Montrose Regional to Richmond International MTJ → RIC
1,441 nautical miles (1,658 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 083°, about 071° magnetic at the departure end (variation 12E). At 120 knots that is 8 h 08 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 57-knot tailwind), arriving about 5:18 pm EDT (21:18 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 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) from 34,000 ft to 43,000 ft. Over the first 199 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 22,000 ft. Over the first 159 nm of the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the first 40 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 departure end.
- 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 129 to 199 nm out.
- 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 route from 338 to 765 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 3E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 984 to 1332 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, mist). Over the route from 1183 to 1332 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 6,000 ft. Over the route from 1272 to 1371 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 24,000 ft to 33,000 ft. Over the last 139 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: 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 last 89 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 30,000 ft to 41,000 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 MTJ.
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 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 15 forecast points nearest it (GJT, ALS, PUB, GLD, GCK, SLN, MKC, COU, STL, EVV, LOU, CVG, CRW, ROA, RIC). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.
| Height | Average wind | Head- or tailwind | Temperature | Ground speed | Time en route | Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3,500 ft | 260° at 24 kt | −25 kt | 145 kt | 9 h 56 min | 7:06 pm EDT (23:06 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 270° at 21 kt | −22 kt | 22 °C | 142 kt | 10 h 09 min | 7:19 pm EDT (23:19 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 270° at 20 kt | −21 kt | 13 °C | 141 kt | 10 h 13 min | 7:23 pm EDT (23:23 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 270° at 18 kt | −19 kt | 10 °C | 139 kt | 10 h 22 min | 7:32 pm EDT (23:32 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 270° at 18 kt | −20 kt | 6 °C | 140 kt | 10 h 18 min | 7:28 pm EDT (23:28 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 260° at 21 kt | −22 kt | 2 °C | 142 kt | 10 h 09 min | 7:19 pm EDT (23:19 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 270° at 24 kt | −25 kt | -2 °C | 145 kt | 9 h 56 min | 7:06 pm EDT (23:06 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 270° at 26 kt | −28 kt | -7 °C | 148 kt | 9 h 44 min | 6:54 pm EDT (22:54 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 270° at 27 kt | −29 kt | -8 °C | 149 kt | 9 h 40 min | 6:50 pm EDT (22:50 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 260° at 33 kt | −35 kt | -20 °C | 155 kt | 9 h 18 min | 6:28 pm EDT (22:28 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 270° at 49 kt | −52 kt | -31 °C | 172 kt | 8 h 23 min | 5:33 pm EDT (21:33 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 280° at 54 kt | −57 kt | -38 °C | 177 kt | 8 h 08 min | 5:18 pm EDT (21:18 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 280° at 52 kt | −54 kt | -49 °C | 174 kt | 8 h 17 min | 5:27 pm EDT (21:27 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GJT | used from 0 nm out; 64 nm from the line | 220/26 6° | 230/39 0° | 220/55 -13° | 230/60 -23° | 230/78 -31° | 230/80 -35° | 230/74 -44° | ||
| ALS | used from 50 nm out; 76 nm from the line | 240/35 3° | 230/54 -9° | 240/66 -19° | 230/85 -26° | 240/87 -34° | 240/70 -47° | |||
| PUB | used from 99 nm out; 45 nm from the line | 260/45 11° | 240/38 6° | 230/47 -8° | 230/51 -19° | 240/74 -29° | 240/82 -35° | 250/72 -48° | ||
| GLD | used from 248 nm out; 32 nm from the line | 260/37 | 260/25 14° | 250/27 8° | 230/36 -8° | 230/49 -21° | 250/71 -30° | 260/82 -36° | 250/73 -48° | |
| GCK | used from 348 nm out; 75 nm from the line | 240/40 22° | 240/40 14° | 240/38 7° | 230/39 -7° | 230/45 -20° | 250/73 -28° | 260/74 -36° | 260/64 -49° | |
| SLN | used from 398 nm out; 60 nm from the line | 230/49 | 240/41 22° | 230/26 15° | 220/21 7° | 240/38 -8° | 240/44 -21° | 260/77 -29° | 270/70 -36° | 270/63 -48° |
| MKC | used from 547 nm out; 51 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° |
| COU | used from 696 nm out; 18 nm from the line | 250/36 | 260/14 16° | 250/5 12° | 260/12 6° | 260/24 -7° | 260/35 -19° | 280/58 -31° | 280/62 -40° | 290/60 -49° |
| STL | used from 795 nm out; 10 nm from the line | 250/26 | 240/21 15° | 240/22 11° | 250/23 6° | 270/28 -7° | 260/30 -19° | 280/52 -31° | 280/57 -40° | 300/57 -49° |
| EVV | used from 894 nm out; 57 nm from the line | 270/25 | 290/17 15° | 260/10 8° | 270/16 5° | 280/29 -6° | 280/33 -19° | 290/38 -33° | 300/53 -41° | 310/54 -51° |
| LOU | used from 994 nm out; 33 nm from the line | 300/16 | 310/19 15° | 310/17 9° | 300/15 4° | 300/26 -6° | 280/34 -19° | 290/30 -34° | 310/49 -42° | 310/58 -51° |
| CVG | used from 1093 nm out; 48 nm from the line | 300/19 | 310/23 15° | 320/20 9° | 310/18 3° | 300/26 -6° | 290/36 -19° | 310/32 -34° | 310/53 -43° | 310/61 -51° |
| CRW | used from 1143 nm out; 66 nm from the line | 320/17 | 340/23 12° | 340/32 8° | 340/35 4° | 330/40 -7° | 340/45 -20° | 340/57 -34° | 340/64 -42° | 320/38 -50° |
| ROA | used from 1292 nm out; 35 nm from the line | 310/32 | 340/32 14° | 350/25 9° | 340/24 3° | 340/42 -8° | 340/52 -20° | 350/62 -34° | 350/64 -39° | 310/44 -48° |
| RIC | used from 1391 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 350/34 | 340/27 12° | 340/36 8° | 330/31 3° | 310/32 -9° | 320/34 -21° | 300/37 -34° | 290/37 -39° | 290/42 -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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MTJ Montrose, CO | departure | no report just now | 5,758 ft | ||||
| GUC Gunnison, CO | 50 nm out, 6 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 7,679 ft | ||||
| COS Colorado Springs, CO | 149 nm out, 2 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 6,187 ft | ||||
| OEL Oakley, KS | 338 nm out, 9 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 3,045 ft | ||||
| TOP Topeka, KS | 576 nm out, 2 nm west of the line, tower | no report just now | 881 ft | ||||
| MKC Kansas City, MO | 626 nm out, 5 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 756 ft | ||||
| ALN Alton/St Louis, IL | 835 nm out, 1 nm southeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 543 ft | ||||
| DCY Washington, IN | 974 nm out, 2 nm west of the line | no report just now | 472 ft | ||||
| LOU Louisville, KY | 1043 nm out, 21 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 545 ft | ||||
| LWB Lewisburg, WV | 1292 nm out, 7 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 2,301 ft | ||||
| HSP Hot Springs, VA | 1322 nm out, 4 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 3,792 ft | ||||
| RIC Richmond, VA | destination | no report just now | 167 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 7,679 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At RIC when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 5:18 pm EDT (21:18 UTC)
RIC has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/8784 LAKE GEORGE, CO, Sunday, October 11, 2026 through Tuesday, October 13, 2026 UTC 11 nm from the route, 119 nm along the route · a hazard on the ground (fire-fighting, a chemical spill, rescue work) · until 13 October · ZDV
- 6/7634 CENTRALIA, MO, Monday, October 12, 2026 UTC 7 nm from the route, 735 nm along the route · a hazard on the ground (fire-fighting, a chemical spill, rescue work) · today · ZKC
Daylight
Sunset at MTJ 6:36 pm MDT (00:36 UTC), at RIC 6:36 pm EDT (22:36 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:02 pm EDT (23:02 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: Montrose Regional, Richmond International.