Plan a flight · Sun 7:49 pm CDT (00:49 UTC)

Pierre Regional to General Mitchell International PIR → MKE

544 nautical miles (626 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 095°, about 087° magnetic at the departure end (variation 8E). At 120 knots that is 2 h 55 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 66-knot tailwind), arriving about 10:44 pm CDT (03:44 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now PIR is IFR, wind from the northeast (050°) at 9 knots; MKE is VFR, wind from the south-southeast (150°) at 7 knots. 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 SIERRA 4E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the first 10 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 PIR.

Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first

PC12 at 100 ft, 5 nm west, 5:34 pm CDT (22:34 UTC): no icing. At the departure end, 5 nm west of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
PIR UA /OV PIR/TM 2234/FL001/TP PC12/SK BASE030-TOP045/IC NEG
```
Report
a routine report filed through PIR
Where
over PIR
Time
22:34 UTC
Height
at 100 ft
Aircraft
PC12
Sky
BASE030-TOP045
Icing
none
BE20 at 14,000 ft, 7 nm northwest, 7:20 pm CDT (00:20 UTC): light turbulence. 148 nm along the route, 7 nm northwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
FSD UA /OV FSD340035/TM 0020/FL140/TP BE20/TB CONS LGT/ NEG 120
```
Report
a routine report filed through FSD
Where
35 nm north (340°) of FSD
Time
00:20 UTC
Height
at 14,000 ft
Aircraft
BE20
Turbulence
continuous light no at 12,000 ft
B39M at 34,000 ft, 44 nm north, 6:25 pm CDT (23:25 UTC): light chop turbulence. 267 nm along the route, 44 nm north of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
MSP UA /OV MSP240040/TM 2325/FL340/TP B39M/TB LGT CHOP
```
Report
a routine report filed through MSP
Where
40 nm southwest (240°) of MSP
Time
23:25 UTC
Height
at 34,000 ft
Aircraft
B39M
Turbulence
light chop
B737 at 32,000 ft, 1 nm east, 5:42 pm CDT (22:42 UTC): light clear-air turbulence. 495 nm along the route, 1 nm east of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
UES UA /OV BAE270030/TM 2242/FL320/TP B737/TB OCNL LGT CAT
```
Report
a routine report filed through UES
Where
30 nm west (270°) of BAE
Time
22:42 UTC
Height
at 32,000 ft
Aircraft
B737
Turbulence
occasional light clear-air turbulence
B738 at 36,000 ft, 6 nm north, 5:11 pm CDT (22:11 UTC): no turbulence. At the destination end, 6 nm north of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
UES UA /OV BAE/TM 2211/FL360/TP B738/TB NEG
```
Report
a routine report filed through UES
Where
over BAE
Time
22:11 UTC
Height
at 36,000 ft
Aircraft
B738
Turbulence
none

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 7 forecast points nearest it (PIR, ABR, FSD, MCW, LSE, DBQ, GRB). 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	220° at 20 kt	−9 kt		129 kt	4 h 13 min	12:02 am CDT (05:02 UTC)
5,500 ft	230° at 20 kt	−14 kt	17 °C	134 kt	4 h 04 min	11:53 pm CDT (04:53 UTC)
7,500 ft	240° at 20 kt	−16 kt	14 °C	136 kt	4 h	11:49 pm CDT (04:49 UTC)
9,500 ft	240° at 19 kt	−16 kt	10 °C	136 kt	4 h	11:49 pm CDT (04:49 UTC)
11,500 ft	240° at 17 kt	−14 kt	6 °C	134 kt	4 h 04 min	11:53 pm CDT (04:53 UTC)
13,500 ft	250° at 18 kt	−15 kt	2 °C	135 kt	4 h 02 min	11:51 pm CDT (04:51 UTC)
15,500 ft	250° at 20 kt	−18 kt	-3 °C	138 kt	3 h 57 min	11:46 pm CDT (04:46 UTC)
17,500 ft	260° at 22 kt	−21 kt	-8 °C	141 kt	3 h 51 min	11:40 pm CDT (04:40 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180	260° at 23 kt	−21 kt	-9 °C	141 kt	3 h 51 min	11:40 pm CDT (04:40 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240	260° at 29 kt	−28 kt	-20 °C	148 kt	3 h 41 min	11:30 pm CDT (04:30 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300	270° at 36 kt	−36 kt	-35 °C	156 kt	3 h 29 min	11:18 pm CDT (04:18 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340	280° at 44 kt	−45 kt	-44 °C	165 kt	3 h 18 min	11:07 pm CDT (04:07 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390	280° at 65 kt	−66 kt	-52 °C	186 kt	2 h 55 min	10:44 pm CDT (03:44 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
PIR	used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line		L/V 17°	230/13 12°	220/22 6°	250/31 -9°	250/34 -21°	240/50 -35°	230/61 -43°	240/62 -51°
ABR	used from 49 nm out; 71 nm from the line	030/24	220/5 16°	230/18 12°	230/32 5°	240/38 -10°	250/37 -20°	240/40 -35°	240/56 -44°	250/72 -52°
FSD	used from 99 nm out; 46 nm from the line	200/16	220/20 17°	240/26 13°	230/19 6°	240/25 -9°	240/28 -20°	250/39 -33°	250/44 -43°	260/63 -52°
MCW	used from 247 nm out; 50 nm from the line	200/35	240/33 18°	250/20 10°	260/10 6°	270/18 -8°	260/28 -19°	280/30 -34°	290/49 -43°	280/70 -54°
LSE	used from 346 nm out; 30 nm from the line	220/33	250/29 17°	250/15 9°	260/12 6°	280/21 -9°	280/33 -20°	300/43 -36°	310/56 -45°	300/79 -53°
DBQ	used from 445 nm out; 71 nm from the line	220/23	240/22 16°	240/24 10°	260/18 5°	270/16 -8°	290/27 -19°	310/42 -35°	320/55 -44°	300/71 -52°
GRB	used from 495 nm out; 88 nm from the line	240/24	260/18 16°	270/20 11°	290/14 4°	280/24 -9°	300/34 -21°	310/51 -38°	310/54 -48°	300/71 -51°

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
PIR Pierre, SD	departure	IFR Sky: a broken layer at 800 feet, overcast at 1,200 feet	from the northeast (050°) at 9 knots	10+ mi	800 ft	1,744 ft	6:53 pm CDT (23:53 UTC)
HON Huron, SD	89 nm out, 9 nm north of the line	VFR	from the north (350°) at 12 knots	10+ mi	none	1,288 ft	23:55 UTC
MDS Madison, SD	139 nm out, 8 nm south of the line	VFR	from the west (270°) at 6 knots	10+ mi	none	1,718 ft	23:35 UTC
DVP Slayton, MN	198 nm out, 3 nm southwest of the line	VFR	calm	10+ mi	none	1,623 ft	00:33 UTC
MWM Windom, MN	228 nm out, 4 nm southwest of the line	VFR	from the south-southwest (210°) at 5 knots	10+ mi	none	1,410 ft	00:41 UTC
AUM Austin, MN	317 nm out, 4 nm southeast of the line	VFR	from the south-southeast (160°) at 4 knots	9 mi	none	1,233 ft	00:35 UTC
RST Rochester, MN	337 nm out, 16 nm north of the line, tower	VFR	from the south (180°) at 10 knots	8 mi	none	1,317 ft	23:54 UTC
LSE La Crosse, WI	386 nm out, 24 nm north of the line, tower	VFR	from the south (180°) at 7 knots	10+ mi	none	655 ft	23:53 UTC
MSN Madison, WI	485 nm out, 6 nm west of the line, tower	VFR	from the south (180°) at 5 knots	10+ mi	none	886 ft	23:53 UTC
UES Waukesha, WI	525 nm out, 4 nm east of the line, tower	VFR	from the south (180°) at 5 knots	10+ mi	none	911 ft	23:45 UTC
MKE Milwaukee, WI	destination	VFR Sky: a few clouds at 25,000 feet	from the south-southeast (150°) at 7 knots	10+ mi	none	728 ft	6:52 pm CDT (23:52 UTC)

The highest airport on this list sits at 1,744 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At MKE when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 10:44 pm CDT (03:44 UTC)

Wind from the south-southwest at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 25,000 feet VFR

The whole forecast for MKE

From Sun 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
From Sun 10:00 pm CDT (03:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
From Mon 11:00 am CDT (16:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 13 knots, gusting to 21, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
From Mon 9:00 pm CDT (02:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, scattered clouds at 10,000 feet

The forecast for PIR, the departure

From Sun 8:00 pm CDT (01:00 UTC): wind from the northeast at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 800 feet, overcast at 1,200 feet
From Sun 10:00 pm CDT (03:00 UTC): wind from the northeast at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 1,700 feet
From Mon 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the east-northeast at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 800 feet
From Mon 1:00 pm CDT (18:00 UTC): wind from the northwest at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 2,000 feet
From Mon 5:00 pm CDT (22:00 UTC): wind from the northwest at 14 knots, gusting to 23, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 3,500 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 PIR 7:02 pm CDT (00:02 UTC), at MKE 6:14 pm CDT (23:14 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:42 pm CDT (23:42 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at MKE is after sunset there (6:15 pm CDT (23:15 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

Radar now, the northern Rockies · loop National Weather Service

Radar now, the upper Mississippi valley · loop National Weather Service

Radar, the whole country · loop National Weather Service

Surface analysis now Weather Prediction Center

Forecast chart, 12 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center

Forecast chart, 24 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center

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: Pierre Regional, General Mitchell International.