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 43 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 58-knot tailwind), arriving about 10:50 am CDT (15:50 UTC). Right now RAP is low IFR, wind from the east (100°) at 4 knots; MKE is VFR, wind from the southwest (220°) at 8 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: 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
- 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 287 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 2W: 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, 475 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
- B38M at 32,000 ft, 47 nm south, 5:45 am MDT (11:45 UTC): light chop turbulence. 326 nm along the route, 47 nm south of the line.
as filed, and in English
FOD UA /OV FOD285060/TM 1145/FL320/TP B38M/TB CONS LGT CHOP OCNL MOD CHOP
- Report
- a routine report filed through FOD
- Where
- 60 nm west (285°) of FOD
- Time
- 11:45 UTC
- Height
- at 32,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B38M
- Turbulence
- continuous light chop occasional moderate chop
- B739 at 34,000 ft, 7 nm north, 4:58 am MDT (10:58 UTC): no turbulence. At the destination end, 7 nm north of the line.
as filed, and in English
UES UA /OV BAE/TM 1058/FL340/TP B739/TB NEG
- Report
- a routine report filed through UES
- Where
- over BAE
- Time
- 10:58 UTC
- Height
- at 34,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B739
- Turbulence
- none
Winds aloft along the route, and the time en route the forecast for use 08:00–15:00 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 | 240° at 25 kt | −20 kt | 140 kt | 4 h 44 min | 11:51 am CDT (16:51 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 240° at 21 kt | −18 kt | 15 °C | 138 kt | 4 h 48 min | 11:55 am CDT (16:55 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 240° at 23 kt | −18 kt | 15 °C | 138 kt | 4 h 48 min | 11:55 am CDT (16:55 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 230° at 25 kt | −19 kt | 11 °C | 139 kt | 4 h 46 min | 11:53 am CDT (16:53 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 240° at 26 kt | −22 kt | 6 °C | 142 kt | 4 h 40 min | 11:47 am CDT (16:47 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 240° at 26 kt | −22 kt | 2 °C | 142 kt | 4 h 40 min | 11:47 am CDT (16:47 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 240° at 24 kt | −21 kt | -3 °C | 141 kt | 4 h 42 min | 11:49 am CDT (16:49 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 240° at 23 kt | −20 kt | -8 °C | 140 kt | 4 h 44 min | 11:51 am CDT (16:51 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 240° at 23 kt | −19 kt | -9 °C | 139 kt | 4 h 46 min | 11:53 am CDT (16:53 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 240° at 31 kt | −27 kt | -21 °C | 147 kt | 4 h 31 min | 11:38 am CDT (16:38 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 260° at 37 kt | −35 kt | -35 °C | 155 kt | 4 h 17 min | 11:24 am CDT (16:24 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 260° at 45 kt | −45 kt | -39 °C | 165 kt | 4 h 01 min | 11:08 am CDT (16:08 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 270° at 57 kt | −58 kt | -47 °C | 178 kt | 3 h 43 min | 10:50 am CDT (15:50 UTC) |
Based on data from the 12th at 06:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 12:00 UTC for use 08:00 to 15:00 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 | 250/28 16° | 260/31 10° | 240/25 4° | 210/35 -10° | 200/45 -23° | 230/47 -31° | 230/47 -36° | 230/51 -46° | |
| PIR | used from 49 nm out; 50 nm from the line | 230/15 15° | 220/22 14° | 220/24 6° | 200/32 -10° | 210/48 -22° | 240/45 -33° | 240/43 -37° | 250/55 -46° | |
| FSD | used from 198 nm out; 54 nm from the line | 210/20 | 230/23 21° | 220/25 14° | 230/30 5° | 230/26 -9° | 240/30 -21° | 270/33 -36° | 260/47 -37° | 270/58 -47° |
| MCW | used from 346 nm out; 60 nm from the line | 250/36 | 250/24 19° | 240/26 11° | 250/30 5° | 270/22 -9° | 260/30 -21° | 260/31 -36° | 280/53 -38° | 280/66 -48° |
| LSE | used from 445 nm out; 49 nm from the line | 250/25 | 240/21 17° | 240/28 11° | 250/28 5° | 280/24 -10° | 280/31 -21° | 260/35 -37° | 270/45 -43° | 280/59 -47° |
| DBQ | used from 544 nm out; 58 nm from the line | 250/27 | 260/23 17° | 240/26 10° | 260/30 4° | 280/26 -9° | 280/36 -21° | 270/41 -36° | 280/52 -41° | 290/67 -48° |
| MKG | used from 643 nm out; 83 nm from the line | 260/28 | 260/18 15° | 250/16 9° | 260/22 4° | 280/31 -9° | 270/35 -21° | 270/44 -35° | 270/42 -45° | 290/61 -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 | low IFR Sky: sky obscured at 200 feet Weather: light rain, fog | from the east (100°) at 4 knots | 0.5 mi | 200 ft | 3,203 ft | 6:03 am MDT (12:03 UTC) |
| PHP Philip, SD | 59 nm out, 4 nm east of the line | IFR Sky: overcast at 500 feet | from the northeast (050°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | 500 ft | 2,209 ft | 11:55 UTC |
| PIR Pierre, SD | 119 nm out, 23 nm north of the line | low IFR Sky: overcast at 400 feet Weather: mist | from the northeast (050°) at 8 knots | 3 mi | 400 ft | 1,744 ft | 11:53 UTC |
| MHE Mitchell, SD | 218 nm out, 8 nm south of the line | low IFR Sky: overcast at 300 feet Weather: mist | from the north (010°) at 7 knots | 5 mi | 300 ft | 1,304 ft | 11:53 UTC |
| FSD Sioux Falls, SD | 277 nm out, 15 nm south of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 10,000 feet, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet | from the northeast (040°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,430 ft | 11:56 UTC |
| FRM Fairmont, MN | 376 nm out, 2 nm southwest of the line | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 1,161 ft | 11:56 UTC |
| RST Rochester, MN | 455 nm out, 24 nm north of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (180°) at 10 knots | 8 mi | none | 1,317 ft | 11:54 UTC |
| 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 | VFR | from the east-northeast (060°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 717 ft | 11:56 UTC |
| UES Waukesha, WI | 643 nm out, 5 nm northeast of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southwest (210°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 911 ft | 11:45 UTC |
| MKE Milwaukee, WI | destination | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 18,000 feet, a broken layer at 23,000 feet | from the southwest (220°) at 8 knots | 10+ mi | 23,000 ft | 728 ft | 6:52 am CDT (11:52 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 MKE when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 10:50 am CDT (15:50 UTC)
Wind from the southwest at 12 knots, gusting to 20, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for MKE
- From Mon 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 12 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 10:00 am CDT (15:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 12 knots, gusting to 20, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 9:00 pm CDT (02:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, scattered clouds at 10,000 feet
- From Tue 3:00 am CDT (08:00 UTC): wind from the west at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
The forecast for RAP, the departure
- From Mon 6:00 am MDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the east-southeast at 8 knots, visibility 1 mile, mist, overcast at 300 feet
- At times between Mon 6:00 am MDT (12:00 UTC) and 9:00 am MDT (15:00 UTC): visibility ¼ mile, fog, sky obscured at 200 feet
- From Mon 10:00 am MDT (16:00 UTC): wind from the north-northwest at 10 knots, visibility 5 miles, mist, scattered clouds at 500 feet, a broken layer at 1,000 feet
- From Mon 12:00 pm MDT (18:00 UTC): wind from the north-northwest at 22 knots, gusting to 30, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 3,000 feet
- From Mon 8:00 pm MDT (02:00 UTC): wind from the north at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 1,500 feet, a broken layer at 2,000 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 6:12 pm MDT (00:12 UTC), at MKE 6:14 pm CDT (23:14 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:42 pm CDT (23:42 UTC)).
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.