Seattle Paine Field International to Missoula Montana Airport PAE → MSO
338 nautical miles (389 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 097°, about 081° magnetic at the departure end (variation 16E). At 120 knots that is 2 h 36 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 10-knot tailwind), arriving about 3:07 am MDT (09:07 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now PAE is VFR, wind calm; MSO is VFR, wind calm. 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 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 1W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 39,000 ft. Over the first 189 nm of the route.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Over the last 209 nm of the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the last 99 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 70 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 36,000 ft. Over the last 70 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 PAE.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
No pilot reports within 50 nautical miles of the line in the last three hours.
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 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 5 forecast points nearest it (SEA, YKM, GEG, LWS, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5,500 ft | 070° at 14 kt | +12 kt | -3 °C | 108 kt | 3 h 08 min | 3:39 am MDT (09:39 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 060° at 15 kt | +11 kt | -4 °C | 109 kt | 3 h 06 min | 3:37 am MDT (09:37 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 050° at 15 kt | +9 kt | -7 °C | 111 kt | 3 h 03 min | 3:34 am MDT (09:34 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 050° at 14 kt | +9 kt | -9 °C | 111 kt | 3 h 03 min | 3:34 am MDT (09:34 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 060° at 10 kt | +8 kt | -12 °C | 112 kt | 3 h 01 min | 3:32 am MDT (09:32 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 080° at 6 kt | +6 kt | -15 °C | 114 kt | 2 h 58 min | 3:29 am MDT (09:29 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 130° at 5 kt | +5 kt | -19 °C | 115 kt | 2 h 56 min | 3:27 am MDT (09:27 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 150° at 5 kt | +5 kt | -20 °C | 115 kt | 2 h 56 min | 3:27 am MDT (09:27 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 110° at 7 kt | +8 kt | -30 °C | 112 kt | 3 h 01 min | 3:32 am MDT (09:32 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 350° at 12 kt | −2 kt | -37 °C | 122 kt | 2 h 46 min | 3:17 am MDT (09:17 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 340° at 10 kt | −4 kt | -39 °C | 124 kt | 2 h 44 min | 3:15 am MDT (09:15 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 270° at 11 kt | −10 kt | -41 °C | 130 kt | 2 h 36 min | 3:07 am MDT (09:07 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEA | used from 0 nm out; 35 nm from the line | 050/7 | 050/11 1° | 050/12 -5° | 030/31 -7° | 010/61 -15° | 010/69 -26° | 360/73 -40° | 360/62 -47° | 330/21 -43° |
| YKM | used from 50 nm out; 70 nm from the line | 070/10 | 040/15 -1° | 020/27 -8° | 030/25 -13° | 020/48 -20° | 010/83 -27° | 010/77 -37° | 010/49 -40° | 350/14 -41° |
| GEG | used from 99 nm out; 69 nm from the line | 080/16 -2° | 050/17 -7° | 080/9 -10° | 190/33 -21° | 180/31 -32° | L/V -35° | L/V -37° | 270/8 -40° | |
| LWS | used from 248 nm out; 73 nm from the line | 070/10 | 080/12 -2° | 030/12 -6° | 080/7 -10° | 170/34 -21° | 160/46 -32° | 200/33 -35° | 220/22 -35° | 230/18 -38° |
| GPI | used from 298 nm out; 80 nm from the line | 070/19 -5° | 100/16 -7° | 080/10 -8° | 130/8 -19° | 170/37 -28° | 200/50 -40° | 210/43 -40° | 220/41 -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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PAE Everett, WA | departure | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 606 ft | 10:53 pm PDT (05:53 UTC) |
| EAT Wenatchee, WA | 89 nm out, 19 nm south of the line | VFR Sky: overcast at 9,500 feet | calm | 10+ mi | 9,500 ft | 1,248 ft | 05:55 UTC |
| MWH Moses Lake, WA | 129 nm out, 25 nm south of the line, tower | VFR Sky: overcast at 12,000 feet | from the north-northwest (330°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | 12,000 ft | 1,188 ft | 05:52 UTC |
| GEG Spokane, WA | 189 nm out, 13 nm northeast of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 8,000 feet, scattered clouds at 12,000 feet | from the northeast (040°) at 10 knots | 10+ mi | none | 2,385 ft | 05:53 UTC |
| MSO Missoula, MT | destination | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 1,700 feet, overcast at 6,000 feet | calm | 10+ mi | 6,000 ft | 3,205 ft | 12:07 am MDT (06:07 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 3,205 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, 3:07 am MDT (09:07 UTC)
Wind from the east at 4 knots, visibility 4 miles, light snow, mist, overcast at 1,500 feet marginal VFR
The whole forecast for MSO
- From Mon 12:00 am MDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the east at 2 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, showers nearby, scattered clouds at 1,500 feet, a broken layer at 4,000 feet
- From Mon 1:00 am MDT (07:00 UTC): wind from the east at 4 knots, visibility 4 miles, light snow, mist, overcast at 1,500 feet
- From Mon 8:00 am MDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the east-southeast at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 5,000 feet
- From Mon 2:00 pm MDT (20:00 UTC): wind from the east-southeast at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 10,000 feet
The forecast for PAE, the departure
- From Sun 11:00 pm PDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the north at 3 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 1:00 am PDT (08:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, patches of fog, clear skies
- From Mon 10:00 am PDT (17:00 UTC): wind from the east-southeast at 3 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 1:00 pm PDT (20:00 UTC): wind from the northwest at 3 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 10:00 pm PDT (05:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
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 PAE 6:26 pm PDT (01:26 UTC), at MSO 6:53 pm MDT (00:53 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:23 pm MDT (01:23 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at MSO is before sunrise there (7:49 am MDT (13:49 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: Seattle Paine Field International, Missoula Montana Airport.