The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Plan a flight · Mon 1:28 am MDT (07:28 UTC)

Rapid City Regional to St. Louis Lambert International RAP → STL

653 nautical miles (751 statute miles) southeast on a straight line, true course 115°, about 107° magnetic at the departure end (variation 8E). At 120 knots that is 3 h 52 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 49-knot tailwind), arriving about 6:20 am CDT (11:20 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now RAP is low IFR, wind from the east (090°) at 10 knots; STL is VFR, wind from the south-southwest (210°) at 5 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: 4 flights in the DOT's last twelve reported months, the route's page.

The return flight

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 C13C: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 30,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 2:55 am MDT (08:55 UTC). Over the first 20 nm of the route.
    as issued
    WSUS32 KKCI 120655
    MKCC WST 120655
    CONVECTIVE SIGMET 13C
    VALID UNTIL 0855Z
    SD
    FROM 50NW DPR-30ESE DPR-20SE RAP-50WNW RAP-50NW DPR
    AREA TS MOV FROM 22040KT. TOPS TO FL300.
  • 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 158 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 208 to 564 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, ONL, OMA, DSM, COU, STL). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

HeightAverage windHead- or tailwindTemperatureGround speedTime en routeArrival
3,500 ft230° at 35 kt−12 kt132 kt4 h 57 min7:25 am CDT (12:25 UTC)
5,500 ft220° at 27 kt−6 kt17 °C126 kt5 h 11 min7:39 am CDT (12:39 UTC)
7,500 ft230° at 24 kt−7 kt14 °C127 kt5 h 09 min7:37 am CDT (12:37 UTC)
9,500 ft230° at 21 kt−8 kt11 °C128 kt5 h 06 min7:34 am CDT (12:34 UTC)
11,500 ft230° at 20 kt−8 kt7 °C128 kt5 h 06 min7:34 am CDT (12:34 UTC)
13,500 ft230° at 20 kt−9 kt2 °C129 kt5 h 04 min7:32 am CDT (12:32 UTC)
15,500 ft240° at 22 kt−11 kt-2 °C131 kt4 h 59 min7:27 am CDT (12:27 UTC)
17,500 ft240° at 23 kt−13 kt-7 °C133 kt4 h 55 min7:23 am CDT (12:23 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180240° at 24 kt−14 kt-8 °C134 kt4 h 52 min7:20 am CDT (12:20 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240250° at 29 kt−20 kt-20 °C140 kt4 h 40 min7:08 am CDT (12:08 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300250° at 40 kt−29 kt-34 °C149 kt4 h 23 min6:51 am CDT (11:51 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340270° at 51 kt−43 kt-40 °C163 kt4 h6:28 am CDT (11:28 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390270° at 56 kt−49 kt-49 °C169 kt3 h 52 min6:20 am CDT (11:20 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
PointFrom3,0006,0009,00012,00018,00024,00030,00034,00039,000
RAPused from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line180/23 12°200/38 13°210/38 6°220/28 -10°230/34 -21°230/37 -36°250/52 -38°250/59 -46°
PIRused from 99 nm out; 74 nm from the line170/22 19°190/25 13°210/32 6°240/23 -9°250/32 -21°250/38 -36°260/44 -40°260/52 -47°
ONLused from 148 nm out; 40 nm from the line210/31 20°230/27 13°230/18 7°220/19 -8°240/26 -20°250/44 -35°270/52 -39°260/57 -47°
OMAused from 297 nm out; 35 nm from the line220/47240/33 19°250/18 11°230/17 6°260/29 -8°250/33 -19°250/51 -33°260/61 -40°270/62 -49°
DSMused from 396 nm out; 63 nm from the line230/40250/33 17°250/18 12°240/17 5°260/28 -8°270/34 -19°260/41 -33°260/55 -41°270/62 -51°
COUused from 495 nm out; 73 nm from the line230/31230/30 15°260/16 11°270/14 6°260/24 -6°270/27 -18°270/37 -32°280/49 -41°290/56 -51°
STLused from 594 nm out; 35 nm from the line250/24250/24 16°260/23 9°270/16 6°260/25 -6°270/29 -19°290/34 -33°290/48 -41°290/54 -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

AirportWhereConditionsWindVisibilityCeilingElevationReported
RAP Rapid City, SD departure low IFR Sky: overcast at 300 feet Weather: mist from the east (090°) at 10 knots 0.75 mi 300 ft 3,203 ft 1:19 am MDT (07:19 UTC)
SUO Rosebud, SD 109 nm out, 3 nm west of the line low IFR Sky: overcast at 300 feet Weather: mist from the northeast (050°) at 7 knots 1.5 mi 300 ft 2,724 ft 07:15 UTC
RBE Bassett, NE 178 nm out, 13 nm southwest of the line no report just now 2,349 ft
ONL O'Neill, NE 218 nm out, 4 nm northwest of the line low IFR Sky: overcast at 300 feet from the north-northeast (030°) at 4 knots 7 mi 300 ft 2,033 ft 07:15 UTC
OFK Norfolk, NE 277 nm out, 1 nm northwest of the line VFR calm 10+ mi none 1,572 ft 06:56 UTC
OMA Omaha, NE 356 nm out, 2 nm southwest of the line, tower VFR Sky: a few clouds at 25,000 feet from the southeast (140°) at 9 knots 10+ mi none 984 ft 06:52 UTC
LWD Lamoni, IA 455 nm out, 9 nm northeast of the line VFR from the south (190°) at 9 knots 10+ mi none 1,130 ft 06:53 UTC
TRX Trenton, MO 485 nm out, 12 nm southwest of the line no report just now 757 ft
IRK Kirksville, MO 524 nm out, 14 nm northeast of the line reported, no category from the south-southwest (210°) at 8 knots 10+ mi none 966 ft 06:55 UTC
FYG Washington, MO 633 nm out, 24 nm southwest of the line marginal VFR Weather: mist calm 3 mi none 487 ft 05:55 UTC
STL St Louis, MO destination VFR from the south-southwest (210°) at 5 knots 10+ mi none 617 ft 1:51 am CDT (06:51 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 STL when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 6:20 am CDT (11:20 UTC)

Wind from the south-southwest at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet VFR

The whole forecast for STL
  • From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
  • From Mon 11:00 am CDT (16:00 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 6:00 pm CDT (23:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
The forecast for RAP, the departure
  • From Mon 1:00 am MDT (07:00 UTC): wind from the east-southeast at 8 knots, visibility 2 miles, mist, overcast at 300 feet
  • At times between Mon 3:00 am MDT (09:00 UTC) and 7:00 am MDT (13:00 UTC): visibility ½ mile, fog, overcast at 200 feet
  • From Mon 9:00 am MDT (15:00 UTC): wind from the north-northwest at 10 knots, visibility 2 miles, mist, a broken layer at 500 feet, overcast at 1,200 feet
  • From Mon 12:00 pm MDT (18:00 UTC): wind from the north-northwest at 20 knots, gusting to 30, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 2,500 feet

Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it

  • 6/7634 CENTRALIA, MO, Monday, October 12, 2026 UTC 24 nm from the route, 574 nm along the route · a hazard on the ground (fire-fighting, a chemical spill, rescue work) · today · ZKC

Daylight

Sunset at RAP 6:12 pm MDT (00:12 UTC), at STL 6:27 pm CDT (23:27 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:54 pm CDT (23:54 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at STL is before sunrise there (7:07 am CDT (12:07 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

Radar now, the northern Rockies
Radar now, the northern Rockies · loop National Weather Service
Radar now, the upper Mississippi valley
Radar now, the upper Mississippi valley · loop National Weather Service
Radar, the whole country
Radar, the whole country · loop National Weather Service
Surface analysis now
Surface analysis now Weather Prediction Center
Forecast chart, 12 hours ahead
Forecast chart, 12 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center
Forecast chart, 24 hours ahead
Forecast chart, 24 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center

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, St. Louis Lambert International.