Los Angeles International to Rapid City Regional LAX → RAP
936 nautical miles (1,077 statute miles) northeast on a straight line, true course 045°, about 033° magnetic at the departure end (variation 12E). At 120 knots that is 5 h 16 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 58-knot tailwind), arriving about 5:24 am MDT (11:24 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: 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 TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 15,000 ft. Over the route from 10 to 189 nm out.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Over the route from 199 to 777 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the route from 199 to 856 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 249 to 737 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 38,000 ft. Over the route from 428 to 916 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 587 to 916 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 5W: strong surface winds (30 knots or more) (due to sustained surface winds greater than 30 knots). Over the route from 607 to 727 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 last 40 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 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 9 forecast points nearest it (ONT, WJF, LAS, BCE, SLC, RKS, LND, BFF, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5,500 ft | 190° at 20 kt | −16 kt | 10 °C | 136 kt | 6 h 53 min | 7:01 am MDT (13:01 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 200° at 25 kt | −22 kt | 8 °C | 142 kt | 6 h 35 min | 6:43 am MDT (12:43 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 210° at 27 kt | −25 kt | 6 °C | 145 kt | 6 h 27 min | 6:35 am MDT (12:35 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 210° at 29 kt | −28 kt | 1 °C | 148 kt | 6 h 19 min | 6:27 am MDT (12:27 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 210° at 32 kt | −31 kt | -3 °C | 151 kt | 6 h 12 min | 6:20 am MDT (12:20 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 210° at 35 kt | −34 kt | -7 °C | 154 kt | 6 h 05 min | 6:13 am MDT (12:13 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 210° at 38 kt | −37 kt | -11 °C | 157 kt | 5 h 58 min | 6:06 am MDT (12:06 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 210° at 39 kt | −37 kt | -12 °C | 157 kt | 5 h 58 min | 6:06 am MDT (12:06 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 210° at 49 kt | −47 kt | -22 °C | 167 kt | 5 h 36 min | 5:44 am MDT (11:44 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 220° at 53 kt | −52 kt | -30 °C | 172 kt | 5 h 27 min | 5:35 am MDT (11:35 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 220° at 58 kt | −58 kt | -35 °C | 178 kt | 5 h 16 min | 5:24 am MDT (11:24 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 230° at 56 kt | −56 kt | -44 °C | 176 kt | 5 h 19 min | 5:27 am MDT (11:27 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; 25 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° |
| WJF | used from 50 nm out; 44 nm from the line | 200/28 6° | 210/28 3° | 210/29 -4° | 210/28 -14° | 220/41 -20° | 220/47 -29° | 220/46 -37° | 220/53 -44° | |
| LAS | used from 100 nm out; 82 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 299 nm out; 69 nm from the line | 220/27 -1° | 210/40 -13° | 220/54 -21° | 220/64 -30° | 220/64 -34° | 220/52 -44° | |||
| SLC | used from 448 nm out; 96 nm from the line | 200/5 | 230/8 2° | 220/20 -2° | 210/40 -12° | 190/53 -25° | 210/62 -30° | 220/69 -34° | 220/64 -43° | |
| RKS | used from 548 nm out; 77 nm from the line | 200/41 | 220/44 1° | 220/35 -11° | 220/46 -24° | 210/53 -27° | 220/62 -35° | 230/61 -44° | ||
| LND | used from 697 nm out; 95 nm from the line | 200/23 6° | 220/31 1° | 220/39 -11° | 230/39 -23° | 220/51 -28° | 220/66 -37° | 230/68 -45° | ||
| BFF | used from 747 nm out; 116 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° | |
| RAP | used from 846 nm out; 65 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LAX Los Angeles, CA | departure | no report just now | 127 ft | ||||
| EMT El Monte, CA | 20 nm out, 7 nm southeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 295 ft | ||||
| DAG Daggett, CA | 100 nm out, 18 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 1,930 ft | ||||
| VGT Las Vegas, NV | 209 nm out, 12 nm southeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 2,205 ft | ||||
| CDC Cedar City, UT | 339 nm out, 14 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 5,622 ft | ||||
| RIF Richfield, UT | 418 nm out, 2 nm north of the line | no report just now | 5,318 ft | ||||
| PUC Price, UT | 498 nm out, 3 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 5,957 ft | ||||
| VEL Vernal, UT | 577 nm out, 2 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 5,274 ft | ||||
| RWL Rawlins, WY | 707 nm out, 3 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 6,816 ft | ||||
| DGW Douglas, WY | 806 nm out, 3 nm east of the line | no report just now | 4,932 ft | ||||
| CUT Custer, SD | 906 nm out, 1 nm south of the line | no report just now | 5,619 ft | ||||
| RAP Rapid City, SD | destination | no report just now | 3,203 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 6,816 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, 5:24 am MDT (11:24 UTC)
RAP 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 20 nm from the route, at the departure end · security · ZLA
- 6/8890 LAS VEGAS, NV, Tuesday, October 13, 2026 Local on the route, 189 nm along the route · a VIP movement · starts tomorrow · ZLA
- 6/8808 Las Vegas, NV, Tuesday, October 13, 2026 Local 18 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 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: Los Angeles International, Rapid City Regional.