Fairbanks International to Edward G Pitka SR Airport FAI → GAL
232 nautical miles (267 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 273°, about 258° magnetic at the departure end (variation 15E). At 120 knots that is 2 h at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 4-knot headwind), arriving about 6:35 pm AKDT (02:35 UTC). Right now FAI is VFR, wind from the west-southwest (250°) at 4 knots; GAL is marginal VFR, wind from the east-southeast (120°) at 9 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: 3,364 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
No SIGMET or AIRMET covers any part of this route right now.
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 FAI.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
- M20P at 11,000 ft, 6 nm southeast, 3:03 pm AKDT (23:03 UTC): light rime icing from 9,000 ft to 10,000 ft, -9 °C, remarks: during the climb zan. 203 nm along the route, 6 nm southeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
GAL UA /OV GAL080030/TM 2303/FL110/TP M20P/SK TOP100/TA M09/IC LGT RIME 090-100/RM DURC/ ZAN
- Report
- a routine report filed through GAL
- Where
- 30 nm east (080°) of GAL
- Time
- 23:03 UTC
- Height
- at 11,000 ft
- Aircraft
- M20P
- Sky
- TOP100
- Temperature
- −9 °C
- Icing
- light rime from 9,000 ft to 10,000 ft
- Remarks
- during the climb zan
Winds aloft along the route, and the time en route the forecast for use 20:00–03:00 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 (FAI, GAL). 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 | 210° at 9 kt | +4 kt | 116 kt | 2 h | 6:35 pm AKDT (02:35 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 210° at 9 kt | +5 kt | -7 °C | 115 kt | 2 h 01 min | 6:36 pm AKDT (02:36 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 220° at 9 kt | +6 kt | -11 °C | 114 kt | 2 h 02 min | 6:37 pm AKDT (02:37 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 220° at 10 kt | +6 kt | -15 °C | 114 kt | 2 h 02 min | 6:37 pm AKDT (02:37 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 210° at 11 kt | +6 kt | -19 °C | 114 kt | 2 h 02 min | 6:37 pm AKDT (02:37 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 200° at 13 kt | +6 kt | -23 °C | 114 kt | 2 h 02 min | 6:37 pm AKDT (02:37 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 200° at 15 kt | +6 kt | -27 °C | 114 kt | 2 h 02 min | 6:37 pm AKDT (02:37 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 200° at 17 kt | +6 kt | -30 °C | 114 kt | 2 h 02 min | 6:37 pm AKDT (02:37 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 200° at 15 kt | +4 kt | -42 °C | 116 kt | 2 h | 6:35 pm AKDT (02:35 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 210° at 20 kt | +11 kt | -54 °C | 109 kt | 2 h 08 min | 6:43 pm AKDT (02:43 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 210° at 24 kt | +14 kt | -52 °C | 106 kt | 2 h 11 min | 6:46 pm AKDT (02:46 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 220° at 29 kt | +19 kt | -48 °C | 101 kt | 2 h 18 min | 6:53 pm AKDT (02:53 UTC) |
Based on data from the 11th at 18:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 00:00 UTC for use 20:00 to 03:00 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FAI | used from 0 nm out; 24 nm from the line | 230/13 | 240/10 -6° | 260/11 -11° | 250/10 -17° | 230/11 -29° | 160/11 -43° | 200/13 -54° | 220/25 -50° | 230/35 -47° |
| GAL | used from 97 nm out; 111 nm from the line | 170/9 | 190/9 -6° | 200/10 -13° | 190/14 -19° | 190/22 -31° | 210/20 -41° | 220/25 -54° | 210/23 -53° | 210/25 -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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FAI Fairbanks, AK | departure | VFR Sky: a broken layer at 6,000 feet, a broken layer at 7,500 feet, a broken layer at 10,000 feet | from the west-southwest (250°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | 6,000 ft | 439 ft | 3:53 pm AKDT (23:53 UTC) |
| ENN Nenana, AK | 29 nm out, 17 nm south of the line | marginal VFR Sky: a few clouds at 600 feet, a broken layer at 3,000 feet, overcast at 4,700 feet | from the southwest (220°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | 3,000 ft | 367 ft | 00:25 UTC |
| MLY Manley Hot Springs, AK | 68 nm out, 9 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 275 ft | ||||
| TAL Tanana, AK | 106 nm out, 20 nm north of the line | VFR Sky: overcast at 5,000 feet Weather: light rain | calm | 8 mi | 5,000 ft | 242 ft | 23:52 UTC |
| RBY Ruby, AK | 193 nm out, 4 nm south of the line | low IFR Sky: overcast at 200 feet Weather: fog | from the east (090°) at 7 knots | 0.25 mi | 200 ft | 657 ft | 23:56 UTC |
| GAL Galena, AK | destination | marginal VFR Sky: a broken layer at 2,400 feet, overcast at 7,500 feet | from the east-southeast (120°) at 9 knots | 10+ mi | 2,400 ft | 153 ft | 3:56 pm AKDT (23:56 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 657 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At GAL when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 6:35 pm AKDT (02:35 UTC)
Wind from the east-southeast at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 5,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for GAL
- From Sun 4:00 pm AKDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the east-southeast at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 5,000 feet
- From Sun 10:00 pm AKDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the southeast at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, light rain showers, a broken layer at 1,500 feet, overcast at 3,000 feet
- From Mon 2:00 am AKDT (10:00 UTC): wind from the southeast at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 1,500 feet
The forecast for FAI, the departure
- From Sun 4:00 pm AKDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 3 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, showers nearby, a broken layer at 6,000 feet
- From Sun 7:00 pm AKDT (03:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 3 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, light rain showers, scattered clouds at 1,500 feet, overcast at 4,000 feet
- From Mon 2:00 am AKDT (10:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 4,000 feet
- At times between Mon 6:00 am AKDT (14:00 UTC) and 10:00 am AKDT (18:00 UTC): visibility 5 miles, mist, overcast at 700 feet
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/3002 Clear, AK 24 nm from the route, 39 nm along the route · security · ZAN
Daylight
Sunset at FAI 6:39 pm AKDT (02:39 UTC), at GAL 7:16 pm AKDT (03:16 UTC) (civil twilight ends 8:05 pm AKDT (04:05 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: Fairbanks International, Edward G Pitka SR Airport.