Los Angeles International to Joe Foss Field LAX → FSD
1,163 nautical miles (1,338 statute miles) northeast on a straight line, true course 054°, about 042° magnetic at the departure end (variation 12E). At 120 knots that is 6 h 41 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 54-knot tailwind), arriving about 8:17 am CDT (13:17 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: 8 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 1W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 15,000 ft. Over the route from 10 to 199 nm out.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Over the route from 199 to 497 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the route from 209 to 825 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 2E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Near the route, 268 nm along the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 268 to 636 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 38,000 ft. Over the route from 378 to 875 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 566 to 735 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 855 to 1024 nm out.
- 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 974 to 1024 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 LAX.
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 8 forecast points nearest it (ONT, LAS, BCE, GJT, DEN, BFF, ONL, FSD). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.
| Height | Average wind | Head- or tailwind | Temperature | Ground speed | Time en route | Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5,500 ft | 200° at 24 kt | −19 kt | 14 °C | 139 kt | 8 h 22 min | 9:58 am CDT (14:58 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 210° at 26 kt | −23 kt | 11 °C | 143 kt | 8 h 08 min | 9:44 am CDT (14:44 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 220° at 27 kt | −25 kt | 9 °C | 145 kt | 8 h 01 min | 9:37 am CDT (14:37 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 220° at 28 kt | −27 kt | 3 °C | 147 kt | 7 h 55 min | 9:31 am CDT (14:31 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 220° at 31 kt | −30 kt | -1 °C | 150 kt | 7 h 45 min | 9:21 am CDT (14:21 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 220° at 35 kt | −33 kt | -6 °C | 153 kt | 7 h 36 min | 9:12 am CDT (14:12 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 220° at 38 kt | −36 kt | -10 °C | 156 kt | 7 h 27 min | 9:03 am CDT (14:03 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 220° at 39 kt | −37 kt | -11 °C | 157 kt | 7 h 24 min | 9:00 am CDT (14:00 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 220° at 48 kt | −46 kt | -21 °C | 166 kt | 7 h | 8:36 am CDT (13:36 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 230° at 52 kt | −51 kt | -31 °C | 171 kt | 6 h 48 min | 8:24 am CDT (13:24 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 230° at 54 kt | −54 kt | -36 °C | 174 kt | 6 h 41 min | 8:17 am CDT (13:17 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 230° at 51 kt | −51 kt | -45 °C | 171 kt | 6 h 48 min | 8:24 am CDT (13:24 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ONT | used from 0 nm out; 21 nm from the line | 190/8 | 190/19 6° | 210/23 4° | 210/29 -3° | 210/47 -13° | 210/49 -19° | 220/47 -30° | 220/50 -36° | 220/55 -43° |
| LAS | used from 99 nm out; 81 nm from the line | 210/21 10° | 200/18 5° | 200/23 -2° | 210/49 -14° | 210/63 -21° | 220/58 -30° | 220/61 -35° | 210/56 -44° | |
| BCE | used from 298 nm out; 58 nm from the line | 220/27 -1° | 210/40 -13° | 220/54 -21° | 220/64 -30° | 220/64 -34° | 220/52 -44° | |||
| GJT | used from 497 nm out; 47 nm from the line | 210/43 7° | 230/45 1° | 220/49 -12° | 220/62 -22° | 220/59 -28° | 230/60 -33° | 220/55 -45° | ||
| DEN | used from 646 nm out; 91 nm from the line | 240/21 14° | 250/44 6° | 220/49 -8° | 220/49 -21° | 230/54 -30° | 240/57 -35° | 240/49 -45° | ||
| BFF | used from 795 nm out; 43 nm from the line | 180/28 | 220/33 15° | 210/31 7° | 230/32 -9° | 220/41 -21° | 220/40 -33° | 240/47 -36° | 250/54 -46° | |
| ONL | used from 944 nm out; 93 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° | |
| FSD | used from 1093 nm out; 45 nm from the line | 190/9 | 230/30 18° | 240/23 13° | 240/20 6° | 260/22 -9° | 250/31 -21° | 250/43 -36° | 260/49 -43° | 270/53 -47° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LAX Los Angeles, CA | departure | no report just now | 127 ft | ||||
| EMT El Monte, CA | 20 nm out, 4 nm southeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 295 ft | ||||
| HND Las Vegas, NV | 199 nm out, 7 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 2,491 ft | ||||
| AZC Colorado City, AZ | 318 nm out, 2 nm east of the line | no report just now | 4,873 ft | ||||
| BCE Bryce Canyon, UT | 378 nm out, 14 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 7,589 ft | ||||
| GJT Grand Junction, CO | 566 nm out, 3 nm east of the line, tower | no report just now | 4,861 ft | ||||
| EGE Eagle, CO | 646 nm out, 13 nm southeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 6,547 ft | ||||
| FNL Fort Collins/Loveland, CO | 745 nm out, 13 nm southeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 5,020 ft | ||||
| IBM Kimball, NE | 825 nm out, 2 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 4,925 ft | ||||
| ANW Ainsworth, NE | 1004 nm out, 5 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 2,588 ft | ||||
| AGZ Wagner, SD | 1083 nm out, 5 nm east of the line | no report just now | 1,477 ft | ||||
| FSD Sioux Falls, SD | destination | no report just now | 1,430 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 7,589 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At FSD when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 8:17 am CDT (13:17 UTC)
FSD has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 4/3635 DISNEYLAND THEME PARK, ANAHEIM,, CA 19 nm from the route, at the departure end · security · ZLA
- 6/8890 LAS VEGAS, NV, Tuesday, October 13, 2026 Local on the route, 179 nm along the route · a VIP movement · starts tomorrow · ZLA
- 6/8891 Bullhead City, AZ, Wednesday, October 14, 2026 Local 20 nm from the route, 199 nm along the route · a VIP movement · starts Wednesday 14 October · ZLA
- 6/8808 Las Vegas, NV, Tuesday, October 13, 2026 Local 10 nm from the route, 209 nm along the route · security · starts tomorrow · ZLA
Daylight
Sunset at LAX 6:23 pm PDT (01:23 UTC), at FSD 6:49 pm CDT (23:49 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:17 pm CDT (00:17 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: Los Angeles International, Joe Foss Field.