Joplin Regional to Rapid City Regional JLN → RAP
568 nautical miles (654 statute miles) northwest on a straight line, true course 319°, about 315° magnetic at the departure end (variation 4E). At 120 knots that is 4 h 30 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 6-knot tailwind), arriving about 5:28 am MDT (11:28 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now JLN is VFR, wind from the south (180°) at 11 knots; RAP is low IFR, wind from the east (080°) at 12 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: 2 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 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 first 458 nm of 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 150 nm of the route.
- 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). Near the route, at the destination end.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 38,000 ft. Near the route, at the destination end.
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 JLN.
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 (SGF, MKC, SLN, GRI, ONL, RAP). 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 | 220° at 32 kt | −6 kt | 18 °C | 126 kt | 4 h 30 min | 5:28 am MDT (11:28 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 220° at 29 kt | −3 kt | 17 °C | 123 kt | 4 h 37 min | 5:35 am MDT (11:35 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 220° at 26 kt | −1 kt | 14 °C | 121 kt | 4 h 42 min | 5:40 am MDT (11:40 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 220° at 23 kt | −1 kt | 10 °C | 121 kt | 4 h 42 min | 5:40 am MDT (11:40 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 220° at 22 kt | −1 kt | 6 °C | 121 kt | 4 h 42 min | 5:40 am MDT (11:40 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 230° at 22 kt | 0 | 1 °C | 120 kt | 4 h 44 min | 5:42 am MDT (11:42 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 230° at 23 kt | +2 kt | -4 °C | 118 kt | 4 h 49 min | 5:47 am MDT (11:47 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 240° at 23 kt | +4 kt | -8 °C | 116 kt | 4 h 54 min | 5:52 am MDT (11:52 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 240° at 33 kt | +6 kt | -20 °C | 114 kt | 4 h 59 min | 5:57 am MDT (11:57 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 250° at 46 kt | +18 kt | -33 °C | 102 kt | 5 h 34 min | 6:32 am MDT (12:32 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 260° at 55 kt | +31 kt | -39 °C | 89 kt | 6 h 23 min | 7:21 am MDT (13:21 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 260° at 56 kt | +31 kt | -48 °C | 89 kt | 6 h 23 min | 7:21 am MDT (13:21 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SGF | used from 0 nm out; 71 nm from the line | 230/33 | 230/28 15° | 250/20 13° | 240/18 7° | 250/20 -6° | 250/24 -17° | 280/42 -31° | 280/49 -40° | 290/46 -51° |
| MKC | used from 50 nm out; 76 nm from the line | 220/44 | 250/28 18° | 250/18 13° | 240/12 6° | 280/24 -6° | 240/34 -18° | 260/47 -30° | 260/51 -40° | 270/58 -50° |
| SLN | used from 100 nm out; 67 nm from the line | 210/53 | 230/41 20° | 240/26 14° | 230/16 8° | 240/25 -7° | 240/35 -19° | 250/61 -30° | 260/65 -38° | 260/56 -49° |
| GRI | used from 199 nm out; 68 nm from the line | 230/35 21° | 230/23 13° | 220/20 7° | 240/25 -8° | 240/37 -20° | 250/49 -33° | 260/57 -38° | 260/58 -47° | |
| ONL | used from 349 nm out; 70 nm from the line | 210/31 20° | 230/27 13° | 230/18 7° | 220/19 -8° | 240/26 -20° | 250/44 -35° | 270/52 -39° | 260/57 -47° | |
| RAP | used from 449 nm out; 95 nm from the line | 180/23 12° | 200/38 13° | 210/38 6° | 220/28 -10° | 230/34 -21° | 230/37 -36° | 250/52 -38° | 250/59 -46° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JLN Joplin, MO | departure | VFR | from the south (180°) at 11 knots | 10+ mi | none | 977 ft | 1:53 am CDT (06:53 UTC) |
| PTS Pittsburg, KS | 20 nm out, 3 nm northeast of the line | VFR | from the south-southwest (200°) at 9 knots | 10+ mi | none | 946 ft | 06:35 UTC |
| UKL Burlington, KS | 90 nm out, 1 nm northeast of the line | VFR | from the south (190°) at 13 knots, gusting to 16 | 10+ mi | none | 1,174 ft | 06:35 UTC |
| MHK Manhattan, KS | 159 nm out, 3 nm east of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southwest (210°) at 15 knots, gusting to 23 | 10+ mi | none | 1,066 ft | 06:52 UTC |
| RPB Belleville, KS | 219 nm out, 5 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 1,538 ft | ||||
| HSI Hastings, NE | 279 nm out, 3 nm east of the line | VFR | from the south (170°) at 8 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,961 ft | 06:53 UTC |
| GRI Grand Island, NE | 289 nm out, 20 nm northeast of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (180°) at 12 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,847 ft | 06:53 UTC |
| BBW Broken Bow, NE | 349 nm out, 5 nm west of the line | VFR | from the north (360°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 2,546 ft | 06:53 UTC |
| TIF Thedford, NE | 399 nm out, 13 nm southwest of the line | IFR Sky: overcast at 500 feet | from the east (090°) at 9 knots | 10+ mi | 500 ft | 2,925 ft | 06:35 UTC |
| RAP Rapid City, SD | destination | low IFR Sky: overcast at 300 feet Weather: mist | from the east (080°) at 12 knots | 5 mi | 300 ft | 3,203 ft | 12:52 am MDT (06:52 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 3,203 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At RAP when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 5:28 am MDT (11:28 UTC)
Wind from the east-southeast at 8 knots, visibility 2 miles, mist, overcast at 300 feet low IFR
At times between Mon 3:00 am MDT (09:00 UTC) and 7:00 am MDT (13:00 UTC): visibility ½ mile, fog, overcast at 200 feet low IFR
The whole forecast for RAP
- From Mon 1:00 am MDT (07:00 UTC): wind from the east-southeast at 8 knots, visibility 2 miles, mist, overcast at 300 feet
- At times between Mon 3:00 am MDT (09:00 UTC) and 7:00 am MDT (13:00 UTC): visibility ½ mile, fog, overcast at 200 feet
- From Mon 9:00 am MDT (15:00 UTC): wind from the north-northwest at 10 knots, visibility 2 miles, mist, a broken layer at 500 feet, overcast at 1,200 feet
- From Mon 12:00 pm MDT (18:00 UTC): wind from the north-northwest at 20 knots, gusting to 30, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 2,500 feet
The forecast for JLN, the departure
- From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 11 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 3:00 am CDT (08:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 13 knots, gusting to 21, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, clear skies
- From Mon 9:00 am CDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 19 knots, gusting to 30, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 12 knots, gusting to 22, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
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 JLN 6:45 pm CDT (23:45 UTC), at RAP 6:12 pm MDT (00:12 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:41 pm MDT (00:41 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at RAP is before sunrise there (7:02 am MDT (13:02 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: Joplin Regional, Rapid City Regional.