Sacramento Mather Airport to Rapid City Regional MHR → RAP
884 nautical miles (1,017 statute miles) northeast on a straight line, true course 062°, about 049° magnetic at the departure end (variation 13E). At 120 knots that is 5 h 07 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 53-knot tailwind), arriving about 6:07 am MDT (12:07 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 above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 39,000 ft. Over the first 89 nm of the route.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Over the route from 209 to 765 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 238 to 715 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 38,000 ft. Over the route from 556 to 854 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the route from 576 to 814 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 626 to 864 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 5W: strong surface winds (30 knots or more) (due to sustained surface winds greater than 30 knots). Near the route, 646 nm along 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 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 MHR.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
- B38M at 30,000 ft, 41 nm south, 10:45 pm PDT (05:45 UTC): moderate chop turbulence. 685 nm along the route, 41 nm south of the line.
as filed, and in English
RIW UA /OV BOY126080/TM 0545/FL300/TP B38M/TB CONS MOD CHOP /ZLC
- Report
- a routine report filed through RIW
- Where
- 80 nm southeast (126°) of BOY
- Time
- 05:45 UTC
- Height
- at 30,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B38M
- Turbulence
- continuous moderate chop zlc
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 7 forecast points nearest it (SAC, RNO, BAM, SLC, PIH, LND, 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 | 180° at 6 kt | −2 kt | 12 °C | 122 kt | 7 h 15 min | 8:15 am MDT (14:15 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 210° at 10 kt | −7 kt | 5 °C | 127 kt | 6 h 58 min | 7:58 am MDT (13:58 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 220° at 13 kt | −11 kt | 2 °C | 131 kt | 6 h 45 min | 7:45 am MDT (13:45 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 230° at 20 kt | −18 kt | -1 °C | 138 kt | 6 h 24 min | 7:24 am MDT (13:24 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 220° at 25 kt | −22 kt | -5 °C | 142 kt | 6 h 14 min | 7:14 am MDT (13:14 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 220° at 29 kt | −24 kt | -9 °C | 144 kt | 6 h 08 min | 7:08 am MDT (13:08 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 210° at 32 kt | −27 kt | -13 °C | 147 kt | 6 h 01 min | 7:01 am MDT (13:01 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 210° at 33 kt | −28 kt | -14 °C | 148 kt | 5 h 58 min | 6:58 am MDT (12:58 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 210° at 38 kt | −29 kt | -24 °C | 149 kt | 5 h 56 min | 6:56 am MDT (12:56 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 220° at 50 kt | −45 kt | -30 °C | 165 kt | 5 h 21 min | 6:21 am MDT (12:21 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 230° at 57 kt | −53 kt | -35 °C | 173 kt | 5 h 07 min | 6:07 am MDT (12:07 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 230° at 54 kt | −52 kt | -43 °C | 172 kt | 5 h 08 min | 6:08 am MDT (12:08 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAC | used from 0 nm out; 34 nm from the line | 110/6 | L/V 4° | 010/11 -2° | 350/11 -7° | 340/24 -16° | 360/44 -23° | 330/24 -30° | 270/21 -35° | 230/23 -43° |
| RNO | used from 50 nm out; 23 nm from the line | 010/9 | 320/10 -2° | 210/23 -9° | 210/34 -19° | 220/36 -25° | 230/31 -29° | 230/41 -33° | 230/38 -42° | |
| BAM | used from 149 nm out; 67 nm from the line | 310/7 0° | 270/19 -7° | 200/38 -17° | 190/49 -28° | 220/69 -29° | 220/63 -33° | 230/48 -41° | ||
| SLC | used from 348 nm out; 95 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° | |
| PIH | used from 497 nm out; 88 nm from the line | L/V | 240/13 1° | 240/15 -3° | 210/42 -15° | 200/70 -25° | 220/74 -29° | 220/71 -36° | 220/62 -43° | |
| LND | used from 546 nm out; 55 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° | ||
| RAP | used from 745 nm out; 114 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MHR Sacramento, CA | departure | no report just now | 98 ft | ||||
| TRK Truckee, CA | 70 nm out, 16 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 5,904 ft | ||||
| RNO Reno, NV | 89 nm out, 18 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 4,414 ft | ||||
| BAM Battle Mountain, NV | 238 nm out, 19 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 4,536 ft | ||||
| EKO Elko, NV | 288 nm out, 11 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 5,139 ft | ||||
| LGU Logan, UT | 477 nm out, 5 nm south of the line | no report just now | 4,456 ft | ||||
| BPI Big Piney, WY | 566 nm out, 12 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 6,993 ft | ||||
| LND Lander, WY | 626 nm out, 4 nm north of the line | no report just now | 5,588 ft | ||||
| CPR Casper, WY | 725 nm out, 23 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 5,344 ft | ||||
| ECS Newcastle, WY | 824 nm out, 7 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 4,177 ft | ||||
| RAP Rapid City, SD | destination | no report just now | 3,203 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 6,993 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, 6:07 am MDT (12:07 UTC)
RAP 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 24 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 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: Sacramento Mather Airport, Rapid City Regional.