The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Plan a flight · Sun 9:25 pm MDT (03:25 UTC)

Sheridan County to Dane County Rgnl/Truax Field SHR → MSN

767 nautical miles (883 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 091°, about 081° magnetic at the departure end (variation 10E). At 120 knots that is 4 h 23 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 55-knot tailwind), arriving about 2:48 am CDT (07:48 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 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 1C: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 30,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 10:55 pm MDT (04:55 UTC). Over the route from 90 to 130 nm out.
    as issued
    WSUS32 KKCI 120255
    MKCC WST 120255
    CONVECTIVE SIGMET 1C
    VALID UNTIL 0455Z
    SD ND MT WY
    FROM 30WSW DIK-50NW DPR-60WNW RAP-50ENE SHR-30WSW DIK
    AREA TS MOV FROM 22040KT. TOPS TO FL300.
  • 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 first 289 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, at the departure end.
  • AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Near the route, at the departure end.
  • AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 36,000 ft. Over the first 120 nm of the route.
  • AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the first 50 nm of the route.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Near the route, at the departure end.
  • 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 route from 369 to 419 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, 568 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 SHR.

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 8 forecast points nearest it (MLS, RAP, PIR, ABR, FSD, MCW, LSE, DBQ). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

HeightAverage windHead- or tailwindTemperatureGround speedTime en routeArrival
3,500 ft220° at 27 kt−14 kt134 kt5 h 43 min4:08 am CDT (09:08 UTC)
5,500 ft210° at 20 kt−8 kt14 °C128 kt6 h4:25 am CDT (09:25 UTC)
7,500 ft210° at 20 kt−9 kt13 °C129 kt5 h 57 min4:22 am CDT (09:22 UTC)
9,500 ft210° at 22 kt−11 kt11 °C131 kt5 h 51 min4:16 am CDT (09:16 UTC)
11,500 ft220° at 24 kt−15 kt7 °C135 kt5 h 41 min4:06 am CDT (09:06 UTC)
13,500 ft230° at 24 kt−17 kt2 °C137 kt5 h 36 min4:01 am CDT (09:01 UTC)
15,500 ft240° at 24 kt−18 kt-3 °C138 kt5 h 33 min3:58 am CDT (08:58 UTC)
17,500 ft240° at 23 kt−20 kt-8 °C140 kt5 h 29 min3:54 am CDT (08:54 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180240° at 23 kt−20 kt-9 °C140 kt5 h 29 min3:54 am CDT (08:54 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240250° at 30 kt−27 kt-21 °C147 kt5 h 13 min3:38 am CDT (08:38 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300240° at 37 kt−31 kt-35 °C151 kt5 h 05 min3:30 am CDT (08:30 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340260° at 48 kt−45 kt-41 °C165 kt4 h 39 min3:04 am CDT (08:04 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390260° at 57 kt−55 kt-49 °C175 kt4 h 23 min2:48 am CDT (07:48 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
MLSused from 0 nm out; 102 nm from the line150/23 2°190/29 4°210/44 2°220/32 -10°210/36 -21°200/48 -37°230/63 -40°240/71 -47°
RAPused from 50 nm out; 102 nm from the line180/23 12°200/38 13°210/38 6°220/28 -10°230/34 -21°230/37 -36°250/52 -38°250/59 -46°
PIRused from 199 nm out; 63 nm from the line170/22 19°190/25 13°210/32 6°240/23 -9°250/32 -21°250/38 -36°260/44 -40°260/52 -47°
ABRused from 349 nm out; 68 nm from the line070/14250/10 17°270/16 11°260/28 5°260/36 -10°260/41 -22°270/33 -37°260/42 -42°260/50 -48°
FSDused from 399 nm out; 41 nm from the line190/9230/30 18°240/23 13°240/20 6°260/22 -9°250/31 -21°250/43 -36°260/49 -43°270/53 -47°
MCWused from 498 nm out; 81 nm from the line220/44250/30 17°230/14 12°240/17 6°250/22 -8°270/29 -20°250/34 -34°260/52 -43°260/59 -51°
LSEused from 648 nm out; 25 nm from the line230/40240/24 17°240/13 10°250/13 6°280/22 -9°250/28 -21°250/41 -34°260/42 -44°270/62 -53°
DBQused from 747 nm out; 69 nm from the line230/33250/30 16°280/15 9°260/15 5°260/21 -7°260/24 -20°250/37 -33°270/42 -43°280/63 -52°

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
SHR Sheridan, WY departure no report just now 4,021 ft
GCC Gillette, WY 60 nm out, 24 nm south of the line no report just now 4,365 ft
EFC Belle Fourche, SD 130 nm out, 5 nm northeast of the line no report just now 3,190 ft
PIR Pierre, SD 289 nm out, 6 nm southwest of the line no report just now 1,744 ft
HON Huron, SD 379 nm out, 6 nm northwest of the line no report just now 1,288 ft
PQN Pipestone, MN 458 nm out, 8 nm south of the line no report just now 1,736 ft
MWM Windom, MN 508 nm out, 6 nm southeast of the line no report just now 1,410 ft
AUM Austin, MN 608 nm out, 2 nm southwest of the line no report just now 1,233 ft
RST Rochester, MN 628 nm out, 16 nm north of the line, tower no report just now 1,317 ft
LNR Lone Rock, WI 727 nm out, 5 nm southeast of the line no report just now 717 ft
MSN Madison, WI destination no report just now 886 ft

The highest airport on this list sits at 4,365 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At MSN when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 2:48 am CDT (07:48 UTC)

MSN 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 SHR 6:28 pm MDT (00:28 UTC), at MSN 6:19 pm CDT (23:19 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:48 pm CDT (23:48 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at MSN is before sunrise there (7:07 am CDT (12:07 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 northern Rockies
Radar now, the northern Rockies · loop National Weather Service
Radar now, the upper Mississippi valley
Radar now, the upper Mississippi valley · 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: Sheridan County, Dane County Rgnl/Truax Field.