Safford RGNL/1LT Duane Spalsbury Field to Grant County SAD → SVC
76 nautical miles (87 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 099°, about 087° magnetic at the departure end (variation 12E). At 120 knots that is 27 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 51-knot tailwind), arriving about 7:20 pm MDT (01:20 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now SAD is VFR, wind from the north-northwest (340°) at 4 knots; SVC is VFR, wind from the southwest (230°) at 9 knots, gusting to 17. 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 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 W69W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 34,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 5:55 pm MST (00:55 UTC). Over the whole route.
as issued
WSUS33 KKCI 112355 MKCW WST 112355 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 69W VALID UNTIL 0155Z TX NM AZ FROM 50ENE PGS-60SE ABQ-20ENE ELP-70SSW SSO-50SE BZA-50ENE PGS AREA TS MOV FROM 23040KT. TOPS TO FL340.
- AIRMET TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 35,000 ft to 45,000 ft. Over the whole route.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the whole route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the whole 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 SAD.
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 20:00–03:00 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 (TUS, ELP). 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 | 210° at 16 kt | −6 kt | 15 °C | 126 kt | 36 min | 7:29 pm MDT (01:29 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 210° at 21 kt | −7 kt | 11 °C | 127 kt | 36 min | 7:29 pm MDT (01:29 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 210° at 27 kt | −8 kt | 10 °C | 128 kt | 36 min | 7:29 pm MDT (01:29 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 210° at 32 kt | −10 kt | 6 °C | 130 kt | 35 min | 7:28 pm MDT (01:28 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 210° at 36 kt | −12 kt | 2 °C | 132 kt | 35 min | 7:28 pm MDT (01:28 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 210° at 40 kt | −15 kt | -2 °C | 135 kt | 34 min | 7:27 pm MDT (01:27 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 210° at 44 kt | −18 kt | -6 °C | 138 kt | 33 min | 7:26 pm MDT (01:26 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 210° at 45 kt | −18 kt | -7 °C | 138 kt | 33 min | 7:26 pm MDT (01:26 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 230° at 59 kt | −36 kt | -17 °C | 156 kt | 29 min | 7:22 pm MDT (01:22 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 220° at 75 kt | −41 kt | -26 °C | 161 kt | 28 min | 7:21 pm MDT (01:21 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 230° at 74 kt | −51 kt | -37 °C | 171 kt | 27 min | 7:20 pm MDT (01:20 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 240° at 66 kt | −48 kt | -48 °C | 168 kt | 27 min | 7:20 pm MDT (01:20 UTC) |
Based on data from the 11th at 18:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 00:00 UTC for use 20:00 to 03:00 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TUS | used from 0 nm out; 98 nm from the line | 220/17 15° | 210/32 7° | 210/43 5° | 210/49 -7° | 220/64 -18° | 220/83 -26° | 230/81 -36° | 230/72 -48° | |
| ELP | used from 47 nm out; 117 nm from the line | 200/15 | 200/16 15° | 200/17 6° | 220/40 -6° | 240/53 -16° | 230/62 -27° | 240/63 -38° | 250/59 -49° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAD Safford, AZ | departure | VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 11,000 feet | from the north-northwest (340°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 3,178 ft | 4:51 pm MST (23:51 UTC) |
| CFT Clifton/Morenci, AZ | 19 nm out, 10 nm north of the line | no report just now | 3,797 ft | ||||
| SVC Silver City, NM | destination | VFR Sky: a broken layer at 7,000 feet, overcast at 9,500 feet | from the southwest (230°) at 9 knots, gusting to 17 | 10+ mi | 7,000 ft | 5,445 ft | 6:35 pm MDT (00:35 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 5,445 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At SVC when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 7:20 pm MDT (01:20 UTC)
SVC 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 SAD 5:49 pm MST (00:49 UTC), at SVC 6:43 pm MDT (00:43 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:08 pm MDT (01:08 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at SVC is after sunset there (6:44 pm MDT (00:44 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: Safford RGNL/1LT Duane Spalsbury Field, Grant County.