Minneapolis-St Paul Intl/Wold-Chamberlain Airport to Rapid City Regional MSP → RAP
424 nautical miles (488 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 267°, about 267° magnetic at the departure end (variation 0E). At 120 knots that is 3 h 45 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 7-knot headwind), arriving about 3:35 am MDT (09:35 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: 2,514 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 8C: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 32,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 1:55 am CDT (06:55 UTC). Near the route, at the destination end.
as issued
WSUS32 KKCI 120455 MKCC WST 120455 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 8C VALID UNTIL 0655Z NE SD WY FROM 50WNW RAP-20SSW RAP-60NW BFF-40ENE DDY-50WNW RAP DMSHG AREA TS MOV FROM 22040KT. TOPS TO FL320.
- 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 316 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). Near the route, at the destination end.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 38,000 ft. Near the route, at the destination end.
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 MSP.
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 02:00–09:00 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 6 forecast points nearest it (MSP, AXN, FSD, ABR, PIR, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4,500 ft | 200° at 16 kt | +7 kt | 16 °C | 113 kt | 3 h 45 min | 3:35 am MDT (09:35 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 210° at 20 kt | +14 kt | 16 °C | 106 kt | 4 h | 3:50 am MDT (09:50 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 220° at 23 kt | +16 kt | 13 °C | 104 kt | 4 h 05 min | 3:55 am MDT (09:55 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 220° at 25 kt | +20 kt | 9 °C | 100 kt | 4 h 14 min | 4:04 am MDT (10:04 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 230° at 27 kt | +23 kt | 5 °C | 97 kt | 4 h 22 min | 4:12 am MDT (10:12 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 240° at 27 kt | +24 kt | -1 °C | 96 kt | 4 h 25 min | 4:15 am MDT (10:15 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 240° at 27 kt | +25 kt | -6 °C | 95 kt | 4 h 28 min | 4:18 am MDT (10:18 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 250° at 27 kt | +26 kt | -10 °C | 94 kt | 4 h 31 min | 4:21 am MDT (10:21 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 250° at 34 kt | +33 kt | -21 °C | 87 kt | 4 h 52 min | 4:42 am MDT (10:42 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 250° at 39 kt | +37 kt | -36 °C | 83 kt | 5 h 07 min | 4:57 am MDT (10:57 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 260° at 47 kt | +47 kt | -42 °C | 73 kt | 5 h 48 min | 5:38 am MDT (11:38 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 260° at 54 kt | +54 kt | -48 °C | 66 kt | 6 h 25 min | 6:15 am MDT (12:15 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSP | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 230/26 | 240/30 17° | 240/24 12° | 250/22 5° | 250/35 -10° | 260/36 -21° | 250/41 -36° | 250/49 -45° | 260/58 -52° |
| AXN | used from 49 nm out; 67 nm from the line | 100/14 | 250/21 14° | 240/24 12° | 240/31 5° | 260/36 -10° | 260/40 -21° | 250/42 -36° | 260/48 -45° | 260/53 -50° |
| FSD | used from 99 nm out; 74 nm from the line | 190/9 | 230/30 18° | 240/23 13° | 240/20 6° | 260/22 -9° | 250/31 -21° | 250/43 -36° | 260/49 -43° | 270/53 -47° |
| ABR | used from 197 nm out; 54 nm from the line | 070/14 | 250/10 17° | 270/16 11° | 260/28 5° | 260/36 -10° | 260/41 -22° | 270/33 -37° | 260/42 -42° | 260/50 -48° |
| PIR | used from 247 nm out; 32 nm from the line | 170/22 19° | 190/25 13° | 210/32 6° | 240/23 -9° | 250/32 -21° | 250/38 -36° | 260/44 -40° | 260/52 -47° | |
| RAP | used from 345 nm out; 54 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSP Minneapolis, MN | departure | no report just now | 841 ft | ||||
| GYL Glencoe, MN | 39 nm out, 6 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 992 ft | ||||
| OVL Olivia, MN | 79 nm out, 2 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 1,079 ft | ||||
| GDB Granite Falls, MN | 99 nm out, 1 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 1,047 ft | ||||
| CNB Canby, MN | 128 nm out, 2 nm west of the line | no report just now | 1,194 ft | ||||
| MKA Miller, SD | 247 nm out, 2 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 1,569 ft | ||||
| PIR Pierre, SD | 306 nm out, 3 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 1,744 ft | ||||
| PHP Philip, SD | 365 nm out, 11 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 2,209 ft | ||||
| RAP Rapid City, SD | destination | no report just now | 3,203 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 3,203 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, 3:35 am MDT (09:35 UTC)
RAP has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/6656 ANOKA, MN, Monday, October 5, 2026 through Monday, October 19, 2026 Local 19 nm from the route, at the departure end · security · until 19 October · ZMP
Daylight
Sunset at MSP 6:33 pm CDT (23:33 UTC), at RAP 6:13 pm MDT (00:13 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:42 pm MDT (00:42 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: Minneapolis-St Paul Intl/Wold-Chamberlain Airport, Rapid City Regional.