Great Falls International to Santa Barbara Municipal GTF → SBA
872 nautical miles (1,003 statute miles) southwest on a straight line, true course 209°, about 196° magnetic at the departure end (variation 13E). At 120 knots that is 7 h 20 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 1-knot headwind), arriving about 6:36 am PDT (13:36 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now GTF is marginal VFR, wind from the north (350°) at 10 knots; SBA is VFR, wind from the northeast (050°) 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 first 258 nm of the route.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Over the first 158 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 36,000 ft. Over the first 406 nm of the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the first 584 nm of the route.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Over the route from 168 to 575 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 15,000 ft. Near the route, 733 nm along 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 GTF.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
- PC12 at 17,000 ft, 4 nm southeast, 10:52 pm MDT (04:52 UTC): moderate turbulence, moderate rime icing, -15 °C, remarks: entered by zoa fdcs. 634 nm along the route, 4 nm southeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
TPH UA /OV OAL/TM 0452/FL 170/TP PC12/TA M15/TB MOD/IC MOD RIME/RM ENTERED BY ZOA FDCS AWC-WEB
- Report
- a routine report filed through TPH
- Where
- over OAL
- Time
- 04:52 UTC
- Height
- at 17,000 ft
- Aircraft
- PC12
- Temperature
- −15 °C
- Turbulence
- moderate
- Icing
- moderate rime
- Remarks
- entered by zoa fdcs
- E175 at 6,300 ft, 3 nm southeast, 10:20 pm MDT (04:20 UTC): overcast above 6,300 ft, remarks: during the descent runway 31. 267 nm along the route, 3 nm southeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
SUN UA /OV KSUN/TM 0420/FL063/TP E175/SK OVC063-TOPUNKN/RM DURD RY31
- Report
- a routine report filed through SUN
- Where
- over KSUN
- Time
- 04:20 UTC
- Height
- at 6,300 ft
- Aircraft
- E175
- Sky
- overcast from 6,300 ft, tops unknown
- Remarks
- during the descent runway 31
- E175 at 5,900 ft, 3 nm southeast, 9:29 pm MDT (03:29 UTC): a broken layer above 5,900 ft, remarks: during the descent runway 31. 267 nm along the route, 3 nm southeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
SUN UA /OV KSUN/TM 0329/FL059/TP E175/SK BKN059-TOPUNKN/RM DURD RY31
- Report
- a routine report filed through SUN
- Where
- over KSUN
- Time
- 03:29 UTC
- Height
- at 5,900 ft
- Aircraft
- E175
- Sky
- a broken layer from 5,900 ft, tops unknown
- Remarks
- during the descent runway 31
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 7 forecast points nearest it (GTF, DLN, BOI, BAM, BIH, FAT, SBA). 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 | 180° at 1 kt | +1 kt | 2 °C | 119 kt | 7 h 20 min | 6:36 am PDT (13:36 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 200° at 3 kt | +3 kt | 2 °C | 117 kt | 7 h 27 min | 6:43 am PDT (13:43 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 220° at 3 kt | +3 kt | -2 °C | 117 kt | 7 h 27 min | 6:43 am PDT (13:43 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 230° at 9 kt | +9 kt | -4 °C | 111 kt | 7 h 51 min | 7:07 am PDT (14:07 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 220° at 17 kt | +16 kt | -7 °C | 104 kt | 8 h 23 min | 7:39 am PDT (14:39 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 220° at 23 kt | +23 kt | -10 °C | 97 kt | 8 h 59 min | 8:15 am PDT (15:15 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 210° at 30 kt | +30 kt | -14 °C | 90 kt | 9 h 41 min | 8:57 am PDT (15:57 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 210° at 35 kt | +35 kt | -16 °C | 85 kt | 10 h 16 min | 9:32 am PDT (16:32 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 210° at 51 kt | +51 kt | -26 °C | 69 kt | 12 h 38 min | 11:54 am PDT (18:54 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 210° at 60 kt | +59 kt | -31 °C | 61 kt | 14 h 18 min | 1:34 pm PDT (20:34 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 220° at 63 kt | +62 kt | -35 °C | 58 kt | 15 h 02 min | 2:18 pm PDT (21:18 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 220° at 56 kt | +54 kt | -42 °C | 66 kt | 13 h 13 min | 12:29 pm PDT (19:29 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
| Point | From | 3,000 | 6,000 | 9,000 | 12,000 | 18,000 | 24,000 | 30,000 | 34,000 | 39,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GTF | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 070/11 | 080/15 -7° | 110/19 -9° | 190/25 -14° | 200/34 -23° | 200/54 -39° | 220/66 -40° | 220/77 -44° | |
| DLN | used from 50 nm out; 70 nm from the line | 090/6 -6° | 240/22 -4° | 210/34 -16° | 210/62 -25° | 210/66 -34° | 210/82 -36° | 220/77 -42° | ||
| BOI | used from 248 nm out; 80 nm from the line | 300/7 2° | 280/5 -4° | 210/16 -9° | 210/60 -20° | 210/75 -29° | 210/63 -32° | 220/64 -32° | 220/54 -39° | |
| BAM | used from 396 nm out; 60 nm from the line | 310/7 0° | 270/19 -7° | 200/38 -17° | 190/49 -28° | 220/69 -29° | 220/63 -33° | 230/48 -41° | ||
| BIH | used from 594 nm out; 62 nm from the line | L/V | 240/7 1° | 190/13 -3° | 200/26 -16° | 210/43 -26° | 220/54 -28° | 220/51 -35° | 220/47 -43° | |
| FAT | used from 743 nm out; 58 nm from the line | 130/16 | 160/20 5° | 190/28 -1° | 210/25 -5° | 220/27 -15° | 230/21 -26° | 220/42 -29° | 220/44 -35° | 220/44 -44° |
| SBA | used from 792 nm out; 54 nm from the line | L/V | 190/13 5° | 210/20 2° | 220/22 -3° | 260/19 -13° | 230/35 -22° | 220/43 -28° | 220/46 -36° | 220/45 -44° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GTF Great Falls, MT | departure | marginal VFR Sky: a few clouds at 600 feet, overcast at 1,000 feet Weather: light snow, mist | from the north (350°) at 10 knots | 3 mi | 1,000 ft | 3,680 ft | 12:01 am MDT (06:01 UTC) |
| HLN Helena, MT | 59 nm out, 4 nm east of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 2,100 feet, overcast at 5,000 feet | from the west (270°) at 8 knots | 10+ mi | 5,000 ft | 3,877 ft | 05:53 UTC |
| BTM Butte, MT | 99 nm out, 5 nm south of the line | marginal VFR Sky: a broken layer at 1,000 feet, a broken layer at 2,900 feet, overcast at 3,600 feet Weather: light snow, mist | calm | 4 mi | 1,000 ft | 5,550 ft | 06:09 UTC |
| LLJ Challis, ID | 208 nm out, 22 nm west of the line | marginal VFR Sky: overcast at 2,600 feet Weather: light rain, mist | from the north (360°) at 6 knots | 5 mi | 2,600 ft | 5,075 ft | 05:55 UTC |
| SUN Hailey, ID | 267 nm out, 3 nm southeast of the line, tower | IFR Sky: a broken layer at 600 feet, overcast at 1,100 feet | from the southeast (140°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | 600 ft | 5,319 ft | 05:55 UTC |
| EKO Elko, NV | 446 nm out, 15 nm east of the line | VFR Sky: a broken layer at 3,800 feet, overcast at 4,700 feet Weather: light rain | from the east (080°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | 3,800 ft | 5,139 ft | 05:56 UTC |
| TMT Austin, NV | 545 nm out, 8 nm northwest of the line | VFR Sky: a broken layer at 11,000 feet | from the northwest (310°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | 11,000 ft | 5,735 ft | 05:55 UTC |
| BIH Bishop, CA | 683 nm out, 6 nm northwest of the line | VFR | variable at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 4,124 ft | 05:56 UTC |
| DLO Delano, CA | 783 nm out, 6 nm southwest of the line | reported, no category | from the east-northeast (060°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 314 ft | 06:15 UTC |
| BFL Bakersfield, CA | 802 nm out, 11 nm east of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a broken layer at 6,000 feet, overcast at 8,000 feet | from the north (010°) at 12 knots, gusting to 19 | 10+ mi | 6,000 ft | 509 ft | 05:54 UTC |
| SBA Santa Barbara, CA | destination | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 3,900 feet, overcast at 6,000 feet | from the northeast (050°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | 6,000 ft | 13 ft | 10:53 pm PDT (05:53 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 5,735 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At SBA when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 6:36 am PDT (13:36 UTC)
Wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 4,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for SBA
- From Sun 11:00 pm PDT (06:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 4,000 feet
- From Mon 12:00 pm PDT (19:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
The forecast for GTF, the departure
- From Mon 12:00 am MDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the north-northeast at 12 knots, visibility 3 miles, light snow, overcast at 600 feet
- At times between Mon 12:00 am MDT (06:00 UTC) and 3:00 am MDT (09:00 UTC): visibility 2 miles, light snow
- From Mon 3:00 am MDT (09:00 UTC): wind from the north at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 600 feet
- At times between Mon 3:00 am MDT (09:00 UTC) and 5:00 am MDT (11:00 UTC): visibility 2 miles, light snow, overcast at 300 feet
- From Mon 12:00 pm MDT (18:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 1,000 feet
- From Mon 9:00 pm MDT (03:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility 6 miles, mist, scattered clouds at 1,000 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 GTF 6:41 pm MDT (00:41 UTC), at SBA 6:28 pm PDT (01:28 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:54 pm PDT (01:54 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at SBA is before sunrise there (7:02 am PDT (14:02 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: Great Falls International, Santa Barbara Municipal.