The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Plan a flight · Mon 5:42 am EDT (09:42 UTC)

Louisville Muhammad Ali International to Great Falls International SDF → GTF

1,252 nautical miles (1,440 statute miles) northwest on a straight line, true course 305°, about 310° magnetic at the departure end (variation 5W). At 120 knots that is 11 h 29 min at the quickest height in today's winds (8,500 ft, a 11-knot headwind), arriving about 3:11 pm MDT (21:11 UTC). Right now SDF is marginal VFR, wind calm; GTF is IFR, wind from the north-northwest (340°) at 7 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: 38 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 C15C: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 35,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 6:55 am EDT (10:55 UTC). Over the route from 815 to 874 nm out.
    as issued
    WSUS32 KKCI 120855
    MKCC WST 120855
    CONVECTIVE SIGMET 15C
    VALID UNTIL 1055Z
    SD ND
    FROM 50SE DIK-50ENE DPR-40ENE RAP-50NNW RAP-50SE DIK
    AREA TS MOV FROM 22040KT. TOPS TO FL350.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 3E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist, fog). Over the first 89 nm of the route.
  • AIRMET TANGO 2W: 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 288 to 606 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 626 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, 924 nm along the route.
  • AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Over the route from 934 to 1033 nm out.
  • AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 18,000 ft. Over the last 209 nm of the route.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 1132 to 1242 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 SDF.

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 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 13 forecast points nearest it (LOU, EVV, IND, SPI, BRL, DSM, FSD, PIR, RAP, DIK, MLS, BIL, GTF). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

HeightAverage windHead- or tailwindTemperatureGround speedTime en routeArrival
4,500 ft250° at 18 kt+13 kt8 °C107 kt11 h 42 min3:24 pm MDT (21:24 UTC)
6,500 ft250° at 17 kt+12 kt14 °C108 kt11 h 36 min3:18 pm MDT (21:18 UTC)
8,500 ft240° at 17 kt+11 kt10 °C109 kt11 h 29 min3:11 pm MDT (21:11 UTC)
10,500 ft240° at 20 kt+12 kt6 °C108 kt11 h 36 min3:18 pm MDT (21:18 UTC)
12,500 ft240° at 23 kt+13 kt2 °C107 kt11 h 42 min3:24 pm MDT (21:24 UTC)
14,500 ft240° at 23 kt+13 kt-2 °C107 kt11 h 42 min3:24 pm MDT (21:24 UTC)
16,500 ft240° at 24 kt+13 kt-6 °C107 kt11 h 42 min3:24 pm MDT (21:24 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180240° at 25 kt+14 kt-9 °C106 kt11 h 49 min3:31 pm MDT (21:31 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240240° at 34 kt+18 kt-22 °C102 kt12 h 16 min3:58 pm MDT (21:58 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300250° at 41 kt+28 kt-34 °C92 kt13 h 37 min5:19 pm MDT (23:19 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340250° at 48 kt+37 kt-38 °C83 kt15 h 05 min6:47 pm MDT (00:47 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390260° at 54 kt+46 kt-47 °C74 kt16 h 55 min8:37 pm MDT (02:37 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
PointFrom3,0006,0009,00012,00018,00024,00030,00034,00039,000
LOUused from 0 nm out; 26 nm from the line300/16310/19 15°310/17 9°300/15 4°300/26 -6°280/34 -19°290/30 -34°310/49 -42°310/58 -51°
EVVused from 50 nm out; 55 nm from the line270/25290/17 15°260/10 8°270/16 5°280/29 -6°280/33 -19°290/38 -33°300/53 -41°310/54 -51°
INDused from 99 nm out; 79 nm from the line270/22290/19 15°270/19 8°270/18 4°290/28 -7°280/35 -20°270/37 -34°300/51 -42°300/61 -51°
SPIused from 149 nm out; 39 nm from the line260/28250/22 15°250/14 9°260/20 6°280/27 -7°280/34 -19°280/48 -32°280/59 -41°300/60 -49°
BRLused from 248 nm out; 22 nm from the line250/32250/19 17°260/15 11°270/16 3°290/23 -7°260/42 -20°270/52 -34°280/63 -39°290/64 -48°
DSMused from 348 nm out; 50 nm from the line250/47260/25 20°240/19 11°240/31 5°250/26 -9°260/38 -20°260/47 -34°270/58 -37°270/61 -47°
FSDused from 497 nm out; 76 nm from the line210/20230/23 21°220/25 14°230/30 5°230/26 -9°240/30 -21°270/33 -36°260/47 -37°270/58 -47°
PIRused from 695 nm out; 34 nm from the line230/15 15°220/22 14°220/24 6°200/32 -10°210/48 -22°240/45 -33°240/43 -37°250/55 -46°
RAPused from 844 nm out; 75 nm from the line250/28 16°260/31 10°240/25 4°210/35 -10°200/45 -23°230/47 -31°230/47 -36°230/51 -46°
DIKused from 894 nm out; 83 nm from the line190/12 5°230/29 7°220/33 1°220/43 -11°210/47 -23°220/53 -33°240/56 -40°250/72 -47°
MLSused from 944 nm out; 52 nm from the line290/17 -1°250/18 0°230/25 0°220/31 -11°220/32 -24°220/50 -32°220/60 -38°230/71 -46°
BILused from 1093 nm out; 60 nm from the line300/14270/19 -2°260/26 -2°220/28 -13°210/51 -25°220/56 -33°220/61 -39°220/72 -45°
GTFused from 1192 nm out; 35 nm from the lineL/VL/V -7°240/8 -8°240/30 -14°240/40 -28°210/52 -38°210/76 -38°220/72 -43°

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
SDF Louisville, KY departure marginal VFR Weather: mist calm 5 mi none 500 ft 4:56 am EDT (08:56 UTC)
HUF Terre Haute, IN 99 nm out, 22 nm north of the line, tower VFR from the east-southeast (120°) at 3 knots 10+ mi none 589 ft 08:53 UTC
DEC Decatur, IL 179 nm out, 3 nm east of the line, tower VFR from the southwest (220°) at 10 knots 10+ mi none 681 ft 08:54 UTC
BRL Burlington, IA 298 nm out, 6 nm south of the line VFR from the south (190°) at 6 knots 10+ mi none 698 ft 08:53 UTC
DSM Des Moines, IA 417 nm out, 24 nm southwest of the line, tower VFR Sky: a few clouds at 10,000 feet, a few clouds at 25,000 feet from the south (190°) at 8 knots 10+ mi none 957 ft 08:54 UTC
FSD Sioux Falls, SD 596 nm out, 19 nm northeast of the line, tower VFR from the north-northeast (030°) at 5 knots 10+ mi none 1,430 ft 08:56 UTC
MHE Mitchell, SD 646 nm out, 5 nm northwest of the line low IFR Sky: overcast at 400 feet from the north (360°) at 9 knots 7 mi 400 ft 1,304 ft 08:53 UTC
PIR Pierre, SD 755 nm out, 7 nm south of the line IFR Sky: overcast at 500 feet Weather: mist from the north-northeast (020°) at 7 knots 5 mi 500 ft 1,744 ft 08:53 UTC
MLS Miles City, MT 1023 nm out, 14 nm northeast of the line IFR Sky: a broken layer at 500 feet, overcast at 800 feet Weather: light rain, mist from the north-northeast (020°) at 8 knots 3 mi 500 ft 2,634 ft 08:53 UTC
LWT Lewistown, MT 1172 nm out, 3 nm southeast of the line no report just now 4,170 ft
GTF Great Falls, MT destination IFR Sky: overcast at 800 feet Weather: light snow, mist from the north-northwest (340°) at 7 knots 2.5 mi 800 ft 3,680 ft 3:26 am MDT (09:26 UTC)

The highest airport on this list sits at 4,170 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At GTF when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 3:11 pm MDT (21:11 UTC)

Wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 1,000 feet marginal VFR

The whole forecast for GTF
  • From Mon 12:00 am MDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the north-northeast at 12 knots, visibility 3 miles, light snow, overcast at 600 feet
  • At times between Mon 12:00 am MDT (06:00 UTC) and 3:00 am MDT (09:00 UTC): visibility 2 miles, light snow
  • From Mon 3:00 am MDT (09:00 UTC): wind from the north at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 600 feet
  • At times between Mon 3:00 am MDT (09:00 UTC) and 5:00 am MDT (11:00 UTC): visibility 2 miles, light snow, overcast at 300 feet
  • From Mon 12:00 pm MDT (18:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 1,000 feet
  • From Mon 9:00 pm MDT (03:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility 6 miles, mist, scattered clouds at 1,000 feet
The forecast for SDF, the departure
  • From Mon 4:00 am EDT (08:00 UTC): wind calm, visibility 3 miles, mist, clear skies
  • At times between Mon 5:00 am EDT (09:00 UTC) and 9:00 am EDT (13:00 UTC): visibility ½ mile, fog, clear skies
  • From Mon 10:00 am EDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
  • From Mon 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south at 3 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies

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 GTF 6:41 pm MDT (00:41 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:12 pm MDT (01:12 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 central Great Lakes
Radar now, the central Great Lakes · loop National Weather Service
Radar now, the upper Mississippi valley
Radar now, the upper Mississippi valley · loop National Weather Service
Radar now, the northern Rockies
Radar now, the northern Rockies · 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: Louisville Muhammad Ali International, Great Falls International.