Rapid City Regional to Kansas City International RAP → MCI
470 nautical miles (541 statute miles) southeast on a straight line, true course 124°, about 116° magnetic at the departure end (variation 8E). At 120 knots that is 2 h 56 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 40-knot tailwind), arriving about 3:09 am CDT (08:09 UTC), after sunset at the destination. 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: 10 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
- SIGMET 8C: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 32,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 12:55 am MDT (06:55 UTC). Near the route, at the departure end.
as issued
WSUS32 KKCI 120455 MKCC WST 120455 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 8C VALID UNTIL 0655Z NE SD WY FROM 50WNW RAP-20SSW RAP-60NW BFF-40ENE DDY-50WNW RAP DMSHG AREA TS MOV FROM 22040KT. TOPS TO FL320.
- 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 190 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 last 350 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 5 forecast points nearest it (RAP, ONL, GRI, OMA, MKC). 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 | 220° at 29 kt | −1 kt | 18 °C | 121 kt | 3 h 53 min | 4:06 am CDT (09:06 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 220° at 26 kt | −2 kt | 15 °C | 122 kt | 3 h 51 min | 4:04 am CDT (09:04 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 220° at 24 kt | −3 kt | 12 °C | 123 kt | 3 h 49 min | 4:02 am CDT (09:02 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 220° at 22 kt | −2 kt | 8 °C | 122 kt | 3 h 51 min | 4:04 am CDT (09:04 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 230° at 21 kt | −3 kt | 3 °C | 123 kt | 3 h 49 min | 4:02 am CDT (09:02 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 230° at 22 kt | −5 kt | -2 °C | 125 kt | 3 h 46 min | 3:59 am CDT (08:59 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 240° at 22 kt | −8 kt | -7 °C | 128 kt | 3 h 40 min | 3:53 am CDT (08:53 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 240° at 22 kt | −8 kt | -8 °C | 128 kt | 3 h 40 min | 3:53 am CDT (08:53 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 240° at 32 kt | −12 kt | -20 °C | 132 kt | 3 h 34 min | 3:47 am CDT (08:47 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 250° at 44 kt | −23 kt | -34 °C | 143 kt | 3 h 17 min | 3:30 am CDT (08:30 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 260° at 53 kt | −37 kt | -39 °C | 157 kt | 3 h | 3:13 am CDT (08:13 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 260° at 58 kt | −40 kt | -47 °C | 160 kt | 2 h 56 min | 3:09 am CDT (08:09 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° | |
| ONL | used from 100 nm out; 92 nm from the line | 210/31 20° | 230/27 13° | 230/18 7° | 220/19 -8° | 240/26 -20° | 250/44 -35° | 270/52 -39° | 260/57 -47° | |
| GRI | used from 250 nm out; 26 nm from the line | 230/35 21° | 230/23 13° | 220/20 7° | 240/25 -8° | 240/37 -20° | 250/49 -33° | 260/57 -38° | 260/58 -47° | |
| OMA | used from 350 nm out; 63 nm from the line | 220/47 | 240/33 19° | 250/18 11° | 230/17 6° | 260/29 -8° | 250/33 -19° | 250/51 -33° | 260/61 -40° | 270/62 -49° |
| MKC | used from 400 nm out; 56 nm from the line | 220/44 | 250/28 18° | 250/18 13° | 240/12 6° | 280/24 -6° | 240/34 -18° | 260/47 -30° | 260/51 -40° | 270/58 -50° |
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 | ||||
| VTN Valentine, NE | 130 nm out, 5 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 2,595 ft | ||||
| ANW Ainsworth, NE | 160 nm out, 6 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 2,588 ft | ||||
| BUB Burwell, NE | 220 nm out, 10 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 2,183 ft | ||||
| BVN Albion, NE | 260 nm out, 18 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 1,806 ft | ||||
| JYR York, NE | 310 nm out, 11 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 1,669 ft | ||||
| LNK Lincoln, NE | 340 nm out, 13 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,218 ft | ||||
| FNB Falls City, NE | 410 nm out, 10 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 983 ft | ||||
| STJ St Joseph, MO | 440 nm out, 17 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 826 ft | ||||
| MCI Kansas City, MO | destination | no report just now | 1,027 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 MCI when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 3:09 am CDT (08:09 UTC)
MCI has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
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 MCI 6:44 pm CDT (23:44 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:11 pm CDT (00:11 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at MCI is before sunrise there (7:25 am CDT (12:25 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, Kansas City International.