Friedman Memorial to Great Falls International SUN → GTF
269 nautical miles (309 statute miles) northeast on a straight line, true course 026°, about 013° magnetic at the departure end (variation 13E). At 120 knots that is 1 h 24 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 72-knot tailwind), arriving about 4:04 am MDT (10:04 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now SUN is low IFR, wind from the south (180°) at 4 knots; GTF is low 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: 3 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 SIERRA 4E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the whole route.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Over the first 0 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 39,000 ft. Over the first 179 nm of the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the whole route.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Over the last 100 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 SUN.
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 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 3 forecast points nearest it (PIH, DLN, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7,500 ft | 170° at 7 kt | −6 kt | -4 °C | 126 kt | 2 h 08 min | 4:48 am MDT (10:48 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 190° at 10 kt | −9 kt | -4 °C | 129 kt | 2 h 05 min | 4:45 am MDT (10:45 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 210° at 17 kt | −17 kt | -5 °C | 137 kt | 1 h 58 min | 4:38 am MDT (10:38 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 210° at 21 kt | −21 kt | -8 °C | 141 kt | 1 h 54 min | 4:34 am MDT (10:34 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 220° at 24 kt | −24 kt | -12 °C | 144 kt | 1 h 52 min | 4:32 am MDT (10:32 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 220° at 26 kt | −26 kt | -16 °C | 146 kt | 1 h 51 min | 4:31 am MDT (10:31 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 220° at 27 kt | −26 kt | -17 °C | 146 kt | 1 h 51 min | 4:31 am MDT (10:31 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 220° at 40 kt | −39 kt | -28 °C | 159 kt | 1 h 42 min | 4:22 am MDT (10:22 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 210° at 61 kt | −60 kt | -34 °C | 180 kt | 1 h 30 min | 4:10 am MDT (10:10 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 210° at 72 kt | −72 kt | -37 °C | 192 kt | 1 h 24 min | 4:04 am MDT (10:04 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 210° at 67 kt | −66 kt | -44 °C | 186 kt | 1 h 27 min | 4:07 am MDT (10:07 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PIH | used from 0 nm out; 86 nm from the line | 070/8 | 150/19 1° | 180/32 -4° | 210/44 -17° | 210/37 -28° | 210/74 -31° | 220/68 -35° | 220/60 -43° | |
| DLN | used from 50 nm out; 56 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° | ||
| GTF | used from 199 nm out; 45 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUN Hailey, ID | departure | low IFR Sky: overcast at 400 feet | from the south (180°) at 4 knots | 7 mi | 400 ft | 5,319 ft | 2:15 am MDT (08:15 UTC) |
| LLJ Challis, ID | 60 nm out, 24 nm west of the line | marginal VFR Sky: a broken layer at 1,500 feet, overcast at 3,500 feet | from the north (360°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | 1,500 ft | 5,075 ft | 08:15 UTC |
| DLN Dillon, MT | 129 nm out, 19 nm southeast of the line | IFR Sky: overcast at 2,200 feet Weather: light snow, mist | from the northeast (040°) at 9 knots | 2.5 mi | 2,200 ft | 5,244 ft | 08:33 UTC |
| BTM Butte, MT | 169 nm out, 4 nm south of the line | marginal VFR Sky: a few clouds at 900 feet, a broken layer at 1,200 feet, overcast at 2,600 feet | variable at 3 knots | 10+ mi | 1,200 ft | 5,550 ft | 08:02 UTC |
| HLN Helena, MT | 209 nm out, 3 nm east of the line, tower | marginal VFR Sky: a few clouds at 1,900 feet, overcast at 4,800 feet Weather: light snow, mist | from the west (270°) at 9 knots | 4 mi | 4,800 ft | 3,877 ft | 07:53 UTC |
| GTF Great Falls, MT | destination | low IFR Sky: a broken layer at 400 feet, overcast at 1,200 feet Weather: light snow, mist | from the north-northwest (340°) at 7 knots | 2.5 mi | 400 ft | 3,680 ft | 2:34 am MDT (08:34 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 5,550 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, 4:04 am MDT (10:04 UTC)
Wind from the north at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 600 feet IFR
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 low IFR
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 SUN, the departure
- From Mon 1:00 am MDT (07:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, showers nearby, a broken layer at 400 feet, overcast at 2,000 feet
- From Mon 4:00 am MDT (10:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, light rain showers, a broken layer at 700 feet, overcast at 1,200 feet
- From Mon 1:00 pm MDT (19:00 UTC): wind from the southeast at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, showers nearby, a few clouds at 1,200 feet, scattered clouds at 2,500 feet and more above
- From Mon 10:00 pm MDT (04:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, showers nearby, scattered clouds at 3,000 feet, a broken layer at 5,000 feet and more above
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 SUN 6:57 pm MDT (00:57 UTC), at GTF 6:41 pm MDT (00:41 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:12 pm MDT (01:12 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at GTF is before sunrise there (7:39 am MDT (13:39 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: Friedman Memorial, Great Falls International.