The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Plan a flight · Sun 11:50 pm MDT (05:50 UTC)

Helena Regional to Miami International HLN → MIA

1,957 nautical miles (2,252 statute miles) southeast on a straight line, true course 119°, about 107° magnetic at the departure end (variation 12E). At 120 knots that is 13 h 08 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 29-knot tailwind), arriving about 2:58 pm EDT (18:58 UTC). 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 8C: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 32,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 12:55 am MDT (06:55 UTC). Over the route from 349 to 399 nm out.
    as issued
    WSUS32 KKCI 120455
    MKCC WST 120455
    CONVECTIVE SIGMET 8C
    VALID UNTIL 0655Z
    NE SD WY
    FROM 50WNW RAP-20SSW RAP-60NW BFF-40ENE DDY-50WNW RAP
    DMSHG AREA TS MOV FROM 22040KT. TOPS TO FL320.
  • 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 479 nm of the route.
  • AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Over the first 130 nm of the route.
  • AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 36,000 ft. Over the first 40 nm of the route.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the first 250 nm of the route.
  • AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Over the route from 140 to 310 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the route from 180 to 379 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 38,000 ft. Over the route from 190 to 449 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 220 to 399 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 3W: 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 469 to 988 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 HLN.

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 eastbound cruising heights for this course (VFR: odd thousands plus 500 ft; above 18,000 ft the forecast levels), with the wind averaged along the line from the 18 forecast points nearest it (GTF, BIL, RAP, BFF, ONL, GRI, SLN, MKC, SGF, LIT, MEM, JAN, BHM, MGM, TLH, PIE, MLB, MIA). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

HeightAverage windHead- or tailwindTemperatureGround speedTime en routeArrival
3,500 ft250° at 15 kt−7 kt127 kt15 h 25 min5:15 pm EDT (21:15 UTC)
5,500 ft240° at 10 kt−3 kt18 °C123 kt15 h 55 min5:45 pm EDT (21:45 UTC)
7,500 ft250° at 11 kt−5 kt15 °C125 kt15 h 39 min5:29 pm EDT (21:29 UTC)
9,500 ft250° at 13 kt−7 kt10 °C127 kt15 h 25 min5:15 pm EDT (21:15 UTC)
11,500 ft240° at 14 kt−6 kt7 °C126 kt15 h 32 min5:22 pm EDT (21:22 UTC)
13,500 ft240° at 16 kt−7 kt2 °C127 kt15 h 25 min5:15 pm EDT (21:15 UTC)
15,500 ft240° at 19 kt−8 kt-2 °C128 kt15 h 17 min5:07 pm EDT (21:07 UTC)
17,500 ft240° at 21 kt−10 kt-7 °C130 kt15 h 03 min4:53 pm EDT (20:53 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180240° at 22 kt−10 kt-7 °C130 kt15 h 03 min4:53 pm EDT (20:53 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240250° at 25 kt−13 kt-19 °C133 kt14 h 43 min4:33 pm EDT (20:33 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300260° at 31 kt−20 kt-33 °C140 kt13 h 59 min3:49 pm EDT (19:49 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340260° at 39 kt−29 kt-40 °C149 kt13 h 08 min2:58 pm EDT (18:58 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390260° at 39 kt−29 kt-49 °C149 kt13 h 08 min2:58 pm EDT (18:58 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
GTFused from 0 nm out; 65 nm from the line070/11080/15 -7°110/19 -9°190/25 -14°200/34 -23°200/54 -39°220/66 -40°220/77 -44°
BILused from 50 nm out; 79 nm from the line080/13180/9 -2°210/38 0°220/51 -11°210/46 -22°210/58 -35°230/73 -39°230/72 -45°
RAPused from 300 nm out; 102 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°
BFFused from 399 nm out; 62 nm from the line180/28220/33 15°210/31 7°230/32 -9°220/41 -21°220/40 -33°240/47 -36°250/54 -46°
ONLused from 549 nm out; 111 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°
GRIused from 599 nm out; 71 nm from the line230/35 21°230/23 13°220/20 7°240/25 -8°240/37 -20°250/49 -33°260/57 -38°260/58 -47°
SLNused from 749 nm out; 41 nm from the line210/53230/41 20°240/26 14°230/16 8°240/25 -7°240/35 -19°250/61 -30°260/65 -38°260/56 -49°
MKCused from 849 nm out; 67 nm from the line220/44250/28 18°250/18 13°240/12 6°280/24 -6°240/34 -18°260/47 -30°260/51 -40°270/58 -50°
SGFused from 899 nm out; 77 nm from the line230/33230/28 15°250/20 13°240/18 7°250/20 -6°250/24 -17°280/42 -31°280/49 -40°290/46 -51°
LITused from 1098 nm out; 61 nm from the line220/21230/17 16°250/24 12°260/15 7°260/13 -5°280/25 -16°290/35 -30°300/42 -40°300/40 -52°
MEMused from 1148 nm out; 48 nm from the line230/19260/16 15°270/17 12°300/13 6°300/15 -5°300/26 -18°300/34 -32°300/41 -40°310/46 -52°
JANused from 1298 nm out; 93 nm from the line230/10270/13 18°270/11 12°310/11 6°300/15 -4°300/22 -16°310/33 -31°320/37 -41°330/41 -52°
BHMused from 1348 nm out; 79 nm from the line310/19330/20 17°320/28 11°340/21 6°310/22 -7°330/33 -17°330/50 -32°330/57 -41°330/41 -50°
MGMused from 1398 nm out; 48 nm from the line310/19340/24 17°340/28 11°330/16 7°300/23 -7°320/32 -16°330/46 -33°330/55 -42°330/41 -50°
TLHused from 1548 nm out; 47 nm from the line320/18350/31 18°340/24 13°310/17 8°280/22 -7°300/25 -17°320/28 -33°320/24 -41°320/25 -50°
PIEused from 1697 nm out; 55 nm from the line350/6L/V 18°290/6 14°280/9 9°250/18 -6°250/23 -17°240/30 -31°220/31 -41°220/30 -52°
MLBused from 1847 nm out; 85 nm from the line230/6230/12 17°240/13 12°240/14 7°240/20 -5°240/24 -16°210/21 -32°190/33 -41°200/36 -52°
MIAused from 1897 nm out; 35 nm from the line150/7140/5 17°160/5 14°L/V 9°230/8 -5°230/8 -17°150/11 -32°150/25 -41°180/29 -51°

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
HLN Helena, MT departure no report just now 3,877 ft
LVM Livingston, MT 80 nm out, 17 nm south of the line no report just now 4,659 ft
BYG Buffalo, WY 260 nm out, 3 nm southwest of the line no report just now 4,970 ft
CDR Chadron, NE 439 nm out, 7 nm northeast of the line no report just now 3,297 ft
CYW Clay Center, KS 779 nm out, 3 nm east of the line no report just now 1,208 ft
MHK Manhattan, KS 809 nm out, 5 nm north of the line, tower no report just now 1,066 ft
BBG Branson, MO 1038 nm out, 10 nm west of the line, tower no report just now 1,302 ft
GTR Columbus/W Point/Starkville, MS 1328 nm out, 8 nm northeast of the line, tower no report just now 264 ft
SEM Selma, AL 1428 nm out, 17 nm northeast of the line, tower no report just now 166 ft
BKV Brooksville, FL 1757 nm out, 24 nm northeast of the line, tower no report just now 76 ft
TPA Tampa, FL 1777 nm out, 2 nm southeast of the line, tower no report just now 26 ft
MIA Miami, FL destination no report just now 9 ft

The highest airport on this list sits at 4,970 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At MIA when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 2:58 pm EDT (18:58 UTC)

MIA 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 HLN 6:46 pm MDT (00:46 UTC), at MIA 6:56 pm EDT (22:56 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:19 pm EDT (23:19 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 southern Plains
Radar now, the southern Plains · loop National Weather Service
Radar now, the upper Mississippi valley
Radar now, the upper Mississippi valley · 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: Helena Regional, Miami International.