Lincoln Airport to Rapid City Regional LNK → RAP
338 nautical miles (389 statute miles) northwest on a straight line, true course 307°, about 304° magnetic at the departure end (variation 3E). At 120 knots that is 2 h 44 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 4-knot tailwind), arriving about 3:44 am MDT (09:44 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now LNK is VFR, wind from the south (190°) at 15 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: 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 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 209 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 179 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 LNK.
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 4 forecast points nearest it (GRI, ONL, PIR, 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 | 210° at 27 kt | −4 kt | 18 °C | 124 kt | 2 h 44 min | 3:44 am MDT (09:44 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 210° at 27 kt | −3 kt | 17 °C | 123 kt | 2 h 45 min | 3:45 am MDT (09:45 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 210° at 27 kt | −1 kt | 14 °C | 121 kt | 2 h 48 min | 3:48 am MDT (09:48 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 220° at 26 kt | 0 | 10 °C | 120 kt | 2 h 49 min | 3:49 am MDT (09:49 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 220° at 25 kt | +1 kt | 6 °C | 119 kt | 2 h 50 min | 3:50 am MDT (09:50 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 220° at 25 kt | +3 kt | 0 °C | 117 kt | 2 h 53 min | 3:53 am MDT (09:53 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 230° at 24 kt | +5 kt | -5 °C | 115 kt | 2 h 56 min | 3:56 am MDT (09:56 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 230° at 23 kt | +6 kt | -9 °C | 114 kt | 2 h 58 min | 3:58 am MDT (09:58 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 240° at 32 kt | +13 kt | -20 °C | 107 kt | 3 h 10 min | 4:10 am MDT (10:10 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 250° at 42 kt | +21 kt | -35 °C | 99 kt | 3 h 25 min | 4:25 am MDT (10:25 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 260° at 52 kt | +37 kt | -39 °C | 83 kt | 4 h 04 min | 5:04 am MDT (11:04 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 260° at 57 kt | +38 kt | -47 °C | 82 kt | 4 h 07 min | 5:07 am MDT (11:07 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GRI | used from 0 nm out; 51 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 100 nm out; 28 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° | |
| PIR | used from 199 nm out; 86 nm from the line | 170/22 19° | 190/25 13° | 210/32 6° | 240/23 -9° | 250/32 -21° | 250/38 -36° | 260/44 -40° | 260/52 -47° | |
| RAP | used from 249 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LNK Lincoln, NE | departure | VFR | from the south (190°) at 15 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,218 ft | 1:54 am CDT (06:54 UTC) |
| OLU Columbus, NE | 40 nm out, 14 nm northeast of the line | VFR | from the south-southwest (210°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,447 ft | 06:56 UTC |
| BVN Albion, NE | 80 nm out, 8 nm northeast of the line | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 1,806 ft | 06:35 UTC |
| BUB Burwell, NE | 119 nm out, 18 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 2,183 ft | ||||
| RBE Bassett, NE | 159 nm out, 11 nm north of the line | no report just now | 2,349 ft | ||||
| ANW Ainsworth, NE | 179 nm out, 1 nm east of the line | low IFR Sky: overcast at 300 feet | from the east (080°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | 300 ft | 2,588 ft | 06:35 UTC |
| SUO Rosebud, SD | 229 nm out, 13 nm north of the line | low IFR Sky: overcast at 300 feet Weather: mist | from the northeast (050°) at 6 knots | 5 mi | 300 ft | 2,724 ft | 06:55 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, 3:44 am MDT (09:44 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 LNK, the departure
- From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south at 11 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 10:00 am CDT (15:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 15 knots, gusting to 27, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 4:00 pm CDT (21:00 UTC): wind from the west-southwest at 11 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 8:00 pm CDT (01:00 UTC): wind from the north at 5 knots, 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 LNK 6:51 pm CDT (23:51 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: Lincoln Airport, Rapid City Regional.