Salina Regional to Great Falls International SLN → GTF
794 nautical miles (914 statute miles) northwest on a straight line, true course 316°, about 309° magnetic at the departure end (variation 7E). At 120 knots that is 6 h 27 min at the quickest height in today's winds (24,000 ft, a 3-knot tailwind), arriving about 1:33 pm MDT (19:33 UTC). Right now SLN is VFR, wind from the south (190°) at 14 knots, gusting to 22; GTF is low IFR, wind from the northwest (310°) at 5 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 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
- 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 first 179 nm of the route.
- 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 556 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). Over the route from 298 to 407 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) from 34,000 ft to 43,000 ft. Near the route, 397 nm along the route.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Over the route from 516 to 625 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 595 to 784 nm out.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 18,000 ft. Over the last 159 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 SLN.
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 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 7 forecast points nearest it (SLN, GRI, BFF, RAP, MLS, BIL, GTF). 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 | 260° at 22 kt | +12 kt | 15 °C | 108 kt | 7 h 21 min | 2:27 pm MDT (20:27 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 260° at 22 kt | +12 kt | 16 °C | 108 kt | 7 h 21 min | 2:27 pm MDT (20:27 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 250° at 24 kt | +12 kt | 12 °C | 108 kt | 7 h 21 min | 2:27 pm MDT (20:27 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 240° at 24 kt | +9 kt | 4 °C | 111 kt | 7 h 09 min | 2:15 pm MDT (20:15 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 240° at 24 kt | +6 kt | 1 °C | 114 kt | 6 h 58 min | 2:04 pm MDT (20:04 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 230° at 27 kt | +4 kt | -3 °C | 116 kt | 6 h 51 min | 1:57 pm MDT (19:57 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 220° at 30 kt | +2 kt | -7 °C | 118 kt | 6 h 44 min | 1:50 pm MDT (19:50 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 220° at 32 kt | 0 | -11 °C | 120 kt | 6 h 37 min | 1:43 pm MDT (19:43 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 220° at 44 kt | −3 kt | -23 °C | 123 kt | 6 h 27 min | 1:33 pm MDT (19:33 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 230° at 54 kt | +10 kt | -32 °C | 110 kt | 7 h 13 min | 2:19 pm MDT (20:19 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 230° at 57 kt | +12 kt | -37 °C | 108 kt | 7 h 21 min | 2:27 pm MDT (20:27 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 240° at 59 kt | +16 kt | -46 °C | 104 kt | 7 h 38 min | 2:44 pm MDT (20:44 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
| Point | From | 3,000 | 6,000 | 9,000 | 12,000 | 18,000 | 24,000 | 30,000 | 34,000 | 39,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SLN | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 230/49 | 240/41 22° | 230/26 15° | 220/21 7° | 240/38 -8° | 240/44 -21° | 260/77 -29° | 270/70 -36° | 270/63 -48° |
| GRI | used from 99 nm out; 71 nm from the line | 230/39 23° | 230/32 15° | 210/29 7° | 230/31 -8° | 230/43 -21° | 250/52 -31° | 260/59 -35° | 260/59 -46° | |
| BFF | used from 198 nm out; 114 nm from the line | 280/28 | 260/39 11° | 240/34 5° | 210/38 -11° | 210/52 -22° | 230/61 -31° | 230/61 -36° | 240/56 -45° | |
| RAP | used from 347 nm out; 63 nm from the line | 250/28 16° | 260/31 10° | 240/25 4° | 210/35 -10° | 200/45 -23° | 230/47 -31° | 230/47 -36° | 230/51 -46° | |
| MLS | used from 496 nm out; 105 nm from the line | 290/17 -1° | 250/18 0° | 230/25 0° | 220/31 -11° | 220/32 -24° | 220/50 -32° | 220/60 -38° | 230/71 -46° | |
| BIL | used from 546 nm out; 70 nm from the line | 300/14 | 270/19 -2° | 260/26 -2° | 220/28 -13° | 210/51 -25° | 220/56 -33° | 220/61 -39° | 220/72 -45° | |
| GTF | used from 695 nm out; 74 nm from the line | L/V | L/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
| Airport | Where | Conditions | Wind | Visibility | Ceiling | Elevation | Reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SLN Salina, KS | departure | VFR | from the south (190°) at 14 knots, gusting to 22 | 10+ mi | none | 1,288 ft | 7:53 am CDT (12:53 UTC) |
| TKO Mankato, KS | 60 nm out, 24 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 1,859 ft | ||||
| PHG Phillipsburg, KS | 99 nm out, 15 nm southwest of the line | VFR | from the south (170°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,910 ft | 12:55 UTC |
| LBF North Platte, NE | 198 nm out, 2 nm northeast of the line | VFR | from the west (280°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 2,777 ft | 12:53 UTC |
| AIA Alliance, NE | 308 nm out, 22 nm southwest of the line | low IFR Sky: overcast at 200 feet Weather: mist | calm | 1 mi | 200 ft | 3,930 ft | 12:53 UTC |
| CDR Chadron, NE | 347 nm out, 4 nm northeast of the line | IFR Sky: overcast at 700 feet | calm | 8 mi | 700 ft | 3,297 ft | 12:53 UTC |
| ECS Newcastle, WY | 427 nm out, 16 nm northeast of the line | low IFR Sky: overcast at 200 feet Weather: mist | from the northwest (320°) at 3 knots | 4 mi | 200 ft | 4,177 ft | 12:55 UTC |
| GCC Gillette, WY | 486 nm out, 3 nm northeast of the line | IFR Sky: overcast at 800 feet Weather: mist | from the northwest (310°) at 15 knots | 4 mi | 800 ft | 4,365 ft | 12:53 UTC |
| BIL Billings, MT | 645 nm out, 11 nm south of the line, tower | marginal VFR Sky: a broken layer at 2,600 feet, overcast at 3,500 feet | from the west-northwest (290°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | 2,600 ft | 3,662 ft | 12:53 UTC |
| GTF Great Falls, MT | destination | low IFR Sky: sky obscured at 400 feet Weather: mist | from the northwest (310°) at 5 knots | 0.5 mi | 400 ft | 3,680 ft | 6:53 am MDT (12:53 UTC) |
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 GTF when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 1:33 pm MDT (19:33 UTC)
Wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 700 feet IFR
The whole forecast for GTF
- From Mon 6:00 am MDT (12:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility 6 miles, mist, overcast at 600 feet
- At times between Mon 6:00 am MDT (12:00 UTC) and 9:00 am MDT (15:00 UTC): visibility 2 miles, light snow, mist, overcast at 400 feet
- From Mon 10:00 am MDT (16:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 700 feet
- From Mon 10:00 pm MDT (04:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 500 feet
The forecast for SLN, the departure
- From Mon 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the south at 15 knots, gusting to 23, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 9:00 am CDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 18 knots, gusting to 26, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 10,000 feet, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south at 13 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Tue 3:00 am CDT (08:00 UTC): wind from the east-northeast at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 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 SLN 6:56 pm CDT (23:56 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
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: Salina Regional, Great Falls International.