Detroit Metro Wayne County to Bozeman Yellowstone International DTW → BZN
1,213 nautical miles (1,396 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 290°, about 297° magnetic at the departure end (variation 7W). At 120 knots that is 10 h 33 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 5-knot headwind), arriving about 10:25 am MDT (16:25 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: 38 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 3E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the first 129 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: 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 268 to 428 nm out.
- 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 646 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 935 to 994 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 38,000 ft. Near the route, 955 nm along the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the route from 975 to 1054 nm out.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Over the route from 984 to 1104 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the last 109 nm of the route.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Over the last 89 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 36,000 ft. Near the route, at the destination end.
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 DTW.
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 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 12 forecast points nearest it (FWA, MKG, GRB, LSE, MSP, AXN, ABR, PIR, DIK, MLS, BIL, DLN). 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 | 220° at 11 kt | +5 kt | 9 °C | 115 kt | 10 h 33 min | 10:25 am MDT (16:25 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 230° at 11 kt | +7 kt | 13 °C | 113 kt | 10 h 44 min | 10:36 am MDT (16:36 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 230° at 13 kt | +9 kt | 10 °C | 111 kt | 10 h 56 min | 10:48 am MDT (16:48 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 230° at 19 kt | +13 kt | 6 °C | 107 kt | 11 h 20 min | 11:12 am MDT (17:12 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 230° at 24 kt | +17 kt | 2 °C | 103 kt | 11 h 47 min | 11:39 am MDT (17:39 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 240° at 26 kt | +21 kt | -2 °C | 99 kt | 12 h 15 min | 12:07 pm MDT (18:07 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 250° at 28 kt | +24 kt | -6 °C | 96 kt | 12 h 38 min | 12:30 pm MDT (18:30 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 250° at 29 kt | +27 kt | -10 °C | 93 kt | 13 h 03 min | 12:55 pm MDT (18:55 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 250° at 31 kt | +28 kt | -21 °C | 92 kt | 13 h 11 min | 1:03 pm MDT (19:03 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 250° at 34 kt | +32 kt | -36 °C | 88 kt | 13 h 47 min | 1:39 pm MDT (19:39 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 260° at 46 kt | +45 kt | -43 °C | 75 kt | 16 h 10 min | 4:02 pm MDT (22:02 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 260° at 56 kt | +56 kt | -50 °C | 64 kt | 18 h 57 min | 6:49 pm MDT (00:49 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FWA | used from 0 nm out; 101 nm from the line | 300/17 | 320/20 16° | 330/20 10° | 340/15 3° | 310/27 -8° | 320/37 -20° | 330/52 -36° | 330/65 -43° | 330/60 -50° |
| MKG | used from 50 nm out; 66 nm from the line | 260/22 | 290/16 15° | 300/11 10° | 290/5 3° | 300/26 -9° | 300/32 -20° | 320/48 -36° | 320/61 -45° | 310/74 -53° |
| GRB | used from 199 nm out; 67 nm from the line | 250/36 | 270/23 16° | 270/14 9° | 240/18 4° | 280/26 -9° | 280/29 -20° | 290/42 -36° | 290/51 -45° | 290/72 -55° |
| LSE | used from 298 nm out; 38 nm from the line | 230/40 | 240/24 17° | 240/13 10° | 250/13 6° | 280/22 -9° | 250/28 -21° | 250/41 -34° | 260/42 -44° | 270/62 -53° |
| MSP | used from 398 nm out; 48 nm from the line | 230/26 | 240/30 17° | 240/24 12° | 250/22 5° | 250/35 -10° | 260/36 -21° | 250/41 -36° | 250/49 -45° | 260/58 -52° |
| AXN | used from 547 nm out; 73 nm from the line | 100/14 | 250/21 14° | 240/24 12° | 240/31 5° | 260/36 -10° | 260/40 -21° | 250/42 -36° | 260/48 -45° | 260/53 -50° |
| ABR | used from 597 nm out; 63 nm from the line | 070/14 | 250/10 17° | 270/16 11° | 260/28 5° | 260/36 -10° | 260/41 -22° | 270/33 -37° | 260/42 -42° | 260/50 -48° |
| PIR | used from 746 nm out; 56 nm from the line | 170/22 19° | 190/25 13° | 210/32 6° | 240/23 -9° | 250/32 -21° | 250/38 -36° | 260/44 -40° | 260/52 -47° | |
| DIK | used from 845 nm out; 80 nm from the line | 150/24 7° | 200/38 6° | 220/53 0° | 230/51 -9° | 230/49 -21° | 240/37 -37° | 240/47 -44° | 250/65 -48° | |
| MLS | used from 895 nm out; 89 nm from the line | 150/23 2° | 190/29 4° | 210/44 2° | 220/32 -10° | 210/36 -21° | 200/48 -37° | 230/63 -40° | 240/71 -47° | |
| BIL | used from 1044 nm out; 35 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° | |
| DLN | used from 1193 nm out; 76 nm from the line | 090/6 -6° | 240/22 -4° | 210/34 -16° | 210/62 -25° | 210/66 -34° | 210/82 -36° | 220/77 -42° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DTW Detroit, MI | departure | no report just now | 645 ft | ||||
| ARB Ann Arbor, MI | 20 nm out, 6 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 839 ft | ||||
| MWC Milwaukee, WI | 209 nm out, 14 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 744 ft | ||||
| CMY Sparta, WI | 338 nm out, 5 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 839 ft | ||||
| RST Rochester, MN | 418 nm out, 17 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,317 ft | ||||
| RWF Redwood Falls, MN | 527 nm out, 5 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 1,023 ft | ||||
| ATY Watertown, SD | 617 nm out, 5 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 1,749 ft | ||||
| MBG Mobridge, SD | 766 nm out, 18 nm north of the line | no report just now | 1,716 ft | ||||
| BIL Billings, MT | 1104 nm out, 4 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 3,662 ft | ||||
| BZN Bozeman, MT | destination | no report just now | 4,473 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 4,473 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At BZN when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 10:25 am MDT (16:25 UTC)
BZN has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
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 DTW 6:56 pm EDT (22:56 UTC), at BZN 6:44 pm MDT (00:44 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:14 pm MDT (01:14 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: Detroit Metro Wayne County, Bozeman Yellowstone International.