The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Plan a flight · Sun 11:32 pm PDT (06:32 UTC)

Reno/Tahoe International to Sheppard Afb/Wichita Falls Municipal RNO → SPS

1,073 nautical miles (1,234 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 101°, about 088° magnetic at the departure end (variation 13E). At 120 knots that is 6 h 45 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 39-knot tailwind), arriving about 8:17 am CDT (13:17 UTC). Right now RNO is VFR, wind from the north (350°) at 9 knots; SPS is VFR, wind from the south (180°) at 11 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 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 W15W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 28,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 20 knots, until 12:55 am PDT (07:55 UTC). Over the route from 129 to 199 nm out.
    as issued
    WSUS33 KKCI 120555
    MKCW WST 120555
    CONVECTIVE SIGMET 15W
    VALID UNTIL 0755Z
    UT NV
    FROM 60WNW BVL-10NE BVL-80E OAL-40SE OAL-20W OAL-60WNW BVL
    AREA TS MOV FROM 24020KT. TOPS TO FL280.
  • SIGMET C10C: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 34,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 12:55 am PDT (07:55 UTC). Near the route, 705 nm along the route.
    as issued
    WSUS32 KKCI 120555
    MKCC WST 120555
    CONVECTIVE SIGMET 10C
    VALID UNTIL 0755Z
    CO NM
    FROM 20NNE PUB-40WSW LAA-30WSW CIM-50WSW ALS-50ESE HBU-20NNE PUB
    AREA TS MOV FROM 22040KT. TOPS TO FL340.
  • AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 39,000 ft. Over the first 10 nm of the route.
  • AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Over the route from 109 to 427 nm out.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 109 to 536 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the route from 189 to 795 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 38,000 ft. Over the route from 377 to 517 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 35,000 ft to 45,000 ft. Over the route from 517 to 765 nm out.
  • 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). Near the route, 805 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 RNO.

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 9 forecast points nearest it (RNO, BAM, ELY, BCE, FMN, ALS, TCC, AMA, SPS). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

HeightAverage windHead- or tailwindTemperatureGround speedTime en routeArrival
7,500 ft220° at 26 kt−8 kt7 °C128 kt8 h 23 min9:55 am CDT (14:55 UTC)
9,500 ft220° at 25 kt−11 kt7 °C131 kt8 h 11 min9:43 am CDT (14:43 UTC)
11,500 ft220° at 28 kt−13 kt2 °C133 kt8 h 04 min9:36 am CDT (14:36 UTC)
13,500 ft220° at 31 kt−13 kt-2 °C133 kt8 h 04 min9:36 am CDT (14:36 UTC)
15,500 ft220° at 35 kt−13 kt-6 °C133 kt8 h 04 min9:36 am CDT (14:36 UTC)
17,500 ft220° at 38 kt−13 kt-10 °C133 kt8 h 04 min9:36 am CDT (14:36 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180220° at 39 kt−13 kt-11 °C133 kt8 h 04 min9:36 am CDT (14:36 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240220° at 49 kt−22 kt-21 °C142 kt7 h 33 min9:05 am CDT (14:05 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300230° at 63 kt−34 kt-28 °C154 kt6 h 58 min8:30 am CDT (13:30 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340240° at 63 kt−39 kt-35 °C159 kt6 h 45 min8:17 am CDT (13:17 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390240° at 52 kt−32 kt-45 °C152 kt7 h 04 min8:36 am CDT (13:36 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
RNOused from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line010/9320/10 -2°210/23 -9°210/34 -19°220/36 -25°230/31 -29°230/41 -33°230/38 -42°
BAMused from 99 nm out; 93 nm from the line310/7 0°270/19 -7°200/38 -17°190/49 -28°220/69 -29°220/63 -33°230/48 -41°
ELYused from 149 nm out; 65 nm from the line200/39 3°210/27 -2°210/45 -15°220/56 -24°210/60 -28°210/63 -34°220/61 -43°
BCEused from 298 nm out; 54 nm from the line220/27 -1°210/40 -13°220/54 -21°220/64 -30°220/64 -34°220/52 -44°
FMNused from 447 nm out; 99 nm from the line220/28 9°220/40 2°220/53 -10°220/62 -22°230/79 -28°240/91 -34°230/71 -45°
ALSused from 646 nm out; 58 nm from the line230/37 4°220/54 -9°230/62 -22°240/77 -26°240/74 -33°230/59 -45°
TCCused from 745 nm out; 53 nm from the line210/42230/33 14°230/32 6°220/35 -6°230/49 -19°240/72 -27°250/62 -36°250/52 -48°
AMAused from 844 nm out; 29 nm from the line210/38230/29 14°240/29 7°220/27 -5°240/37 -18°240/66 -28°250/59 -37°260/47 -49°
SPSused from 993 nm out; 55 nm from the line200/39220/28 17°230/27 12°240/15 9°250/15 -4°250/24 -15°260/45 -28°270/43 -39°280/45 -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
RNO Reno, NV departure VFR Sky: a few clouds at 7,500 feet from the north (350°) at 9 knots 10+ mi none 4,414 ft 10:55 pm PDT (05:55 UTC)
SPZ Silver Springs, NV 20 nm out, 5 nm east of the line no report just now 4,265 ft
TMT Austin, NV 119 nm out, 23 nm north of the line VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 5,000 feet, a broken layer at 11,000 feet calm 10+ mi 11,000 ft 5,735 ft 06:15 UTC
MLF Milford, UT 318 nm out, 11 nm northeast of the line VFR Sky: a few clouds at 5,000 feet, scattered clouds at 6,500 feet, a broken layer at 11,000 feet from the south (190°) at 12 knots 10+ mi 11,000 ft 5,042 ft 05:52 UTC
BCE Bryce Canyon, UT 377 nm out, 20 nm southwest of the line marginal VFR Sky: a few clouds at 300 feet, overcast at 2,300 feet Weather: light rain, mist from the southeast (140°) at 6 knots 3 mi 2,300 ft 7,589 ft 06:28 UTC
CEZ Cortez, CO 536 nm out, 7 nm northeast of the line VFR variable at 5 knots, gusting to 15 10+ mi none 5,917 ft 05:53 UTC
FMN Farmington, NM 566 nm out, 20 nm south of the line, tower VFR from the southwest (230°) at 5 knots 10+ mi none 5,506 ft 05:53 UTC
SKX Taos, NM 695 nm out, 6 nm northwest of the line no report just now 7,094 ft
AMA Amarillo, TX 894 nm out, 6 nm northeast of the line, tower VFR from the south (190°) at 22 knots, gusting to 29 10+ mi none 3,606 ft 05:53 UTC
FDR Frederick, OK 1043 nm out, 10 nm north of the line VFR from the south-southeast (160°) at 11 knots, gusting to 19 10+ mi none 1,258 ft 05:53 UTC
SPS Wichita Falls, TX destination VFR from the south (180°) at 11 knots 10+ mi none 1,019 ft 12:52 am CDT (05:52 UTC)

The highest airport on this list sits at 7,589 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At SPS when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 8:17 am CDT (13:17 UTC)

Wind from the south-southeast at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, clear skies VFR

The whole forecast for SPS
  • From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south-southeast at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, clear skies
  • From Mon 9:00 am CDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the south at 16 knots, gusting to 25, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 10,000 feet, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
  • From Mon 8:00 pm CDT (01:00 UTC): wind from the south-southeast at 11 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 10,000 feet, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
The forecast for RNO, the departure
  • From Sun 11:00 pm PDT (06:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 7,000 feet
  • From Mon 6:00 am PDT (13:00 UTC): wind from the north-northwest at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 5,000 feet
  • From Mon 2:00 pm PDT (21:00 UTC): wind from the north at 13 knots, gusting to 22, visibility more than 6 miles, showers nearby, a broken layer at 5,000 feet
  • From Mon 9:00 pm PDT (04:00 UTC): wind from the north-northwest at 3 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 5,000 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 RNO 6:24 pm PDT (01:24 UTC), at SPS 7:02 pm CDT (00:02 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:27 pm CDT (00:27 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 Pacific Southwest
Radar now, the Pacific Southwest · loop National Weather Service
Radar now, the southern Rockies
Radar now, the southern Rockies · loop National Weather Service
Radar now, the southern Plains
Radar now, the southern Plains · 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: Reno/Tahoe International, Sheppard Afb/Wichita Falls Municipal.