Hector International to Rapid City Regional FAR → RAP
314 nautical miles (362 statute miles) southwest on a straight line, true course 239°, about 235° magnetic at the departure end (variation 4E). At 120 knots that is 2 h 31 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 5-knot tailwind), arriving about 9:54 pm MDT (03:54 UTC), after sunset at the destination. 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
- 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 first 49 nm of the route.
- AIRMET ZULU 4C: moderate icing up to 20,000 ft. Near the route, at the departure end.
- 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 route from 187 to 275 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 36,000 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 FAR.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
- A320 descending, 0 nm southwest, 8:01 pm CDT (01:01 UTC): overcast above 1,200 ft, remarks: during the descent runway 36. At the departure end, 0 nm southwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
FAR UA /OV KFAR/TM 0101/FLUNKN/TP A320/SK OVC012-TOPUNKN/RM DURD RWY 36
- Report
- a routine report filed through FAR
- Where
- over KFAR
- Time
- 01:01 UTC
- Height
- height not given
- Aircraft
- A320
- Sky
- overcast from 1,200 ft, tops unknown
- Remarks
- during the descent runway 36
- C56X at 1,300 ft, 0 nm southwest, 6:17 pm CDT (23:17 UTC): overcast above 1,300 ft. At the departure end, 0 nm southwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
FAR UA /OV KFAR/TM 2317/FL013/TP C56X/SK OVC013
- Report
- a routine report filed through FAR
- Where
- over KFAR
- Time
- 23:17 UTC
- Height
- at 1,300 ft
- Aircraft
- C56X
- Sky
- overcast from 1,300 ft
- CRJ2 at 11,000 ft, 41 nm northwest, 7:53 pm CDT (00:53 UTC): no turbulence, no icing. 69 nm along the route, 41 nm northwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
JMS UA /OV JMS/TM 0053/FL110/TP CRJ2/SK BASE020-TOP040/TB NEG/IC NEG
- Report
- a routine report filed through JMS
- Where
- over JMS
- Time
- 00:53 UTC
- Height
- at 11,000 ft
- Aircraft
- CRJ2
- Sky
- BASE020-TOP040
- Turbulence
- none
- Icing
- none
- B39M at 35,000 ft, 43 nm southeast, 6:28 pm CDT (23:28 UTC): light chop turbulence. 118 nm along the route, 43 nm southeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
ABR UA /OV ABR230015/TM 2328/FL350/TP B39M/TB LGT CHOP
- Report
- a routine report filed through ABR
- Where
- 15 nm southwest (230°) of ABR
- Time
- 23:28 UTC
- Height
- at 35,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B39M
- Turbulence
- light chop
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 4 forecast points nearest it (GFK, ABR, PIR, RAP). 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 | 070° at 6 kt | −5 kt | 15 °C | 125 kt | 2 h 31 min | 9:54 pm MDT (03:54 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 180° at 4 kt | +3 kt | 14 °C | 117 kt | 2 h 41 min | 10:04 pm MDT (04:04 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 220° at 14 kt | +13 kt | 12 °C | 107 kt | 2 h 56 min | 10:19 pm MDT (04:19 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 220° at 22 kt | +22 kt | 8 °C | 98 kt | 3 h 12 min | 10:35 pm MDT (04:35 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 230° at 29 kt | +28 kt | 4 °C | 92 kt | 3 h 25 min | 10:48 pm MDT (04:48 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 230° at 31 kt | +31 kt | -1 °C | 89 kt | 3 h 32 min | 10:55 pm MDT (04:55 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 240° at 34 kt | +34 kt | -6 °C | 86 kt | 3 h 39 min | 11:02 pm MDT (05:02 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 240° at 36 kt | +36 kt | -10 °C | 84 kt | 3 h 44 min | 11:07 pm MDT (05:07 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 250° at 39 kt | +38 kt | -21 °C | 82 kt | 3 h 50 min | 11:13 pm MDT (05:13 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 250° at 47 kt | +47 kt | -36 °C | 73 kt | 4 h 18 min | 11:41 pm MDT (05:41 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 240° at 56 kt | +56 kt | -44 °C | 64 kt | 4 h 54 min | 12:17 am MDT (06:17 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 250° at 65 kt | +64 kt | -51 °C | 56 kt | 5 h 36 min | 12:59 am MDT (06:59 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GFK | used from 0 nm out; 75 nm from the line | 050/18 | L/V 10° | 240/20 7° | 240/36 1° | 250/47 -11° | 260/53 -21° | 270/59 -36° | 270/65 -47° | 260/88 -56° |
| ABR | used from 49 nm out; 50 nm from the line | 030/24 | 220/5 16° | 230/18 12° | 230/32 5° | 240/38 -10° | 250/37 -20° | 240/40 -35° | 240/56 -44° | 250/72 -52° |
| PIR | used from 147 nm out; 60 nm from the line | L/V 17° | 230/13 12° | 220/22 6° | 250/31 -9° | 250/34 -21° | 240/50 -35° | 230/61 -43° | 240/62 -51° | |
| RAP | used from 245 nm out; 44 nm from the line | 120/15 12° | 180/22 11° | 220/26 5° | 230/35 -9° | 240/40 -22° | 240/50 -37° | 240/51 -41° | 240/47 -47° |
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 | no report just now | 901 ft | ||||
| GWR Gwinner, ND | 49 nm out, 18 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 1,265 ft | ||||
| ASY Ashley, ND | 118 nm out, 10 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 2,034 ft | ||||
| MBG Mobridge, SD | 167 nm out, 11 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 1,716 ft | ||||
| RAP Rapid City, SD | destination | no report just now | 3,203 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 3,203 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At RAP when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 9:54 pm MDT (03:54 UTC)
RAP 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 FAR 6:45 pm CDT (23:45 UTC), at RAP 6:13 pm MDT (00:13 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:42 pm MDT (00:42 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at RAP is after sunset there (6:15 pm MDT (00:15 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, Rapid City Regional.