Rapid City Regional to Lincoln Airport RAP → LNK
338 nautical miles (389 statute miles) southeast on a straight line, true course 122°, about 114° magnetic at the departure end (variation 8E). At 120 knots that is 2 h 13 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 32-knot tailwind), arriving about 10:01 pm CDT (03:01 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now RAP is marginal VFR, wind from the northeast (050°) at 8 knots; LNK is VFR, wind from the south (190°) at 11 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 TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 36,000 ft. Over the first 0 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). Near the route, 70 nm along 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
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 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 4 forecast points nearest it (RAP, PIR, ONL, GRI). 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 | 190° at 15 kt | +7 kt | 16 °C | 113 kt | 2 h 59 min | 10:47 pm CDT (03:47 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 210° at 17 kt | +3 kt | 15 °C | 117 kt | 2 h 53 min | 10:41 pm CDT (03:41 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 220° at 20 kt | −2 kt | 12 °C | 122 kt | 2 h 46 min | 10:34 pm CDT (03:34 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 230° at 21 kt | −5 kt | 7 °C | 125 kt | 2 h 42 min | 10:30 pm CDT (03:30 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 230° at 23 kt | −8 kt | 3 °C | 128 kt | 2 h 38 min | 10:26 pm CDT (03:26 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 240° at 26 kt | −11 kt | -2 °C | 131 kt | 2 h 35 min | 10:23 pm CDT (03:23 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 240° at 29 kt | −15 kt | -7 °C | 135 kt | 2 h 30 min | 10:18 pm CDT (03:18 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 250° at 29 kt | −15 kt | -8 °C | 135 kt | 2 h 30 min | 10:18 pm CDT (03:18 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 250° at 35 kt | −21 kt | -20 °C | 141 kt | 2 h 24 min | 10:12 pm CDT (03:12 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 240° at 47 kt | −20 kt | -34 °C | 140 kt | 2 h 25 min | 10:13 pm CDT (03:13 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 240° at 55 kt | −25 kt | -41 °C | 145 kt | 2 h 20 min | 10:08 pm CDT (03:08 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 250° at 57 kt | −32 kt | -50 °C | 152 kt | 2 h 13 min | 10:01 pm CDT (03:01 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RAP | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 120/15 12° | 180/22 11° | 220/26 5° | 230/35 -9° | 240/40 -22° | 240/50 -37° | 240/51 -41° | 240/47 -47° | |
| PIR | used from 100 nm out; 90 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° | |
| ONL | used from 149 nm out; 47 nm from the line | 200/20 17° | 230/26 14° | 240/21 7° | 250/27 -9° | 260/32 -19° | 240/44 -34° | 240/56 -41° | 250/62 -51° | |
| GRI | used from 249 nm out; 36 nm from the line | 210/31 19° | 240/21 14° | 240/17 6° | 260/27 -7° | 260/34 -18° | 240/45 -32° | 250/56 -40° | 260/62 -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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RAP Rapid City, SD | departure | marginal VFR Sky: a broken layer at 1,400 feet, overcast at 2,000 feet | from the northeast (050°) at 8 knots | 10+ mi | 1,400 ft | 3,203 ft | 6:03 pm MDT (00:03 UTC) |
| SUO Rosebud, SD | 109 nm out, 13 nm north of the line | low IFR Sky: overcast at 400 feet Weather: mist | from the north-northeast (030°) at 5 knots | 6 mi | 400 ft | 2,724 ft | 00:35 UTC |
| ANW Ainsworth, NE | 159 nm out, 1 nm east of the line | VFR | from the north-northeast (030°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 2,588 ft | 00:35 UTC |
| RBE Bassett, NE | 179 nm out, 11 nm north of the line | no report just now | 2,349 ft | ||||
| BUB Burwell, NE | 219 nm out, 18 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 2,183 ft | ||||
| BVN Albion, NE | 259 nm out, 8 nm northeast of the line | VFR | calm | 7 mi | none | 1,806 ft | 00:35 UTC |
| OLU Columbus, NE | 299 nm out, 14 nm northeast of the line | VFR | from the south-southwest (200°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,447 ft | 23:56 UTC |
| LNK Lincoln, NE | destination | VFR | from the south (190°) at 11 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,218 ft | 6:54 pm CDT (23:54 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 LNK when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 10:01 pm CDT (03:01 UTC)
Wind from the south at 14 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, a few clouds at 25,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for LNK
- From Sun 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south at 11 knots, gusting to 24, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Sun 9:00 pm CDT (02:00 UTC): wind from the south at 14 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 9:00 am CDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 14 knots, gusting to 24, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
The forecast for RAP, the departure
- From Sun 6:00 pm MDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the east at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 1,500 feet
- From Sun 10:00 pm MDT (04:00 UTC): wind from the south-southeast at 10 knots, gusting to 20, visibility 4 miles, mist, a broken layer at 800 feet
- 30% chance between Sun 10:00 pm MDT (04:00 UTC) and 2:00 am MDT (08:00 UTC): light rain showers, 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
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 RAP 6:13 pm MDT (00:13 UTC), at LNK 6:53 pm CDT (23:53 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:20 pm CDT (00:20 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at LNK is after sunset there (6:53 pm CDT (23:53 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, Lincoln Airport.