Central Wyoming Regional to Rapid City Regional RIW → RAP
242 nautical miles (279 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 074°, about 064° magnetic at the departure end (variation 10E). At 120 knots that is 1 h 28 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 45-knot tailwind), arriving about 4:06 am MDT (10:06 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now RIW is marginal VFR, wind from the north-northwest (340°) at 13 knots; RAP is low IFR, wind from the east-southeast (120°) at 10 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 ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Over the first 39 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the first 184 nm of the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 10 to 68 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 42,000 ft. Over the route from 29 to 126 nm out.
- 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). Over the route from 48 to 223 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 5W: strong surface winds (30 knots or more) (due to sustained surface winds greater than 30 knots). Near the route, 48 nm along 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). Over the last 78 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 RIW.
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 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 2 forecast points nearest it (LND, RAP). 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 | 250° at 28 kt | −28 kt | 16 °C | 148 kt | 1 h 38 min | 4:16 am MDT (10:16 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 250° at 22 kt | −22 kt | 9 °C | 142 kt | 1 h 42 min | 4:20 am MDT (10:20 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 250° at 23 kt | −23 kt | 6 °C | 143 kt | 1 h 42 min | 4:20 am MDT (10:20 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 240° at 26 kt | −25 kt | 3 °C | 145 kt | 1 h 40 min | 4:18 am MDT (10:18 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 230° at 29 kt | −27 kt | -1 °C | 147 kt | 1 h 39 min | 4:17 am MDT (10:17 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 220° at 32 kt | −27 kt | -6 °C | 147 kt | 1 h 39 min | 4:17 am MDT (10:17 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 220° at 37 kt | −28 kt | -10 °C | 148 kt | 1 h 38 min | 4:16 am MDT (10:16 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 210° at 38 kt | −28 kt | -11 °C | 148 kt | 1 h 38 min | 4:16 am MDT (10:16 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 210° at 46 kt | −34 kt | -23 °C | 154 kt | 1 h 34 min | 4:12 am MDT (10:12 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 230° at 50 kt | −43 kt | -32 °C | 163 kt | 1 h 29 min | 4:07 am MDT (10:07 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 230° at 49 kt | −42 kt | -36 °C | 162 kt | 1 h 30 min | 4:08 am MDT (10:08 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 230° at 52 kt | −45 kt | -45 °C | 165 kt | 1 h 28 min | 4:06 am MDT (10:06 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LND | used from 0 nm out; 41 nm from the line | 240/10 3° | 240/30 0° | 220/42 -13° | 230/52 -23° | 220/54 -33° | 220/52 -36° | 220/53 -44° | ||
| RAP | used from 97 nm out; 121 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° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RIW Riverton, WY | departure | marginal VFR Sky: overcast at 1,700 feet | from the north-northwest (340°) at 13 knots | 10+ mi | 1,700 ft | 5,516 ft | 1:53 am MDT (07:53 UTC) |
| ECS Newcastle, WY | 184 nm out, 4 nm northeast of the line | IFR Sky: overcast at 600 feet | from the south-southeast (150°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | 600 ft | 4,177 ft | 08:35 UTC |
| CUT Custer, SD | 213 nm out, 13 nm south of the line | marginal VFR Weather: mist | calm | 3 mi | none | 5,619 ft | 08:25 UTC |
| RAP Rapid City, SD | destination | low IFR Sky: sky obscured at 200 feet Weather: light rain, fog | from the east-southeast (120°) at 10 knots | 0.5 mi | 200 ft | 3,203 ft | 2:34 am MDT (08:34 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 5,619 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At RAP when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 4:06 am MDT (10:06 UTC)
Wind from the east-southeast at 6 knots, visibility ¾ mile, mist, overcast at 200 feet low IFR
At times between Mon 2:00 am MDT (08:00 UTC) and 6:00 am MDT (12:00 UTC): visibility ¼ mile, fog, sky obscured at 200 feet low IFR
The whole forecast for RAP
- From Mon 2:00 am MDT (08:00 UTC): wind from the east-southeast at 6 knots, visibility ¾ mile, mist, overcast at 200 feet
- At times between Mon 2:00 am MDT (08:00 UTC) and 6:00 am MDT (12:00 UTC): visibility ¼ mile, fog, sky obscured at 200 feet
- From Mon 6:00 am MDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the north-northwest at 10 knots, visibility 1 mile, mist, overcast at 300 feet
- At times between Mon 6:00 am MDT (12:00 UTC) and 10:00 am MDT (16:00 UTC): visibility ½ mile, fog, sky obscured at 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
The forecast for RIW, the departure
- From Mon 12:00 am MDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the east at 12 knots, gusting to 18, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 500 feet, scattered clouds at 2,500 feet and more above
- From Mon 2:00 am MDT (08:00 UTC): wind from the north-northwest at 15 knots, gusting to 23, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 1,000 feet, a broken layer at 9,000 feet
- From Mon 8:00 am MDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the north-northeast at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 1,500 feet, a broken layer at 2,500 feet and more above
- From Mon 6:00 pm MDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the north at 8 knots, visibility 5 miles, light rain showers, scattered clouds at 500 feet, a broken layer at 1,200 feet and more above
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 RIW 6:34 pm MDT (00:34 UTC), at RAP 6:12 pm MDT (00:12 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:41 pm MDT (00:41 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at RAP is before sunrise there (7:02 am MDT (13:02 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: Central Wyoming Regional, Rapid City Regional.