Hector International to Great Falls International FAR → GTF
594 nautical miles (683 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 279°, about 275° magnetic at the departure end (variation 4E). At 120 knots that is 4 h 47 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 4-knot tailwind), arriving about 11:04 am MDT (17:04 UTC). Right now FAR is low IFR, wind from the north (010°) at 10 knots; GTF is low IFR, wind from the north-northwest (330°) at 6 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: 1 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
- SIGMET C18C: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 36,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 8:55 am CDT (13:55 UTC). Over the route from 109 to 129 nm out.
as issued
WSUS32 KKCI 121155 MKCC WST 121155 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 18C VALID UNTIL 1355Z SD ND FROM 50NE BIS-70W FAR-40N PIR-40N DPR-50NE BIS AREA TS MOV FROM 22040KT. TOPS TO FL360.
- 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 route from 257 to 356 nm out.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 18,000 ft. Over the last 228 nm of the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 505 to 584 nm out.
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 FAR.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
- E75L at 1,300 ft, 10 nm south, 6:20 am CDT (11:20 UTC): overcast from 1,300 ft to 2,900 ft. At the departure end, 10 nm south of the line.
as filed, and in English
FAR UA /OV FAR/TM 1120/FL013/TP E75L/SK OVC013-TOP029
- Report
- a routine report filed through FAR
- Where
- over FAR
- Time
- 11:20 UTC
- Height
- at 1,300 ft
- Aircraft
- E75L
- Sky
- overcast from 1,300 ft, tops 2,900 ft
- E75L at 2,200 ft, 0 nm southwest, 5:58 am CDT (10:58 UTC): overcast from 1,300 ft to 2,200 ft. At the departure end, 0 nm southwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
FAR UA /OV KFAR/TM 1058/FL022/TP E75L/SK OVC013-TOP022
- Report
- a routine report filed through FAR
- Where
- over KFAR
- Time
- 10:58 UTC
- Height
- at 2,200 ft
- Aircraft
- E75L
- Sky
- overcast from 1,300 ft, tops 2,200 ft
- P28A at 4,000 ft, 5 nm east, 4:27 am CDT (09:27 UTC): no turbulence, no icing, overcast from 1,300 ft to 3,800 ft, 10 °C. At the departure end, 5 nm east of the line.
as filed, and in English
FAR UA /OV KFAR270015/TM 0927/FL040/TP P28A/SK OVC013-TOP038/TA 10/TB NEG/IC NEG
- Report
- a routine report filed through FAR
- Where
- 15 nm west (270°) of KFAR
- Time
- 09:27 UTC
- Height
- at 4,000 ft
- Aircraft
- P28A
- Sky
- overcast from 1,300 ft, tops 3,800 ft
- Temperature
- 10 °C
- Turbulence
- none
- Icing
- none
- C340 at 24,000 ft, 50 nm south, 5:59 am CDT (10:59 UTC): light to moderate icing, -22 °C. 297 nm along the route, 50 nm south of the line.
as filed, and in English
DIK UA /OV DIK240054/TM 1059/FL240/TP C340/TA M22/IC LGT-MOD CLR /ZLC
- Report
- a routine report filed through DIK
- Where
- 54 nm southwest (240°) of DIK
- Time
- 10:59 UTC
- Height
- at 24,000 ft
- Aircraft
- C340
- Temperature
- −22 °C
- Icing
- light to moderate clear zlc
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 6 forecast points nearest it (GFK, MOT, DIK, MLS, GGW, GTF). 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 | 130° at 4 kt | −4 kt | 2 °C | 124 kt | 4 h 47 min | 11:04 am MDT (17:04 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 170° at 4 kt | −1 kt | 3 °C | 121 kt | 4 h 55 min | 11:12 am MDT (17:12 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 220° at 9 kt | +5 kt | 3 °C | 115 kt | 5 h 10 min | 11:27 am MDT (17:27 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 230° at 17 kt | +12 kt | 0 °C | 108 kt | 5 h 30 min | 11:47 am MDT (17:47 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 230° at 25 kt | +18 kt | -2 °C | 102 kt | 5 h 49 min | 12:06 pm MDT (18:06 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 230° at 30 kt | +22 kt | -5 °C | 98 kt | 6 h 04 min | 12:21 pm MDT (18:21 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 230° at 34 kt | +25 kt | -9 °C | 95 kt | 6 h 15 min | 12:32 pm MDT (18:32 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 230° at 37 kt | +28 kt | -11 °C | 92 kt | 6 h 27 min | 12:44 pm MDT (18:44 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 230° at 38 kt | +28 kt | -24 °C | 92 kt | 6 h 27 min | 12:44 pm MDT (18:44 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 220° at 45 kt | +27 kt | -36 °C | 93 kt | 6 h 23 min | 12:40 pm MDT (18:40 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 230° at 60 kt | +46 kt | -40 °C | 74 kt | 8 h 02 min | 2:19 pm MDT (20:19 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 240° at 68 kt | +58 kt | -47 °C | 62 kt | 9 h 35 min | 3:52 pm MDT (21:52 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GFK | used from 0 nm out; 59 nm from the line | 080/18 | L/V 11° | 260/22 7° | 250/48 3° | 260/51 -11° | 250/44 -22° | 260/34 -38° | 260/53 -44° | 270/66 -49° |
| MOT | used from 99 nm out; 87 nm from the line | 120/14 4° | 190/25 5° | 220/41 1° | 240/43 -11° | 230/39 -22° | 220/44 -38° | 240/62 -42° | 250/73 -48° | |
| DIK | used from 198 nm out; 40 nm from the line | 190/12 5° | 230/29 7° | 220/33 1° | 220/43 -11° | 210/47 -23° | 220/53 -33° | 240/56 -40° | 250/72 -47° | |
| MLS | used from 297 nm out; 79 nm from the line | 290/17 -1° | 250/18 0° | 230/25 0° | 220/31 -11° | 220/32 -24° | 220/50 -32° | 220/60 -38° | 230/71 -46° | |
| GGW | used from 346 nm out; 53 nm from the line | 100/7 -1° | 070/10 -3° | 190/6 -4° | 210/34 -10° | 230/33 -24° | 210/48 -37° | 230/65 -40° | 230/71 -46° | |
| GTF | used from 495 nm out; 74 nm from the line | L/V | L/V -7° | 240/8 -8° | 240/30 -14° | 240/40 -28° | 210/52 -38° | 210/76 -38° | 220/72 -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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FAR Fargo, ND | departure | low IFR Sky: overcast at 400 feet Weather: mist | from the north (010°) at 10 knots | 2.5 mi | 400 ft | 901 ft | 7:09 am CDT (12:09 UTC) |
| BAC Valley City, ND | 49 nm out, 6 nm south of the line | IFR Sky: overcast at 700 feet | from the north-northeast (020°) at 10 knots, gusting to 18 | 10+ mi | 700 ft | 1,401 ft | 05:55 UTC |
| JMS Jamestown, ND | 79 nm out, 11 nm south of the line | IFR Sky: overcast at 500 feet Weather: light rain, mist | from the north-northeast (030°) at 12 knots | 2.5 mi | 500 ft | 1,499 ft | 12:06 UTC |
| HZE Hazen, ND | 198 nm out, 2 nm southeast of the line | IFR Sky: overcast at 700 feet | from the northeast (040°) at 4 knots, gusting to 10 | 10+ mi | 700 ft | 1,814 ft | 07:55 UTC |
| SDY Sidney, MT | 307 nm out, 16 nm north of the line | marginal VFR Sky: a few clouds at 600 feet, overcast at 1,000 feet Weather: light rain | from the north-northeast (020°) at 8 knots | 10+ mi | 1,000 ft | 1,985 ft | 12:09 UTC |
| JDN Jordan, MT | 416 nm out, 11 nm south of the line | reported, no category | from the north-northwest (340°) at 8 knots | none | 2,667 ft | 11:48 UTC | |
| GTF Great Falls, MT | destination | low IFR Sky: overcast at 400 feet Weather: mist | from the north-northwest (330°) at 6 knots | 0.5 mi | 400 ft | 3,680 ft | 5:53 am MDT (11:53 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 3,680 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At GTF when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 11:04 am MDT (17:04 UTC)
Wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 700 feet IFR
The whole forecast for GTF
- From Mon 6:00 am MDT (12:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility 6 miles, mist, overcast at 600 feet
- At times between Mon 6:00 am MDT (12:00 UTC) and 9:00 am MDT (15:00 UTC): visibility 2 miles, light snow, mist, overcast at 400 feet
- From Mon 10:00 am MDT (16:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 700 feet
- From Mon 10:00 pm MDT (04:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 500 feet
The forecast for FAR, the departure
- From Mon 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the north at 10 knots, visibility 4 miles, mist, overcast at 500 feet
- From Mon 11:00 am CDT (16:00 UTC): wind from the north-northeast at 12 knots, visibility 6 miles, light rain showers, overcast at 700 feet
- From Mon 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the north-northwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 600 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 FAR 6:45 pm CDT (23:45 UTC), at GTF 6:41 pm MDT (00:41 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:12 pm MDT (01:12 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: Hector International, Great Falls International.