Missoula Montana Airport to Dallas-Fort Worth International MSO → DFW
1,146 nautical miles (1,319 statute miles) southeast on a straight line, true course 131°, about 118° magnetic at the departure end (variation 13E). At 120 knots that is 8 h 11 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 20-knot tailwind), arriving about 3:37 am CDT (08:37 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: 850 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 W70W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 32,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 7:55 pm MDT (01:55 UTC). Over the route from 269 to 449 nm out.
as issued
WSUS33 KKCI 112355 MKCW WST 112355 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 70W VALID UNTIL 0155Z MT WY FROM 30SSW MLS-60WNW BFF-40SSE OCS-10S BPI-10S BIL-30SSW MLS AREA TS MOV FROM 22040KT. TOPS TO FL320.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 14,000 ft. Over the first 10 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 36,000 ft. Over the first 658 nm of the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the first 478 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 route from 10 to 339 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the route from 150 to 608 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 179 to 458 nm out.
- AIRMET ZULU 3C: moderate icing up to 22,000 ft. Near the route, 259 nm along 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 MSO.
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 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 10 forecast points nearest it (DLN, BIL, LND, DEN, PUB, GLD, GCK, GAG, SPS, DAL). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.
| Height | Average wind | Head- or tailwind | Temperature | Ground speed | Time en route | Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7,500 ft | 190° at 21 kt | +13 kt | 11 °C | 107 kt | 10 h 43 min | 6:09 am CDT (11:09 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 200° at 21 kt | +10 kt | 9 °C | 110 kt | 10 h 25 min | 5:51 am CDT (10:51 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 210° at 25 kt | +9 kt | 6 °C | 111 kt | 10 h 19 min | 5:45 am CDT (10:45 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 210° at 28 kt | +7 kt | 1 °C | 113 kt | 10 h 08 min | 5:34 am CDT (10:34 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 220° at 30 kt | +5 kt | -3 °C | 115 kt | 9 h 58 min | 5:24 am CDT (10:24 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 220° at 33 kt | +3 kt | -7 °C | 117 kt | 9 h 48 min | 5:14 am CDT (10:14 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 220° at 33 kt | +3 kt | -8 °C | 117 kt | 9 h 48 min | 5:14 am CDT (10:14 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 220° at 41 kt | +6 kt | -19 °C | 114 kt | 10 h 03 min | 5:29 am CDT (10:29 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 220° at 50 kt | +2 kt | -32 °C | 118 kt | 9 h 43 min | 5:09 am CDT (10:09 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 240° at 59 kt | −13 kt | -39 °C | 133 kt | 8 h 37 min | 4:03 am CDT (09:03 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 250° at 59 kt | −20 kt | -48 °C | 140 kt | 8 h 11 min | 3:37 am CDT (08:37 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DLN | used from 0 nm out; 95 nm from the line | 080/10 -3° | 180/8 -3° | 180/23 -14° | 200/58 -22° | 200/80 -36° | 220/85 -41° | 230/81 -45° | ||
| BIL | used from 199 nm out; 109 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° | |
| LND | used from 249 nm out; 65 nm from the line | 180/33 10° | 190/50 3° | 210/59 -9° | 200/50 -21° | 190/41 -34° | 230/55 -39° | 240/65 -47° | ||
| DEN | used from 449 nm out; 117 nm from the line | 190/31 16° | 210/32 7° | 240/41 -8° | 230/47 -21° | 240/56 -32° | 250/65 -37° | 250/61 -47° | ||
| PUB | used from 648 nm out; 72 nm from the line | 210/24 16° | 210/28 8° | 230/43 -8° | 240/42 -21° | 240/77 -30° | 240/72 -36° | 250/51 -47° | ||
| GLD | used from 698 nm out; 73 nm from the line | 190/29 | 200/30 15° | 240/23 8° | 250/39 -7° | 230/39 -19° | 230/57 -31° | 240/67 -39° | 250/62 -49° | |
| GCK | used from 748 nm out; 55 nm from the line | 200/35 21° | 220/34 14° | 240/30 8° | 240/27 -6° | 240/31 -17° | 240/53 -30° | 250/55 -39° | 250/60 -50° | |
| GAG | used from 847 nm out; 37 nm from the line | 190/34 19° | 240/27 14° | 240/26 8° | 240/24 -6° | 240/29 -16° | 250/50 -28° | 250/50 -39° | 260/46 -50° | |
| SPS | used from 997 nm out; 33 nm from the line | 180/26 | 200/25 16° | 220/19 13° | 220/20 9° | 230/26 -5° | 230/34 -15° | 260/37 -28° | 270/42 -39° | 280/40 -51° |
| DAL | used from 1096 nm out; 34 nm from the line | 180/21 | 190/24 15° | 230/20 12° | 220/23 8° | 240/22 -5° | 230/18 -15° | 280/33 -29° | 280/36 -39° | 300/33 -52° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSO Missoula, MT | departure | no report just now | 3,205 ft | ||||
| BTM Butte, MT | 90 nm out, 2 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 5,550 ft | ||||
| EKS Ennis, MT | 140 nm out, 5 nm south of the line | no report just now | 5,432 ft | ||||
| RIW Riverton, WY | 329 nm out, 6 nm south of the line | no report just now | 5,516 ft | ||||
| RWL Rawlins, WY | 429 nm out, 18 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 6,816 ft | ||||
| FNL Fort Collins/Loveland, CO | 548 nm out, 5 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 5,020 ft | ||||
| CFO Denver, CO | 598 nm out, 13 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 5,515 ft | ||||
| JHN Johnson City, KS | 787 nm out, 5 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 3,325 ft | ||||
| HQG Hugoton, KS | 817 nm out, 6 nm west of the line | no report just now | 3,134 ft | ||||
| CSM Burns Flat, OK | 967 nm out, 7 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,922 ft | ||||
| DTO Denton, TX | 1126 nm out, 5 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 642 ft | ||||
| DFW Dallas-Fort Worth, TX | destination | no report just now | 606 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 6,816 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At DFW when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 3:37 am CDT (08:37 UTC)
DFW has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 9/2934 DALLAS, TX 11 nm from the route, at the destination end · a VIP movement · ZFW
- 6/8646 Arlington, TX, Thursday, October 15, 2026 through Friday, October 16, 2026 UTC 8 nm from the route, at the destination end · drones kept away from a public gathering · starts Thursday 15 October · ZFW
Daylight
Sunset at MSO 6:54 pm MDT (00:54 UTC), at DFW 6:58 pm CDT (23:58 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:23 pm CDT (00:23 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at DFW is before sunrise there (7:29 am CDT (12:29 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: Missoula Montana Airport, Dallas-Fort Worth International.