Rapid City Regional to General Mitchell International RAP → MKE
663 nautical miles (763 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 090°, about 082° magnetic at the departure end (variation 8E). At 120 knots that is 3 h 46 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 56-knot tailwind), arriving about 5:29 am CDT (10:29 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: 3 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 C11C: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 31,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 1:55 am MDT (07:55 UTC). Over the first 20 nm of the route.
as issued
WSUS32 KKCI 120555 MKCC WST 120555 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 11C VALID UNTIL 0755Z SD WY FROM 60WNW DPR-20SSE DPR-40SSW RAP-60W RAP-60WNW DPR DMSHG AREA TS MOV FROM 22040KT. TOPS TO FL310.
- 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 257 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 405 to 593 nm out.
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 7 forecast points nearest it (RAP, PIR, FSD, MCW, LSE, DBQ, MKG). 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 | 230° at 28 kt | −18 kt | 138 kt | 4 h 48 min | 6:31 am CDT (11:31 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 220° at 23 kt | −14 kt | 17 °C | 134 kt | 4 h 57 min | 6:40 am CDT (11:40 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 230° at 20 kt | −13 kt | 14 °C | 133 kt | 4 h 59 min | 6:42 am CDT (11:42 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 230° at 18 kt | −12 kt | 11 °C | 132 kt | 5 h 01 min | 6:44 am CDT (11:44 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 230° at 20 kt | −14 kt | 7 °C | 134 kt | 4 h 57 min | 6:40 am CDT (11:40 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 240° at 20 kt | −16 kt | 2 °C | 136 kt | 4 h 52 min | 6:35 am CDT (11:35 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 240° at 20 kt | −18 kt | -3 °C | 138 kt | 4 h 48 min | 6:31 am CDT (11:31 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 250° at 21 kt | −20 kt | -8 °C | 140 kt | 4 h 44 min | 6:27 am CDT (11:27 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 250° at 22 kt | −20 kt | -9 °C | 140 kt | 4 h 44 min | 6:27 am CDT (11:27 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 250° at 29 kt | −27 kt | -21 °C | 147 kt | 4 h 31 min | 6:14 am CDT (11:14 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 250° at 38 kt | −35 kt | -35 °C | 155 kt | 4 h 17 min | 6:00 am CDT (11:00 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 260° at 46 kt | −45 kt | -42 °C | 165 kt | 4 h 01 min | 5:44 am CDT (10:44 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 270° at 56 kt | −56 kt | -49 °C | 176 kt | 3 h 46 min | 5:29 am CDT (10:29 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 49 nm out; 50 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° | |
| FSD | used from 198 nm out; 54 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° |
| MCW | used from 346 nm out; 60 nm from the line | 220/44 | 250/30 17° | 230/14 12° | 240/17 6° | 250/22 -8° | 270/29 -20° | 250/34 -34° | 260/52 -43° | 260/59 -51° |
| LSE | used from 445 nm out; 49 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° |
| DBQ | used from 544 nm out; 58 nm from the line | 230/33 | 250/30 16° | 280/15 9° | 260/15 5° | 260/21 -7° | 260/24 -20° | 250/37 -33° | 270/42 -43° | 280/63 -52° |
| MKG | used from 643 nm out; 83 nm from the line | 260/22 | 290/16 15° | 300/11 10° | 290/5 3° | 300/26 -9° | 300/32 -20° | 320/48 -36° | 320/61 -45° | 310/74 -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 | ||||
| PHP Philip, SD | 59 nm out, 4 nm east of the line | no report just now | 2,209 ft | ||||
| PIR Pierre, SD | 119 nm out, 23 nm north of the line | no report just now | 1,744 ft | ||||
| MHE Mitchell, SD | 218 nm out, 8 nm south of the line | no report just now | 1,304 ft | ||||
| FSD Sioux Falls, SD | 277 nm out, 15 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,430 ft | ||||
| FRM Fairmont, MN | 376 nm out, 2 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 1,161 ft | ||||
| RST Rochester, MN | 455 nm out, 24 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,317 ft | ||||
| CJJ Cresco, IA | 475 nm out, 6 nm south of the line | no report just now | 1,279 ft | ||||
| LNR Lone Rock, WI | 564 nm out, 3 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 717 ft | ||||
| UES Waukesha, WI | 643 nm out, 5 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 911 ft | ||||
| MKE Milwaukee, WI | destination | no report just now | 728 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 MKE when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 5:29 am CDT (10:29 UTC)
MKE 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 6:12 pm MDT (00:12 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 before sunrise there (7:01 am CDT (12:01 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, General Mitchell International.