Frederick W Smith Intl/Memphis Airport to Billings Logan International MEM → BIL
1,062 nautical miles (1,222 statute miles) northwest on a straight line, true course 313°, about 314° magnetic at the departure end (variation 1W). At 120 knots that is 8 h 14 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 9-knot tailwind), arriving about 3:14 am MDT (09:14 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 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 36,000 ft. Over the last 298 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 129 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, 963 nm along the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the route from 983 to 1033 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, 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 MEM.
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 20:00–03:00 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 10 forecast points nearest it (MEM, SGF, MKC, SLN, GRI, ONL, BFF, RAP, 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 | 190° at 15 kt | −9 kt | 14 °C | 129 kt | 8 h 14 min | 3:14 am MDT (09:14 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 200° at 15 kt | −6 kt | 14 °C | 126 kt | 8 h 26 min | 3:26 am MDT (09:26 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 220° at 17 kt | +1 kt | 12 °C | 119 kt | 8 h 55 min | 3:55 am MDT (09:55 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 230° at 19 kt | +5 kt | 8 °C | 115 kt | 9 h 14 min | 4:14 am MDT (10:14 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 240° at 21 kt | +8 kt | 4 °C | 112 kt | 9 h 29 min | 4:29 am MDT (10:29 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 240° at 23 kt | +10 kt | 0 °C | 110 kt | 9 h 39 min | 4:39 am MDT (10:39 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 250° at 25 kt | +13 kt | -5 °C | 107 kt | 9 h 56 min | 4:56 am MDT (10:56 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 250° at 26 kt | +15 kt | -8 °C | 105 kt | 10 h 07 min | 5:07 am MDT (11:07 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 250° at 32 kt | +20 kt | -19 °C | 100 kt | 10 h 37 min | 5:37 am MDT (11:37 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 250° at 38 kt | +23 kt | -34 °C | 97 kt | 10 h 57 min | 5:57 am MDT (11:57 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 260° at 45 kt | +29 kt | -41 °C | 91 kt | 11 h 40 min | 6:40 am MDT (12:40 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 270° at 51 kt | +39 kt | -50 °C | 81 kt | 13 h 07 min | 8:07 am MDT (14:07 UTC) |
Based on data from the 11th at 18:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 00:00 UTC for use 20:00 to 03:00 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MEM | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 240/9 | 280/14 17° | 280/20 12° | 290/25 5° | 320/25 -6° | 330/31 -18° | 320/52 -32° | 330/58 -41° | 320/42 -50° |
| SGF | used from 99 nm out; 88 nm from the line | 210/21 | 210/21 16° | 240/28 12° | 260/24 7° | 280/21 -6° | 280/26 -18° | 290/38 -31° | 290/37 -41° | 300/49 -52° |
| MKC | used from 298 nm out; 36 nm from the line | 200/28 | 220/30 16° | 270/20 11° | 280/22 7° | 260/27 -6° | 270/27 -18° | 280/38 -32° | 270/38 -40° | 280/50 -52° |
| SLN | used from 397 nm out; 70 nm from the line | 190/37 | 220/39 20° | 240/31 14° | 250/24 7° | 260/25 -7° | 250/26 -17° | 250/44 -31° | 260/47 -40° | 260/47 -50° |
| GRI | used from 447 nm out; 60 nm from the line | 210/31 19° | 240/21 14° | 240/17 6° | 260/27 -7° | 260/34 -18° | 240/45 -32° | 250/56 -40° | 260/62 -51° | |
| ONL | used from 596 nm out; 78 nm from the line | 200/20 17° | 230/26 14° | 240/21 7° | 250/27 -9° | 260/32 -19° | 240/44 -34° | 240/56 -41° | 250/62 -51° | |
| BFF | used from 695 nm out; 90 nm from the line | 120/24 | 180/31 13° | 210/26 7° | 230/25 -7° | 240/41 -20° | 230/52 -36° | 250/56 -41° | 260/57 -45° | |
| RAP | used from 745 nm out; 55 nm from the line | 120/15 12° | 180/22 11° | 220/26 5° | 230/35 -9° | 240/40 -22° | 240/50 -37° | 240/51 -41° | 240/47 -47° | |
| MLS | used from 894 nm out; 114 nm from the line | 120/22 5° | 170/18 4° | 200/33 1° | 230/49 -10° | 230/58 -21° | 220/54 -37° | 230/64 -44° | 250/74 -49° | |
| BIL | used from 993 nm out; 45 nm from the line | 080/24 | 130/14 -1° | 180/33 0° | 210/43 -10° | 220/58 -21° | 200/55 -36° | 220/75 -44° | 240/83 -48° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MEM Memphis, TN | departure | no report just now | 340 ft | ||||
| JBR Jonesboro, AR | 60 nm out, 13 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 262 ft | ||||
| SGF Springfield, MO | 208 nm out, 13 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,268 ft | ||||
| OJC Olathe, KS | 318 nm out, 19 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,096 ft | ||||
| FOE Topeka, KS | 357 nm out, 5 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,077 ft | ||||
| GRI Grand Island, NE | 526 nm out, 14 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,847 ft | ||||
| BBW Broken Bow, NE | 596 nm out, 1 nm south of the line | no report just now | 2,546 ft | ||||
| GRN Gordon, NE | 735 nm out, 1 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 3,562 ft | ||||
| IEN Pine Ridge, SD | 755 nm out, 1 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 3,332 ft | ||||
| GCC Gillette, WY | 903 nm out, 8 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 4,365 ft | ||||
| SHR Sheridan, WY | 973 nm out, 19 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 4,021 ft | ||||
| BIL Billings, MT | destination | no report just now | 3,662 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 4,365 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, 3:14 am MDT (09:14 UTC)
BIL has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
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 MEM 6:29 pm CDT (23:29 UTC), at BIL 6:33 pm MDT (00:33 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:03 pm MDT (01:03 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at BIL is before sunrise there (7:26 am MDT (13:26 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: Frederick W Smith Intl/Memphis Airport, Billings Logan International.