Louisville Muhammad Ali International to Billings Logan International SDF → BIL
1,111 nautical miles (1,279 statute miles) northwest on a straight line, true course 302°, about 307° magnetic at the departure end (variation 5W). At 120 knots that is 9 h 11 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 1-knot tailwind), arriving about 4:49 am MDT (10:49 UTC), after sunset at the destination. 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: 1,085 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 3W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 31,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 10:55 pm EDT (02:55 UTC). Over the route from 992 to 1091 nm out.
as issued
WSUS33 KKCI 120055 MKCW WST 120055 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 3W VALID UNTIL 0255Z MT WY FROM 10WSW MLS-70E DDY-20N LAR-50E BPI-30NE BIL-10WSW MLS AREA TS MOV FROM 22040KT. TOPS TO FL310.
- 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 387 to 536 nm out.
- 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 367 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 36,000 ft. Over the last 288 nm of the route.
- AIRMET ZULU 3C: moderate icing up to 22,000 ft. Near the route, at the destination end.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the last 30 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the last 10 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 SDF.
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 20:00–03:00 UTC · at 120 knots true airspeed
The westbound cruising heights for this course (VFR: even thousands plus 500 ft; above 18,000 ft the forecast levels), with the wind averaged along the line from the 12 forecast points nearest it (LOU, EVV, SPI, BRL, DSM, OMA, FSD, ONL, PIR, RAP, MLS, BIL). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.
| Height | Average wind | Head- or tailwind | Temperature | Ground speed | Time en route | Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4,500 ft | 200° at 8 kt | −1 kt | 13 °C | 121 kt | 9 h 11 min | 4:49 am MDT (10:49 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 230° at 7 kt | +3 kt | 14 °C | 117 kt | 9 h 30 min | 5:08 am MDT (11:08 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 240° at 12 kt | +7 kt | 11 °C | 113 kt | 9 h 50 min | 5:28 am MDT (11:28 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 240° at 15 kt | +10 kt | 7 °C | 110 kt | 10 h 06 min | 5:44 am MDT (11:44 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 250° at 17 kt | +12 kt | 3 °C | 108 kt | 10 h 17 min | 5:55 am MDT (11:55 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 250° at 19 kt | +15 kt | -1 °C | 105 kt | 10 h 35 min | 6:13 am MDT (12:13 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 250° at 21 kt | +17 kt | -5 °C | 103 kt | 10 h 47 min | 6:25 am MDT (12:25 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 250° at 23 kt | +19 kt | -9 °C | 101 kt | 11 h | 6:38 am MDT (12:38 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 260° at 27 kt | +23 kt | -20 °C | 97 kt | 11 h 27 min | 7:05 am MDT (13:05 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 260° at 32 kt | +30 kt | -35 °C | 90 kt | 12 h 21 min | 7:59 am MDT (13:59 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 260° at 42 kt | +38 kt | -42 °C | 82 kt | 13 h 33 min | 9:11 am MDT (15:11 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 270° at 49 kt | +48 kt | -50 °C | 72 kt | 15 h 26 min | 11:04 am MDT (17:04 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LOU | used from 0 nm out; 26 nm from the line | 320/15 | 340/24 14° | 330/28 9° | 340/34 4° | 340/37 -9° | 340/42 -20° | 320/39 -35° | 320/45 -39° | 330/40 -47° |
| EVV | used from 50 nm out; 51 nm from the line | 310/13 | 340/26 16° | 330/29 10° | 330/32 4° | 330/30 -9° | 340/38 -20° | 330/60 -35° | 320/57 -41° | 330/39 -48° |
| SPI | used from 149 nm out; 36 nm from the line | 210/13 | 260/11 17° | 270/18 10° | 290/21 4° | 310/20 -8° | 330/25 -19° | 320/49 -34° | 320/60 -44° | 320/59 -50° |
| BRL | used from 248 nm out; 24 nm from the line | 200/20 | 250/21 16° | 240/22 10° | 260/20 5° | 270/16 -7° | 290/22 -18° | 320/41 -34° | 320/56 -43° | 310/68 -53° |
| DSM | used from 347 nm out; 45 nm from the line | 200/32 | 240/27 17° | 260/19 10° | 260/16 5° | 260/19 -7° | 240/22 -19° | 270/20 -32° | 270/38 -42° | 290/58 -53° |
| OMA | used from 496 nm out; 61 nm from the line | 190/34 | 230/34 19° | 250/25 12° | 250/18 6° | 250/22 -7° | 250/28 -19° | 260/34 -32° | 260/39 -41° | 280/56 -51° |
| FSD | used from 546 nm out; 55 nm from the line | 200/16 | 220/20 17° | 240/26 13° | 230/19 6° | 240/25 -9° | 240/28 -20° | 250/39 -33° | 250/44 -43° | 260/63 -52° |
| ONL | used from 595 nm out; 51 nm from the line | 200/20 17° | 230/26 14° | 240/21 7° | 250/27 -9° | 260/32 -19° | 240/44 -34° | 240/56 -41° | 250/62 -51° | |
| PIR | used from 694 nm out; 48 nm from the line | L/V 17° | 230/13 12° | 220/22 6° | 250/31 -9° | 250/34 -21° | 240/50 -35° | 230/61 -43° | 240/62 -51° | |
| RAP | used from 794 nm out; 47 nm from the line | 120/15 12° | 180/22 11° | 220/26 5° | 230/35 -9° | 240/40 -22° | 240/50 -37° | 240/51 -41° | 240/47 -47° | |
| MLS | used from 942 nm out; 84 nm from the line | 120/22 5° | 170/18 4° | 200/33 1° | 230/49 -10° | 230/58 -21° | 220/54 -37° | 230/64 -44° | 250/74 -49° | |
| BIL | used from 1042 nm out; 45 nm from the line | 080/24 | 130/14 -1° | 180/33 0° | 210/43 -10° | 220/58 -21° | 200/55 -36° | 220/75 -44° | 240/83 -48° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SDF Louisville, KY | departure | no report just now | 500 ft | ||||
| RSV Robinson, IL | 99 nm out, 5 nm west of the line | no report just now | 461 ft | ||||
| SPI Springfield, IL | 208 nm out, 7 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 597 ft | ||||
| FSW Fort Madison, IA | 298 nm out, 2 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 721 ft | ||||
| DSM Des Moines, IA | 417 nm out, 2 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 957 ft | ||||
| SUX Sioux City, IA | 546 nm out, 8 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,098 ft | ||||
| YKN Yankton, SD | 605 nm out, 4 nm east of the line | no report just now | 1,305 ft | ||||
| ICR Winner, SD | 714 nm out, 14 nm south of the line | no report just now | 2,032 ft | ||||
| PHP Philip, SD | 794 nm out, 7 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 2,209 ft | ||||
| EFC Belle Fourche, SD | 903 nm out, 1 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 3,190 ft | ||||
| BIL Billings, MT | destination | no report just now | 3,662 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 3,662 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At BIL when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 4:49 am MDT (10:49 UTC)
BIL 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 SDF 7:09 pm EDT (23:09 UTC), at BIL 6:33 pm MDT (00:33 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:03 pm MDT (01:03 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at BIL is before sunrise there (7:26 am MDT (13:26 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: Louisville Muhammad Ali International, Billings Logan International.