The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Plan a flight · Mon 1:35 am CDT (06:35 UTC)

Joe Foss Field to Idaho Falls Regional FSD → IDA

666 nautical miles (767 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 275°, about 270° magnetic at the departure end (variation 5E). At 120 knots that is 5 h 36 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 1-knot headwind), arriving about 6:11 am MDT (12:11 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now FSD is VFR, wind from the north-northeast (020°) at 7 knots; IDA is marginal VFR, wind calm. 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: 2 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

  • SIGMET C11C: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 31,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 2:55 am CDT (07:55 UTC). Over the route from 268 to 318 nm out.
    as issued
    WSUS32 KKCI 120555
    MKCC WST 120555
    CONVECTIVE SIGMET 11C
    VALID UNTIL 0755Z
    SD WY
    FROM 60WNW DPR-20SSE DPR-40SSW RAP-60W RAP-60WNW DPR
    DMSHG AREA TS MOV FROM 22040KT. TOPS TO FL310.
  • 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 60 to 567 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 38,000 ft. Over the route from 288 to 547 nm out.
  • 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 298 to 517 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the route from 348 to 557 nm out.
  • AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Over the last 278 nm of the route.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the last 239 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 FSD.

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 6 forecast points nearest it (FSD, ONL, PIR, RAP, LND, PIH). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

HeightAverage windHead- or tailwindTemperatureGround speedTime en routeArrival
4,500 ft190° at 19 kt+1 kt15 °C119 kt5 h 36 min6:11 am MDT (12:11 UTC)
6,500 ft190° at 21 kt+4 kt15 °C116 kt5 h 44 min6:19 am MDT (12:19 UTC)
8,500 ft200° at 25 kt+10 kt11 °C110 kt6 h 03 min6:38 am MDT (12:38 UTC)
10,500 ft210° at 28 kt+14 kt7 °C106 kt6 h 17 min6:52 am MDT (12:52 UTC)
12,500 ft220° at 29 kt+18 kt3 °C102 kt6 h 32 min7:07 am MDT (13:07 UTC)
14,500 ft220° at 30 kt+19 kt-2 °C101 kt6 h 36 min7:11 am MDT (13:11 UTC)
16,500 ft220° at 30 kt+20 kt-7 °C100 kt6 h 40 min7:15 am MDT (13:15 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180220° at 30 kt+21 kt-10 °C99 kt6 h 44 min7:19 am MDT (13:19 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240230° at 37 kt+28 kt-22 °C92 kt7 h 14 min7:49 am MDT (13:49 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300230° at 45 kt+35 kt-33 °C85 kt7 h 50 min8:25 am MDT (14:25 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340240° at 54 kt+47 kt-38 °C73 kt9 h 07 min9:42 am MDT (15:42 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390240° at 58 kt+53 kt-46 °C67 kt9 h 56 min10:31 am MDT (16:31 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
PointFrom3,0006,0009,00012,00018,00024,00030,00034,00039,000
FSDused from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line190/9230/30 18°240/23 13°240/20 6°260/22 -9°250/31 -21°250/43 -36°260/49 -43°270/53 -47°
ONLused from 50 nm out; 73 nm from the line210/31 20°230/27 13°230/18 7°220/19 -8°240/26 -20°250/44 -35°270/52 -39°260/57 -47°
PIRused from 99 nm out; 50 nm from the line170/22 19°190/25 13°210/32 6°240/23 -9°250/32 -21°250/38 -36°260/44 -40°260/52 -47°
RAPused from 199 nm out; 53 nm from the line180/23 12°200/38 13°210/38 6°220/28 -10°230/34 -21°230/37 -36°250/52 -38°250/59 -46°
LNDused from 398 nm out; 114 nm from the line200/23 6°220/31 1°220/39 -11°230/39 -23°220/51 -28°220/66 -37°230/68 -45°
PIHused from 597 nm out; 79 nm from the lineL/V240/13 1°240/15 -3°210/42 -15°200/70 -25°220/74 -29°220/71 -36°220/62 -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

AirportWhereConditionsWindVisibilityCeilingElevationReported
FSD Sioux Falls, SD departure VFR from the north-northeast (020°) at 7 knots 10+ mi none 1,430 ft 12:56 am CDT (05:56 UTC)
MHE Mitchell, SD 60 nm out, 8 nm northeast of the line VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 800 feet from the north-northwest (330°) at 6 knots 9 mi none 1,304 ft 06:06 UTC
ICR Winner, SD 129 nm out, 21 nm south of the line low IFR Sky: overcast at 400 feet Weather: mist from the northeast (050°) at 7 knots 6 mi 400 ft 2,032 ft 05:53 UTC
PHP Philip, SD 209 nm out, 16 nm north of the line low IFR Sky: overcast at 300 feet from the north-northeast (030°) at 12 knots 10+ mi 300 ft 2,209 ft 05:55 UTC
RAP Rapid City, SD 278 nm out, 15 nm north of the line, tower low IFR Sky: overcast at 300 feet Weather: mist from the northwest (320°) at 5 knots 4 mi 300 ft 3,203 ft 06:08 UTC
HSG Thermopolis, WY 507 nm out, 1 nm east of the line marginal VFR Sky: overcast at 1,800 feet from the north-northeast (020°) at 10 knots 10+ mi 1,800 ft 4,891 ft 06:15 UTC
DUB Dubois, WY 567 nm out, 8 nm southeast of the line VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 700 feet, a broken layer at 3,800 feet, overcast at 6,000 feet Weather: drizzle from the northwest (310°) at 5 knots 10+ mi 3,800 ft 7,298 ft 06:15 UTC
JAC Jackson, WY 606 nm out, 1 nm west of the line, tower VFR Sky: overcast at 5,500 feet from the southwest (230°) at 5 knots 10+ mi 5,500 ft 6,451 ft 05:56 UTC
IDA Idaho Falls, ID destination marginal VFR Sky: overcast at 2,000 feet calm 10+ mi 2,000 ft 4,743 ft 11:53 pm MDT (05:53 UTC)

The highest airport on this list sits at 7,298 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At IDA when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 6:11 am MDT (12:11 UTC)

Wind light and variable, visibility 5 miles, light rain, mist, a broken layer at 600 feet, overcast at 1,500 feet IFR

The whole forecast for IDA
  • From Mon 12:00 am MDT (06:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility 4 miles, mist, showers nearby, scattered clouds at 900 feet, a broken layer at 1,400 feet and more above
  • From Mon 5:00 am MDT (11:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility 5 miles, light rain, mist, a broken layer at 600 feet, overcast at 1,500 feet
  • From Mon 12:00 pm MDT (18:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 11 knots, visibility 6 miles, light rain showers, mist, scattered clouds at 1,500 feet, overcast at 2,500 feet
  • From Mon 10:00 pm MDT (04:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility 6 miles, mist, showers nearby, scattered clouds at 2,500 feet, a broken layer at 3,500 feet and more above
The forecast for FSD, the departure
  • From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
  • From Mon 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the east-northeast at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 700 feet
  • From Mon 2:00 pm CDT (19:00 UTC): wind from the west at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
  • From Mon 4:00 pm CDT (21:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 11 knots, gusting to 17, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 12,000 feet
  • From Mon 10:00 pm CDT (03:00 UTC): wind from the northwest at 12 knots, gusting to 18, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 14,000 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 FSD 6:49 pm CDT (23:49 UTC), at IDA 6:48 pm MDT (00:48 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:17 pm MDT (01:17 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at IDA is before sunrise there (7:38 am MDT (13:38 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 northern Rockies
Radar now, the northern Rockies · loop National Weather Service
Radar now, the Pacific Northwest
Radar now, the Pacific Northwest · 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: Joe Foss Field, Idaho Falls Regional.