Kansas City Downtown/Wheeler Field to Missoula Montana Airport MKC → MSO
972 nautical miles (1,118 statute miles) northwest on a straight line, true course 305°, about 304° magnetic at the departure end (variation 1E). At 120 knots that is 8 h 27 min at the quickest height in today's winds (24,000 ft, a 5-knot headwind), arriving about 11:33 am MDT (17:33 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: 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 2W: 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 367 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 674 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). Over the route from 476 to 595 nm out.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Over the route from 605 to 763 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the last 327 nm of the route.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 18,000 ft. Over the last 198 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 39,000 ft. Over the last 50 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 MKC.
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 08:00–15:00 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 (MKC, OMA, GRI, ONL, BFF, RAP, MLS, BIL, DLN, GPI). 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 | 250° at 25 kt | +16 kt | 16 °C | 104 kt | 9 h 21 min | 12:27 pm MDT (18:27 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 250° at 23 kt | +15 kt | 16 °C | 105 kt | 9 h 15 min | 12:21 pm MDT (18:21 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 240° at 21 kt | +12 kt | 9 °C | 108 kt | 9 h | 12:06 pm MDT (18:06 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 240° at 22 kt | +10 kt | 4 °C | 110 kt | 8 h 50 min | 11:56 am MDT (17:56 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 230° at 24 kt | +9 kt | 1 °C | 111 kt | 8 h 45 min | 11:51 am MDT (17:51 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 230° at 25 kt | +8 kt | -3 °C | 112 kt | 8 h 41 min | 11:47 am MDT (17:47 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 220° at 26 kt | +7 kt | -8 °C | 113 kt | 8 h 36 min | 11:42 am MDT (17:42 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 220° at 27 kt | +6 kt | -11 °C | 114 kt | 8 h 32 min | 11:38 am MDT (17:38 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 220° at 40 kt | +5 kt | -23 °C | 115 kt | 8 h 27 min | 11:33 am MDT (17:33 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 230° at 49 kt | +21 kt | -32 °C | 99 kt | 9 h 49 min | 12:55 pm MDT (18:55 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 230° at 54 kt | +24 kt | -37 °C | 96 kt | 10 h 08 min | 1:14 pm MDT (19:14 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 240° at 55 kt | +26 kt | -46 °C | 94 kt | 10 h 20 min | 1:26 pm MDT (19:26 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MKC | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 240/49 | 240/21 20° | 220/19 13° | 230/21 6° | 260/26 -7° | 250/37 -19° | 270/66 -31° | 270/65 -38° | 280/60 -48° |
| OMA | used from 99 nm out; 74 nm from the line | 230/47 | 240/33 21° | 230/22 13° | 220/27 5° | 240/35 -8° | 250/43 -21° | 260/47 -33° | 260/59 -36° | 270/58 -46° |
| GRI | used from 149 nm out; 30 nm from the line | 230/39 23° | 230/32 15° | 210/29 7° | 230/31 -8° | 230/43 -21° | 250/52 -31° | 260/59 -35° | 260/59 -46° | |
| ONL | used from 248 nm out; 64 nm from the line | 250/31 22° | 230/27 16° | 220/25 8° | 230/25 -9° | 220/29 -22° | 250/42 -33° | 250/48 -36° | 250/52 -46° | |
| BFF | used from 347 nm out; 102 nm from the line | 280/28 | 260/39 11° | 240/34 5° | 210/38 -11° | 210/52 -22° | 230/61 -31° | 230/61 -36° | 240/56 -45° | |
| RAP | used from 397 nm out; 74 nm from the line | 250/28 16° | 260/31 10° | 240/25 4° | 210/35 -10° | 200/45 -23° | 230/47 -31° | 230/47 -36° | 230/51 -46° | |
| MLS | used from 595 nm out; 119 nm from the line | 290/17 -1° | 250/18 0° | 230/25 0° | 220/31 -11° | 220/32 -24° | 220/50 -32° | 220/60 -38° | 230/71 -46° | |
| BIL | used from 644 nm out; 73 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° | |
| DLN | used from 793 nm out; 88 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° | ||
| GPI | used from 942 nm out; 92 nm from the line | 090/8 -4° | 140/7 -7° | 090/10 -8° | 110/10 -19° | 210/25 -30° | 200/24 -40° | 210/31 -39° | 210/35 -42° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MKC Kansas City, MO | departure | no report just now | 756 ft | ||||
| STJ St Joseph, MO | 30 nm out, 24 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 826 ft | ||||
| AUH Aurora, NE | 188 nm out, 1 nm north of the line | no report just now | 1,803 ft | ||||
| GRI Grand Island, NE | 208 nm out, 6 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,847 ft | ||||
| TIF Thedford, NE | 317 nm out, 8 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 2,925 ft | ||||
| GRN Gordon, NE | 407 nm out, 2 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 3,562 ft | ||||
| ECS Newcastle, WY | 525 nm out, 12 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 4,177 ft | ||||
| SHR Sheridan, WY | 644 nm out, 6 nm north of the line | no report just now | 4,021 ft | ||||
| RED Red Lodge, MT | 744 nm out, 15 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 5,762 ft | ||||
| BZN Bozeman, MT | 833 nm out, 16 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 4,473 ft | ||||
| HLN Helena, MT | 882 nm out, 16 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 3,877 ft | ||||
| MSO Missoula, MT | destination | no report just now | 3,205 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 5,762 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At MSO when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 11:33 am MDT (17:33 UTC)
MSO 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 MKC 6:44 pm CDT (23:44 UTC), at MSO 6:53 pm MDT (00:53 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:23 pm MDT (01:23 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: Kansas City Downtown/Wheeler Field, Missoula Montana Airport.