Sheppard Afb/Wichita Falls Municipal to Missoula Montana Airport SPS → MSO
1,050 nautical miles (1,208 statute miles) northwest on a straight line, true course 322°, about 317° magnetic at the departure end (variation 5E). At 120 knots that is 8 h 41 min at the quickest height in today's winds (18,000 ft, a 1-knot tailwind), arriving about 4:39 pm MDT (22:39 UTC). 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 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) from 34,000 ft to 43,000 ft. Over the route from 340 to 650 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 22,000 ft. Over the route from 470 to 620 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the last 470 nm of the route.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Over the route from 640 to 900 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 route from 690 to 1000 nm out.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 18,000 ft. Over the last 130 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 39,000 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 SPS.
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 8 forecast points nearest it (SPS, GAG, GCK, GLD, PUB, DEN, LND, DLN). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.
| Height | Average wind | Head- or tailwind | Temperature | Ground speed | Time en route | Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8,500 ft | 240° at 19 kt | +5 kt | 7 °C | 115 kt | 9 h 08 min | 5:06 pm MDT (23:06 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 240° at 21 kt | +4 kt | 5 °C | 116 kt | 9 h 03 min | 5:01 pm MDT (23:01 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 230° at 25 kt | +2 kt | 2 °C | 118 kt | 8 h 54 min | 4:52 pm MDT (22:52 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 230° at 29 kt | +1 kt | -3 °C | 119 kt | 8 h 49 min | 4:47 pm MDT (22:47 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 230° at 33 kt | 0 | -7 °C | 120 kt | 8 h 45 min | 4:43 pm MDT (22:43 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 230° at 36 kt | −1 kt | -11 °C | 121 kt | 8 h 41 min | 4:39 pm MDT (22:39 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 230° at 45 kt | 0 | -22 °C | 120 kt | 8 h 45 min | 4:43 pm MDT (22:43 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 230° at 59 kt | +5 kt | -31 °C | 115 kt | 9 h 08 min | 5:06 pm MDT (23:06 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 240° at 61 kt | +12 kt | -36 °C | 108 kt | 9 h 43 min | 5:41 pm MDT (23:41 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 240° at 57 kt | +12 kt | -47 °C | 108 kt | 9 h 43 min | 5:41 pm MDT (23:41 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SPS | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 220/35 | 220/31 18° | 230/16 14° | 230/10 8° | 250/18 -5° | 250/32 -16° | 260/51 -28° | 280/46 -38° | 300/50 -50° |
| GAG | used from 100 nm out; 42 nm from the line | 240/35 22° | 240/27 14° | 230/25 6° | 240/38 -7° | 230/44 -19° | 250/73 -28° | 270/66 -37° | 270/58 -49° | |
| GCK | used from 200 nm out; 68 nm from the line | 240/40 22° | 240/40 14° | 240/38 7° | 230/39 -7° | 230/45 -20° | 250/73 -28° | 260/74 -36° | 260/64 -49° | |
| GLD | used from 300 nm out; 84 nm from the line | 260/37 | 260/25 14° | 250/27 8° | 230/36 -8° | 230/49 -21° | 250/71 -30° | 260/82 -36° | 250/73 -48° | |
| PUB | used from 350 nm out; 61 nm from the line | 260/45 11° | 240/38 6° | 230/47 -8° | 230/51 -19° | 240/74 -29° | 240/82 -35° | 250/72 -48° | ||
| DEN | used from 400 nm out; 36 nm from the line | 270/24 11° | 230/13 5° | 230/48 -8° | 230/46 -20° | 230/63 -30° | 240/78 -36° | 240/78 -48° | ||
| LND | used from 600 nm out; 92 nm from the line | 240/10 3° | 240/30 0° | 220/42 -13° | 230/52 -23° | 220/54 -33° | 220/52 -36° | 220/53 -44° | ||
| DLN | used from 850 nm out; 67 nm from the line | 190/10 -4° | 220/23 -4° | 210/21 -18° | 210/43 -28° | 210/60 -33° | 210/72 -37° | 210/67 -44° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SPS Wichita Falls, TX | departure | no report just now | 1,019 ft | ||||
| CSM Burns Flat, OK | 90 nm out, 23 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,922 ft | ||||
| HHF Canadian, TX | 150 nm out, 4 nm south of the line | no report just now | 2,396 ft | ||||
| HQG Hugoton, KS | 240 nm out, 9 nm east of the line | no report just now | 3,134 ft | ||||
| LAA Lamar, CO | 320 nm out, 5 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 3,705 ft | ||||
| CFO Denver, CO | 450 nm out, 4 nm west of the line, tower | no report just now | 5,515 ft | ||||
| RWL Rawlins, WY | 620 nm out, 12 nm west of the line | no report just now | 6,816 ft | ||||
| RIW Riverton, WY | 720 nm out, 3 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 5,516 ft | ||||
| DUB Dubois, WY | 780 nm out, 18 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 7,298 ft | ||||
| EKS Ennis, MT | 910 nm out, 3 nm south of the line | no report just now | 5,432 ft | ||||
| BTM Butte, MT | 960 nm out, 3 nm north of the line | no report just now | 5,550 ft | ||||
| MSO Missoula, MT | destination | no report just now | 3,205 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 7,298 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At MSO when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 4:39 pm MDT (22:39 UTC)
MSO has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/8927 Kalispell, MT, Wednesday, October 14, 2026 through Wednesday, October 14, 2026 Local on the route, at the destination end · a VIP movement · starts Wednesday 14 October · ZSE
- 6/8923 Kalispell, MT, Wednesday, October 14, 2026 through Wednesday, October 14, 2026 Local on the route, at the destination end · a VIP movement · starts Wednesday 14 October · ZLC
Daylight
Sunset at SPS 7:02 pm CDT (00:02 UTC), at MSO 6:53 pm MDT (00:53 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:23 pm MDT (01:23 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: Sheppard Afb/Wichita Falls Municipal, Missoula Montana Airport.