Joe Foss Field to Seattle Paine Field International FSD → PAE
1,096 nautical miles (1,261 statute miles) northwest on a straight line, true course 293°, about 288° magnetic at the departure end (variation 5E). At 120 knots that is 9 h 27 min at the quickest height in today's winds (18,000 ft, a 4-knot headwind), arriving about 2:44 pm PDT (21:44 UTC). Right now FSD is VFR, wind from the northeast (040°) at 5 knots; PAE is VFR, wind from the south-southeast (150°) at 3 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
- 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 10 to 727 nm out.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Over the route from 379 to 468 nm out.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 18,000 ft. Over the route from 478 to 906 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 518 to 867 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 39,000 ft. Over the route from 727 to 1056 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 FSD.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
No pilot reports within 50 nautical miles of the line in the last three hours.
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 10 forecast points nearest it (FSD, PIR, RAP, MLS, BIL, GTF, GPI, GEG, YKM, SEA). 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 | 260° at 7 kt | +6 kt | 5 °C | 114 kt | 9 h 37 min | 2:54 pm PDT (21:54 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 260° at 7 kt | +6 kt | 6 °C | 114 kt | 9 h 37 min | 2:54 pm PDT (21:54 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 250° at 8 kt | +6 kt | 4 °C | 114 kt | 9 h 37 min | 2:54 pm PDT (21:54 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 240° at 10 kt | +6 kt | -1 °C | 114 kt | 9 h 37 min | 2:54 pm PDT (21:54 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 240° at 11 kt | +7 kt | -3 °C | 113 kt | 9 h 42 min | 2:59 pm PDT (21:59 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 230° at 13 kt | +6 kt | -7 °C | 114 kt | 9 h 37 min | 2:54 pm PDT (21:54 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 220° at 14 kt | +5 kt | -11 °C | 115 kt | 9 h 32 min | 2:49 pm PDT (21:49 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 220° at 15 kt | +4 kt | -14 °C | 116 kt | 9 h 27 min | 2:44 pm PDT (21:44 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 220° at 24 kt | +8 kt | -26 °C | 112 kt | 9 h 47 min | 3:04 pm PDT (22:04 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 240° at 26 kt | +15 kt | -36 °C | 105 kt | 10 h 26 min | 3:43 pm PDT (22:43 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 230° at 36 kt | +19 kt | -38 °C | 101 kt | 10 h 51 min | 4:08 pm PDT (23:08 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 230° at 45 kt | +28 kt | -44 °C | 92 kt | 11 h 55 min | 5:12 pm PDT (00:12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FSD | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 210/20 | 230/23 21° | 220/25 14° | 230/30 5° | 230/26 -9° | 240/30 -21° | 270/33 -36° | 260/47 -37° | 270/58 -47° |
| PIR | used from 100 nm out; 37 nm from the line | 230/15 15° | 220/22 14° | 220/24 6° | 200/32 -10° | 210/48 -22° | 240/45 -33° | 240/43 -37° | 250/55 -46° | |
| RAP | used from 249 nm out; 70 nm from the line | 250/28 16° | 260/31 10° | 240/25 4° | 210/35 -10° | 200/45 -23° | 230/47 -31° | 230/47 -36° | 230/51 -46° | |
| MLS | used from 349 nm out; 59 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° | |
| BIL | used from 448 nm out; 57 nm from the line | 300/14 | 270/19 -2° | 260/26 -2° | 220/28 -13° | 210/51 -25° | 220/56 -33° | 220/61 -39° | 220/72 -45° | |
| GTF | used from 598 nm out; 51 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° | |
| GPI | used from 747 nm out; 65 nm from the line | 090/8 -4° | 140/7 -7° | 090/10 -8° | 110/10 -19° | 210/25 -30° | 200/24 -40° | 210/31 -39° | 210/35 -42° | |
| GEG | used from 847 nm out; 32 nm from the line | 060/7 -2° | 070/12 -6° | 050/8 -8° | 120/11 -21° | 110/18 -33° | 030/22 -37° | 040/6 -38° | 240/7 -41° | |
| YKM | used from 996 nm out; 74 nm from the line | 360/6 | 360/11 -1° | 030/20 -7° | 040/21 -11° | 020/55 -18° | 010/84 -26° | 010/79 -40° | 010/45 -42° | 350/23 -42° |
| SEA | used from 1046 nm out; 36 nm from the line | 350/5 | 010/6 0° | 010/9 -4° | 010/27 -6° | 010/51 -15° | 360/58 -26° | 360/60 -41° | 350/55 -48° | 340/30 -45° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FSD Sioux Falls, SD | departure | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 10,000 feet, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet | from the northeast (040°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,430 ft | 6:56 am CDT (11:56 UTC) |
| MHE Mitchell, SD | 60 nm out, 11 nm south of the line | low IFR Sky: overcast at 300 feet Weather: mist | from the north (010°) at 7 knots | 5 mi | 300 ft | 1,304 ft | 11:53 UTC |
| PIR Pierre, SD | 159 nm out, 11 nm southwest of the line | low IFR Sky: overcast at 400 feet Weather: mist | from the northeast (050°) at 8 knots | 3 mi | 400 ft | 1,744 ft | 11:53 UTC |
| RPX Roundup, MT | 528 nm out, 6 nm north of the line | no report just now | 3,490 ft | ||||
| HWQ Harlowton, MT | 578 nm out, 10 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 4,311 ft | ||||
| MSO Missoula, MT | 757 nm out, 17 nm south of the line, tower | VFR Sky: overcast at 7,500 feet | from the north-northeast (020°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | 7,500 ft | 3,205 ft | 11:53 UTC |
| THM Thompson Falls, MT | 817 nm out, 14 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 2,467 ft | ||||
| GEG Spokane, WA | 906 nm out, 4 nm northeast of the line, tower | VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 4,800 feet, a broken layer at 7,000 feet, overcast at 10,000 feet | from the northeast (050°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | 7,000 ft | 2,385 ft | 11:53 UTC |
| EAT Wenatchee, WA | 1006 nm out, 23 nm south of the line | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 1,248 ft | 11:55 UTC |
| PAE Everett, WA | destination | VFR | from the south-southeast (150°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 606 ft | 4:53 am PDT (11:53 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 4,311 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At PAE when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 2:44 pm PDT (21:44 UTC)
Wind from the west-northwest at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies VFR
The whole forecast for PAE
- From Mon 5:00 am PDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the east-southeast at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, patches of fog, a few clouds at 200 feet
- From Mon 10:00 am PDT (17:00 UTC): wind from the south at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 1:00 pm PDT (20:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 7:00 pm PDT (02:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Tue 2:00 am PDT (09:00 UTC): wind from the south-southeast at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 10,000 feet
The forecast for FSD, the departure
- From Mon 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the east-northeast at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 300 feet, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 10:00 am CDT (15:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 800 feet
- From Mon 2:00 pm CDT (19:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 13 knots, gusting to 21, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 1,500 feet
- From Mon 9:00 pm CDT (02:00 UTC): wind from the northwest at 12 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 2,000 feet
- From Tue 12:00 am CDT (05:00 UTC): wind from the north at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 1,200 feet
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/8927 Kalispell, MT, Wednesday, October 14, 2026 through Wednesday, October 14, 2026 Local on the route, 737 nm along the route · a VIP movement · starts Wednesday 14 October · ZSE
- 6/8923 Kalispell, MT, Wednesday, October 14, 2026 through Wednesday, October 14, 2026 Local on the route, 737 nm along the route · a VIP movement · starts Wednesday 14 October · ZLC
Daylight
Sunset at FSD 6:49 pm CDT (23:49 UTC), at PAE 6:24 pm PDT (01:24 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:55 pm PDT (01:55 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: Joe Foss Field, Seattle Paine Field International.