet, overcast at 2,000 feet
  • From Mon 7:00 pm MDT (01:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, showers nearby, a few clouds at 1,500 feet, overcast at 3,000 feet
  • 30% chance between Mon 10:00 pm MDT (04:00 UTC) and 4:00 am MDT (10:00 UTC): visibility 3 miles, light rain, mist, overcast at 1,200 feet
  • From Tue 4:00 am MDT (10:00 UTC): wind from the north-northeast at 6 knots, visibility 2 miles, light rain, mist, overcast at 600 feet
The forecast for COS, the departure
  • From Mon 6:00 am MDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 11 knots, gusting to 22, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 20,000 feet
  • From Mon 11:00 am MDT (17:00 UTC): wind from the south at 15 knots, gusting to 25, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 12,000 feet
  • From Mon 1:00 pm MDT (19:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 20 knots, gusting to 30, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 12,000 feet
  • From Mon 7:00 pm MDT (01:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 12 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
  • From Mon 10:00 pm MDT (04:00 UTC): wind from the south-southeast at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 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 COS 6:23 pm MDT (00:23 UTC), at SHR 6:27 pm MDT (00:27 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:56 pm MDT (00:56 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

Radar now, the southern Rockies
Radar now, the southern Rockies · loop National Weather Service
Radar now, the northern Rockies
Radar now, the northern Rockies · loop National Weather Service
Radar, the whole country
Radar, the whole country · loop National Weather Service
Surface analysis now
Surface analysis now Weather Prediction Center
Forecast chart, 12 hours ahead
Forecast chart, 12 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center
Forecast chart, 24 hours ahead
Forecast chart, 24 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center

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: City Of Colorado Springs Municipal, Sheridan County.