General Mitchell International to Boeing Fld/King County International MKE → BFI
1,468 nautical miles (1,689 statute miles) northwest on a straight line, true course 293°, about 297° magnetic at the departure end (variation 4W). At 120 knots that is 12 h 39 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 4-knot headwind), arriving about 6:00 pm PDT (01:00 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
- SIGMET C18C: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 36,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 8:55 am CDT (13:55 UTC). Over the route from 529 to 599 nm out.
as issued
WSUS32 KKCI 121155 MKCC WST 121155 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 18C VALID UNTIL 1355Z SD ND FROM 50NE BIS-70W FAR-40N PIR-40N DPR-50NE BIS AREA TS MOV FROM 22040KT. TOPS TO FL360.
- 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 route from 339 to 1098 nm out.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Over the route from 729 to 809 nm out.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 18,000 ft. Over the route from 829 to 1278 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 919 to 1238 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 39,000 ft. Over the route from 1098 to 1438 nm out.
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 MKE.
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 15 forecast points nearest it (GRB, DBQ, LSE, MSP, AXN, ABR, PIR, DIK, MLS, BIL, GTF, GPI, GEG, YKM, SEA). 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 6 kt | +4 kt | 1 °C | 116 kt | 12 h 39 min | 6:00 pm PDT (01:00 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 250° at 8 kt | +5 kt | 7 °C | 115 kt | 12 h 46 min | 6:07 pm PDT (01:07 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 240° at 11 kt | +7 kt | 5 °C | 113 kt | 12 h 59 min | 6:20 pm PDT (01:20 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 240° at 13 kt | +9 kt | 1 °C | 111 kt | 13 h 14 min | 6:35 pm PDT (01:35 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 240° at 15 kt | +10 kt | -2 °C | 110 kt | 13 h 21 min | 6:42 pm PDT (01:42 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 240° at 15 kt | +11 kt | -6 °C | 109 kt | 13 h 28 min | 6:49 pm PDT (01:49 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 240° at 16 kt | +12 kt | -10 °C | 108 kt | 13 h 36 min | 6:57 pm PDT (01:57 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 240° at 17 kt | +12 kt | -13 °C | 108 kt | 13 h 36 min | 6:57 pm PDT (01:57 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 240° at 23 kt | +17 kt | -25 °C | 103 kt | 14 h 15 min | 7:36 pm PDT (02:36 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 250° at 26 kt | +20 kt | -36 °C | 100 kt | 14 h 41 min | 8:02 pm PDT (03:02 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 250° at 37 kt | +30 kt | -40 °C | 90 kt | 16 h 19 min | 9:40 pm PDT (04:40 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 250° at 47 kt | +41 kt | -45 °C | 79 kt | 18 h 35 min | 11:56 pm PDT (06:56 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GRB | used from 0 nm out; 84 nm from the line | 250/32 | 250/22 17° | 240/18 8° | 280/21 6° | 280/34 -11° | 280/35 -21° | 280/39 -37° | 270/52 -45° | 290/60 -49° |
| DBQ | used from 50 nm out; 81 nm from the line | 250/27 | 260/23 17° | 240/26 10° | 260/30 4° | 280/26 -9° | 280/36 -21° | 270/41 -36° | 280/52 -41° | 290/67 -48° |
| LSE | used from 100 nm out; 32 nm from the line | 250/25 | 240/21 17° | 240/28 11° | 250/28 5° | 280/24 -10° | 280/31 -21° | 260/35 -37° | 270/45 -43° | 280/59 -47° |
| MSP | used from 200 nm out; 41 nm from the line | 250/12 | 250/17 17° | 240/26 12° | 250/26 5° | 280/26 -9° | 280/32 -22° | 270/37 -38° | 280/47 -41° | 280/55 -48° |
| AXN | used from 300 nm out; 65 nm from the line | 110/6 | 260/10 16° | 240/17 12° | 250/20 5° | 260/29 -10° | 260/35 -22° | 260/29 -38° | 270/48 -41° | 270/61 -48° |
| ABR | used from 399 nm out; 53 nm from the line | 080/12 | 210/12 17° | 220/22 12° | 230/26 5° | 220/28 -10° | 230/41 -21° | 250/36 -36° | 260/47 -39° | 260/63 -47° |
| PIR | used from 549 nm out; 96 nm from the line | 230/15 15° | 220/22 14° | 220/24 6° | 200/32 -10° | 210/48 -22° | 240/45 -33° | 240/43 -37° | 250/55 -46° | |
| DIK | used from 599 nm out; 57 nm from the line | 190/12 5° | 230/29 7° | 220/33 1° | 220/43 -11° | 210/47 -23° | 220/53 -33° | 240/56 -40° | 250/72 -47° | |
| MLS | used from 749 nm out; 27 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 849 nm out; 76 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° | |
| GTF | used from 949 nm out; 53 nm from the line | L/V | L/V -7° | 240/8 -8° | 240/30 -14° | 240/40 -28° | 210/52 -38° | 210/76 -38° | 220/72 -43° | |
| GPI | used from 1098 nm out; 57 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° | |
| GEG | used from 1198 nm out; 52 nm from the line | 060/7 -2° | 070/12 -6° | 050/8 -8° | 120/11 -21° | 110/18 -33° | 030/22 -37° | 040/6 -38° | 240/7 -41° | |
| YKM | used from 1348 nm out; 64 nm from the line | 360/6 | 360/11 -1° | 030/20 -7° | 040/21 -11° | 020/55 -18° | 010/84 -26° | 010/79 -40° | 010/45 -42° | 350/23 -42° |
| SEA | used from 1398 nm out; 46 nm from the line | 350/5 | 010/6 0° | 010/9 -4° | 010/27 -6° | 010/51 -15° | 360/58 -26° | 360/60 -41° | 350/55 -48° | 340/30 -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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MKE Milwaukee, WI | departure | no report just now | 728 ft | ||||
| UES Waukesha, WI | 20 nm out, 4 nm southeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 911 ft | ||||
| LSE La Crosse, WI | 160 nm out, 4 nm southeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 655 ft | ||||
| MVE Montevideo, MN | 359 nm out, 2 nm south of the line | no report just now | 1,034 ft | ||||
| ABR Aberdeen, SD | 479 nm out, 7 nm south of the line | no report just now | 1,301 ft | ||||
| BHK Baker, MT | 729 nm out, 11 nm south of the line | no report just now | 2,980 ft | ||||
| MLS Miles City, MT | 789 nm out, 19 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 2,634 ft | ||||
| LWT Lewistown, MT | 949 nm out, 5 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 4,170 ft | ||||
| GTF Great Falls, MT | 1028 nm out, 13 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 3,680 ft | ||||
| GEG Spokane, WA | 1278 nm out, 6 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 2,385 ft | ||||
| MWH Moses Lake, WA | 1348 nm out, 21 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,188 ft | ||||
| BFI Seattle, WA | destination | no report just now | 21 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 4,170 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At BFI when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 6:00 pm PDT (01:00 UTC)
BFI has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/8927 Kalispell, MT, Wednesday, October 14, 2026 through Wednesday, October 14, 2026 Local 2 nm from the route, 1128 nm along the route · a VIP movement · starts Wednesday 14 October · ZSE
- 6/8923 Kalispell, MT, Wednesday, October 14, 2026 through Wednesday, October 14, 2026 Local 19 nm from the route, 1148 nm along the route · a VIP movement · starts Wednesday 14 October · ZLC
Daylight
Sunset at MKE 6:14 pm CDT (23:14 UTC), at BFI 6:25 pm PDT (01:25 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:56 pm PDT (01:56 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: General Mitchell International, Boeing Fld/King County International.