Rapid City Regional to Patrick Leahy Burlington International RAP → BTV
1,279 nautical miles (1,472 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 078°, about 070° magnetic at the departure end (variation 8E). At 120 knots that is 7 h 19 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 55-knot tailwind), arriving about 9:35 am EDT (13:35 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 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 310 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 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 38,000 ft. Near the route, at the departure end.
- 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 route from 510 to 639 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 last 410 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 21,000 ft to 33,000 ft. Over the last 80 nm of the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the last 70 nm of the route.
- AIRMET ZULU 1C: moderate icing up to 22,000 ft. Over the last 40 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 RAP.
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 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 13 forecast points nearest it (RAP, PIR, ABR, FSD, AXN, MSP, LSE, GRB, TVC, BUF, SYR, ALB, BML). 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 16 kt | −16 kt | 136 kt | 9 h 24 min | 11:40 am EDT (15:40 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 260° at 13 kt | −13 kt | 17 °C | 133 kt | 9 h 37 min | 11:53 am EDT (15:53 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 260° at 12 kt | −13 kt | 12 °C | 133 kt | 9 h 37 min | 11:53 am EDT (15:53 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 250° at 12 kt | −13 kt | 9 °C | 133 kt | 9 h 37 min | 11:53 am EDT (15:53 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 250° at 15 kt | −15 kt | 5 °C | 135 kt | 9 h 28 min | 11:44 am EDT (15:44 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 260° at 17 kt | −18 kt | 0 °C | 138 kt | 9 h 16 min | 11:32 am EDT (15:32 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 260° at 19 kt | −20 kt | -5 °C | 140 kt | 9 h 08 min | 11:24 am EDT (15:24 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 270° at 22 kt | −23 kt | -9 °C | 143 kt | 8 h 57 min | 11:13 am EDT (15:13 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 270° at 23 kt | −23 kt | -10 °C | 143 kt | 8 h 57 min | 11:13 am EDT (15:13 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 270° at 29 kt | −30 kt | -21 °C | 150 kt | 8 h 32 min | 10:48 am EDT (14:48 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 280° at 35 kt | −35 kt | -37 °C | 155 kt | 8 h 15 min | 10:31 am EDT (14:31 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 270° at 42 kt | −42 kt | -44 °C | 162 kt | 7 h 54 min | 10:10 am EDT (14:10 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 270° at 56 kt | −55 kt | -51 °C | 175 kt | 7 h 19 min | 9:35 am EDT (13:35 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RAP | used from 0 nm out; 25 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° | |
| PIR | used from 50 nm out; 46 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° | |
| ABR | used from 200 nm out; 51 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° |
| FSD | used from 250 nm out; 73 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° |
| AXN | used from 300 nm out; 59 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° |
| MSP | used from 350 nm out; 50 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° |
| LSE | used from 500 nm out; 79 nm from the line | 230/40 | 240/24 17° | 240/13 10° | 250/13 6° | 280/22 -9° | 250/28 -21° | 250/41 -34° | 260/42 -44° | 270/62 -53° |
| GRB | used from 550 nm out; 80 nm from the line | 250/36 | 270/23 16° | 270/14 9° | 240/18 4° | 280/26 -9° | 280/29 -20° | 290/42 -36° | 290/51 -45° | 290/72 -55° |
| TVC | used from 699 nm out; 39 nm from the line | 260/31 | 280/22 15° | 290/18 10° | 270/13 2° | 290/25 -10° | 300/35 -21° | 310/52 -37° | 320/59 -47° | 300/84 -54° |
| BUF | used from 899 nm out; 176 nm from the line | 320/10 | 010/16 10° | 360/10 6° | 340/13 2° | 330/22 -11° | 300/25 -23° | 320/31 -38° | 300/29 -44° | 280/36 -50° |
| SYR | used from 1099 nm out; 107 nm from the line | 280/13 | 350/18 10° | 340/10 6° | 300/15 1° | 280/17 -12° | 270/16 -23° | 280/25 -38° | 250/40 -42° | 240/53 -50° |
| ALB | used from 1199 nm out; 115 nm from the line | 120/9 | 270/8 10° | L/V 5° | 260/9 1° | 260/34 -10° | 250/42 -22° | 240/57 -35° | 240/70 -42° | 240/65 -50° |
| BML | used from 1249 nm out; 99 nm from the line | 260/22 | 300/13 8° | 280/13 4° | 260/13 0° | 260/16 -11° | 240/45 -21° | 240/59 -36° | 240/77 -44° | 240/83 -53° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RAP Rapid City, SD | departure | no report just now | 3,203 ft | ||||
| PIR Pierre, SD | 120 nm out, 2 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 1,744 ft | ||||
| MKA Miller, SD | 180 nm out, 3 nm south of the line | no report just now | 1,569 ft | ||||
| MVE Montevideo, MN | 320 nm out, 5 nm north of the line | no report just now | 1,034 ft | ||||
| MIC Minneapolis, MN | 420 nm out, 1 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 869 ft | ||||
| AIG Antigo, WI | 600 nm out, 4 nm south of the line | no report just now | 1,523 ft | ||||
| CVX Charlevoix, MI | 759 nm out, 4 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 668 ft | ||||
| APN Alpena, MI | 829 nm out, 10 nm southeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 689 ft | ||||
| CYQA Muskoka, | 1019 nm out, 5 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 925 ft | ||||
| PTD Potsdam, NY | 1199 nm out, 2 nm east of the line | no report just now | 474 ft | ||||
| BTV Burlington, VT | destination | no report just now | 334 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 BTV when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 9:35 am EDT (13:35 UTC)
BTV 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 8 nm from the route, 420 nm along the route · security · until 19 October · ZMP
Daylight
Sunset at RAP 6:12 pm MDT (00:12 UTC), at BTV 6:13 pm EDT (22:13 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:43 pm EDT (22:43 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: Rapid City Regional, Patrick Leahy Burlington International.