Sacramento Mather Airport to Billings Logan International MHR → BIL
714 nautical miles (821 statute miles) northeast on a straight line, true course 048°, about 035° magnetic at the departure end (variation 13E). At 120 knots that is 4 h 13 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 49-knot tailwind), arriving about 10:29 am MDT (16:29 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: 6 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 above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 39,000 ft. Over the first 198 nm of the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 2E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Near the route, 50 nm along the route.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Over the route from 327 to 684 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the last 357 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 327 nm of the route.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 18,000 ft. Over the last 20 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 MHR.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
- CRJ7 at 4,800 ft, 45 nm southeast, 5:10 am PDT (12:10 UTC): overcast above 4,800 ft, remarks: during the descent runway 21 pih. 476 nm along the route, 45 nm southeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
PIH UA /OV KPIH/TM 1210/FL048/TP CRJ7/SK OVC048-TOPUNKN/RM DURD RY21 PIH
- Report
- a routine report filed through PIH
- Where
- over KPIH
- Time
- 12:10 UTC
- Height
- at 4,800 ft
- Aircraft
- CRJ7
- Sky
- overcast from 4,800 ft, tops unknown
- Remarks
- during the descent runway 21 pih
Winds aloft along the route, and the time en route the forecast for use 08:00–15:00 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 7 forecast points nearest it (SAC, RNO, BAM, BOI, PIH, DLN, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5,500 ft | 350° at 5 kt | +2 kt | 1 °C | 118 kt | 6 h 03 min | 12:19 pm MDT (18:19 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 260° at 4 kt | −3 kt | -2 °C | 123 kt | 5 h 48 min | 12:04 pm MDT (18:04 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 230° at 8 kt | −8 kt | -3 °C | 128 kt | 5 h 35 min | 11:51 am MDT (17:51 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 220° at 16 kt | −16 kt | -6 °C | 136 kt | 5 h 15 min | 11:31 am MDT (17:31 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 220° at 20 kt | −20 kt | -9 °C | 140 kt | 5 h 06 min | 11:22 am MDT (17:22 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 210° at 24 kt | −23 kt | -13 °C | 143 kt | 5 h | 11:16 am MDT (17:16 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 210° at 28 kt | −25 kt | -16 °C | 145 kt | 4 h 55 min | 11:11 am MDT (17:11 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 210° at 29 kt | −26 kt | -17 °C | 146 kt | 4 h 53 min | 11:09 am MDT (17:09 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 210° at 28 kt | −26 kt | -27 °C | 146 kt | 4 h 53 min | 11:09 am MDT (17:09 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 220° at 43 kt | −42 kt | -32 °C | 162 kt | 4 h 24 min | 10:40 am MDT (16:40 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 220° at 51 kt | −49 kt | -36 °C | 169 kt | 4 h 13 min | 10:29 am MDT (16:29 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 220° at 48 kt | −47 kt | -42 °C | 167 kt | 4 h 17 min | 10:33 am MDT (16:33 UTC) |
Based on data from the 12th at 06:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 12:00 UTC for use 08:00 to 15:00 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAC | used from 0 nm out; 34 nm from the line | L/V | L/V 4° | 340/9 -4° | 340/22 -8° | 360/71 -12° | 360/82 -23° | 350/58 -37° | 310/30 -40° | 270/25 -44° |
| RNO | used from 50 nm out; 17 nm from the line | 010/6 | 270/12 -3° | 220/26 -10° | 280/13 -19° | 350/44 -24° | 320/30 -32° | 260/22 -36° | 240/24 -42° | |
| BAM | used from 149 nm out; 73 nm from the line | 280/9 -2° | 260/18 -8° | 190/47 -19° | 200/50 -29° | 210/56 -29° | 220/54 -34° | 220/45 -42° | ||
| BOI | used from 297 nm out; 95 nm from the line | 320/11 1° | 280/8 -5° | 220/14 -11° | 200/60 -19° | 190/66 -31° | 210/46 -32° | 220/50 -33° | 220/43 -39° | |
| PIH | used from 397 nm out; 67 nm from the line | 070/8 | 150/19 1° | 180/32 -4° | 210/44 -17° | 210/37 -28° | 210/74 -31° | 220/68 -35° | 220/60 -43° | |
| DLN | used from 545 nm out; 70 nm from the line | 190/10 -4° | 220/23 -4° | 210/21 -18° | 210/43 -28° | 210/60 -33° | 210/72 -37° | 210/67 -44° | ||
| BIL | used from 644 nm out; 45 nm from the line | 300/14 | 270/19 -2° | 260/26 -2° | 220/28 -13° | 210/51 -25° | 220/56 -33° | 220/61 -39° | 220/72 -45° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MHR Sacramento, CA | departure | no report just now | 98 ft | ||||
| TRK Truckee, CA | 69 nm out, 2 nm east of the line, tower | no report just now | 5,904 ft | ||||
| RNO Reno, NV | 89 nm out, 5 nm southeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 4,414 ft | ||||
| LOL Lovelock, NV | 159 nm out, 15 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 3,907 ft | ||||
| WMC Winnemucca, NV | 218 nm out, 5 nm west of the line | no report just now | 4,307 ft | ||||
| TWF Twin Falls, ID | 387 nm out, 16 nm southeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 4,153 ft | ||||
| AOC Arco, ID | 466 nm out, 9 nm north of the line | no report just now | 5,334 ft | ||||
| RXE Rexburg, ID | 535 nm out, 20 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 4,862 ft | ||||
| WYS West Yellowstone, MT | 585 nm out, 5 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 6,649 ft | ||||
| RED Red Lodge, MT | 664 nm out, 15 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 5,762 ft | ||||
| BIL Billings, MT | destination | no report just now | 3,662 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 6,649 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, 10:29 am MDT (16:29 UTC)
BIL has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/3475 BEALE AFB, CA, Sunday, March 8, 2026 through Sunday, November 1, 2026 Local 20 nm from the route, at the departure end · security · until 1 November · ZOA
Daylight
Sunset at MHR 6:30 pm PDT (01:30 UTC), at BIL 6:32 pm MDT (00:32 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:02 pm MDT (01:02 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: Sacramento Mather Airport, Billings Logan International.