Pierre Regional to Rapid City Regional PIR → RAP
121 nautical miles (139 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 261°, about 253° magnetic at the departure end (variation 8E). At 120 knots that is 1 h 02 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 2-knot headwind), arriving about 10:12 pm MDT (04:12 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now PIR is marginal VFR, wind from the east (090°) at 5 knots; RAP is low IFR, wind from the east-southeast (110°) at 4 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: 4 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 whole 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
- B763 at 32,000 ft, 29 nm south, 8:29 pm CDT (01:29 UTC): light to moderate clear-air turbulence, remarks: zdvwc. 47 nm along the route, 29 nm south of the line.
as filed, and in English
RAP UA /OV RAP084081/TM 0129/FL320/TP B763/TB OCNL LGT-MOD CAT/RM ZDVWC
- Report
- a routine report filed through RAP
- Where
- 81 nm east (084°) of RAP
- Time
- 01:29 UTC
- Height
- at 32,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B763
- Turbulence
- occasional light to moderate clear-air turbulence
- Remarks
- zdvwc
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 2 forecast points nearest it (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 | 180° at 23 kt | +2 kt | 15 °C | 118 kt | 1 h 02 min | 10:12 pm MDT (04:12 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 180° at 24 kt | +4 kt | 14 °C | 116 kt | 1 h 03 min | 10:13 pm MDT (04:13 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 190° at 31 kt | +13 kt | 13 °C | 107 kt | 1 h 08 min | 10:18 pm MDT (04:18 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 200° at 34 kt | +19 kt | 10 °C | 101 kt | 1 h 12 min | 10:22 pm MDT (04:22 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 210° at 35 kt | +23 kt | 5 °C | 97 kt | 1 h 15 min | 10:25 pm MDT (04:25 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 220° at 31 kt | +22 kt | -1 °C | 98 kt | 1 h 14 min | 10:24 pm MDT (04:24 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 220° at 28 kt | +22 kt | -6 °C | 98 kt | 1 h 14 min | 10:24 pm MDT (04:24 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 230° at 26 kt | +21 kt | -10 °C | 99 kt | 1 h 13 min | 10:23 pm MDT (04:23 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 240° at 33 kt | +30 kt | -21 °C | 90 kt | 1 h 21 min | 10:31 pm MDT (04:31 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 240° at 37 kt | +34 kt | -36 °C | 86 kt | 1 h 24 min | 10:34 pm MDT (04:34 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 250° at 49 kt | +48 kt | -39 °C | 72 kt | 1 h 41 min | 10:51 pm MDT (04:51 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 250° at 56 kt | +56 kt | -46 °C | 64 kt | 1 h 53 min | 11:03 pm MDT (05:03 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PIR | used from 0 nm out; 23 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 47 nm out; 51 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PIR Pierre, SD | departure | marginal VFR Sky: overcast at 1,100 feet | from the east (090°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | 1,100 ft | 1,744 ft | 9:53 pm CDT (02:53 UTC) |
| PHP Philip, SD | 56 nm out, 11 nm south of the line | marginal VFR Sky: a few clouds at 400 feet, a few clouds at 800 feet, overcast at 1,300 feet Weather: mist | from the east-northeast (070°) at 8 knots | 6 mi | 1,300 ft | 2,209 ft | 02:55 UTC |
| RAP Rapid City, SD | destination | low IFR Sky: overcast at 300 feet Weather: mist | from the east-southeast (110°) at 4 knots | 1.75 mi | 300 ft | 3,203 ft | 9:03 pm MDT (03:03 UTC) |
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, 10:12 pm MDT (04:12 UTC)
Wind from the east-southeast at 8 knots, visibility 2 miles, mist, a broken layer at 400 feet low IFR
30% chance between Sun 10:00 pm MDT (04:00 UTC) and 2:00 am MDT (08:00 UTC): visibility 3 miles, light rain showers, mist, scattered clouds at 800 feet, a broken layer at 1,500 feet marginal VFR
The whole forecast for RAP
- From Sun 9:00 pm MDT (03:00 UTC): wind from the east-southeast at 8 knots, visibility 2 miles, mist, a broken layer at 400 feet
- 30% chance between Sun 10:00 pm MDT (04:00 UTC) and 2:00 am MDT (08:00 UTC): visibility 3 miles, light rain showers, mist, scattered clouds at 800 feet, a broken layer at 1,500 feet
- From Mon 10:00 am MDT (16:00 UTC): wind from the north-northwest at 20 knots, gusting to 30, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 1,500 feet, scattered clouds at 3,500 feet
The forecast for PIR, the departure
- From Sun 9:00 pm CDT (02:00 UTC): wind from the east-northeast at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 500 feet, overcast at 1,100 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 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 after sunset there (6:15 pm MDT (00:15 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
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, Rapid City Regional.