John F Kennedy International to Billings Logan International JFK → BIL
1,540 nautical miles (1,772 statute miles) northwest on a straight line, true course 293°, about 306° magnetic at the departure end (variation 13W). At 120 knots that is 14 h at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 10-knot headwind), arriving about 9:09 pm MDT (03:09 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: 3 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 3E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the first 500 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 24,000 ft to 33,000 ft. Over the first 260 nm of the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, mist). Over the route from 80 to 250 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 2W: low-level wind shear (due to air speed loss or gain of 20 knots or more below 2,000 ft above the ground). Near the route, 530 nm along the route.
- 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 last 560 nm of the route.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Over the route from 1390 to 1510 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the last 30 nm of the route.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 18,000 ft. Over the last 10 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 JFK.
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 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 15 forecast points nearest it (JFK, AVP, PSB, BUF, CLE, MKG, GRB, LSE, MSP, AXN, ABR, PIR, DIK, MLS, BIL). 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 | 280° at 10 kt | +10 kt | 5 °C | 110 kt | 14 h | 9:09 pm MDT (03:09 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 270° at 11 kt | +11 kt | 12 °C | 109 kt | 14 h 08 min | 9:17 pm MDT (03:17 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 260° at 13 kt | +14 kt | 9 °C | 106 kt | 14 h 32 min | 9:41 pm MDT (03:41 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 260° at 16 kt | +17 kt | 6 °C | 103 kt | 14 h 57 min | 10:06 pm MDT (04:06 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 270° at 18 kt | +19 kt | 2 °C | 101 kt | 15 h 15 min | 10:24 pm MDT (04:24 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 270° at 19 kt | +21 kt | -2 °C | 99 kt | 15 h 33 min | 10:42 pm MDT (04:42 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 270° at 21 kt | +22 kt | -7 °C | 98 kt | 15 h 43 min | 10:52 pm MDT (04:52 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 270° at 22 kt | +23 kt | -10 °C | 97 kt | 15 h 53 min | 11:02 pm MDT (05:02 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 270° at 25 kt | +26 kt | -22 °C | 94 kt | 16 h 23 min | 11:32 pm MDT (05:32 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 270° at 31 kt | +33 kt | -36 °C | 87 kt | 17 h 42 min | 12:51 am MDT (06:51 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 270° at 40 kt | +42 kt | -42 °C | 78 kt | 19 h 45 min | 2:54 am MDT (08:54 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 280° at 51 kt | +53 kt | -49 °C | 67 kt | 22 h 59 min | 6:08 am MDT (12:08 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JFK | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 020/25 | 290/9 12° | 300/12 7° | 320/14 3° | 290/17 -10° | 240/27 -21° | 240/44 -36° | 240/53 -41° | 240/51 -50° |
| AVP | used from 50 nm out; 23 nm from the line | 010/20 | 020/24 11° | 360/19 8° | 350/23 2° | 320/24 -11° | 330/25 -22° | 330/27 -37° | 310/28 -42° | 290/30 -50° |
| PSB | used from 150 nm out; 61 nm from the line | 020/21 12° | 360/28 7° | 360/29 1° | 350/33 -10° | 350/42 -22° | 350/49 -37° | 340/63 -43° | 350/39 -52° | |
| BUF | used from 200 nm out; 57 nm from the line | 300/11 | 330/15 11° | 340/26 8° | 330/28 2° | 340/31 -10° | 340/32 -21° | 340/52 -37° | 340/59 -46° | 330/66 -53° |
| CLE | used from 350 nm out; 87 nm from the line | 310/7 | 350/20 14° | 340/16 9° | 320/21 2° | 320/32 -8° | 330/34 -20° | 330/45 -36° | 320/60 -45° | 320/64 -51° |
| MKG | used from 450 nm out; 108 nm from the line | 260/28 | 260/18 15° | 250/16 9° | 260/22 4° | 280/31 -9° | 270/35 -21° | 270/44 -35° | 270/42 -45° | 290/61 -51° |
| GRB | used from 600 nm out; 52 nm from the line | 250/32 | 250/22 17° | 240/18 8° | 280/21 6° | 280/34 -11° | 280/35 -21° | 280/39 -37° | 270/52 -45° | 290/60 -49° |
| LSE | used from 750 nm out; 53 nm from the line | 250/25 | 240/21 17° | 240/28 11° | 250/28 5° | 280/24 -10° | 280/31 -21° | 260/35 -37° | 270/45 -43° | 280/59 -47° |
| MSP | used from 850 nm out; 17 nm from the line | 250/12 | 250/17 17° | 240/26 12° | 250/26 5° | 280/26 -9° | 280/32 -22° | 270/37 -38° | 280/47 -41° | 280/55 -48° |
| AXN | used from 950 nm out; 43 nm from the line | 110/6 | 260/10 16° | 240/17 12° | 250/20 5° | 260/29 -10° | 260/35 -22° | 260/29 -38° | 270/48 -41° | 270/61 -48° |
| ABR | used from 1050 nm out; 40 nm from the line | 080/12 | 210/12 17° | 220/22 12° | 230/26 5° | 220/28 -10° | 230/41 -21° | 250/36 -36° | 260/47 -39° | 260/63 -47° |
| PIR | used from 1200 nm out; 82 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° | |
| DIK | used from 1250 nm out; 70 nm from the line | 190/12 5° | 230/29 7° | 220/33 1° | 220/43 -11° | 210/47 -23° | 220/53 -33° | 240/56 -40° | 250/72 -47° | |
| MLS | used from 1350 nm out; 66 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 1500 nm out; 20 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° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JFK New York, NY | departure | no report just now | 13 ft | ||||
| MMU Morristown, NJ | 30 nm out, 3 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 186 ft | ||||
| ERI Erie, PA | 300 nm out, 23 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 732 ft | ||||
| CYZR Sarnia, | 410 nm out, 3 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 594 ft | ||||
| MBS Saginaw, MI | 490 nm out, 7 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 668 ft | ||||
| ATW Appleton, WI | 690 nm out, 3 nm east of the line, tower | no report just now | 918 ft | ||||
| MSP Minneapolis, MN | 890 nm out, 4 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 841 ft | ||||
| VVV Ortonville, MN | 1030 nm out, 0 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 1,101 ft | ||||
| MBG Mobridge, SD | 1200 nm out, 4 nm south of the line | no report just now | 1,716 ft | ||||
| LEM Lemmon, SD | 1270 nm out, 13 nm north of the line | no report just now | 2,572 ft | ||||
| BIL Billings, MT | destination | no report just now | 3,662 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 3,662 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At BIL when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 9:09 pm MDT (03:09 UTC)
BIL has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 5/2811 NEW YORK, NY, Monday, October 20, 2025 through Tuesday, October 20, 2026 Local 2 nm from the route, at the departure end · security · until 20 October · ZNY
- 6/6656 ANOKA, MN, Monday, October 5, 2026 through Monday, October 19, 2026 Local 13 nm from the route, 900 nm along the route · security · until 19 October · ZMP
Daylight
Sunset at JFK 6:19 pm EDT (22:19 UTC), at BIL 6:32 pm MDT (00:32 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:02 pm MDT (01:02 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at BIL is after sunset there (6:33 pm MDT (00:33 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: John F Kennedy International, Billings Logan International.