The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Plan a flight · Mon 12:46 am MDT (06:46 UTC)

Albuquerque International Sunport to Ronald Reagan Washington Ntl Airport ABQ → DCA

1,431 nautical miles (1,647 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 072°, about 061° magnetic at the departure end (variation 11E). At 120 knots that is 8 h 34 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 47-knot tailwind), arriving about 11:20 am EDT (15:20 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: 3 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 E22E: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 40,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 20 knots, until 1:55 am MDT (07:55 UTC). Over the last 60 nm of the route.
    as issued
    WSUS31 KKCI 120555
    MKCE WST 120555
    CONVECTIVE SIGMET 22E
    VALID UNTIL 0755Z
    NY NJ PA DE MD VA DC WV AND MA RI DE NJ NY CSTL WTRS
    FROM 40E HTO-80SSW ACK-100ESE SIE-30SW CSN-40SSE JST-40E HTO
    AREA EMBD TS MOV FROM 24020KT. TOPS TO FL400.
  • AIRMET TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 35,000 ft to 45,000 ft. Over the first 109 nm of the route.
  • AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the first 149 nm of the route.
  • 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). Over the route from 209 to 666 nm out.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 3E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the last 497 nm of the route.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 1202 to 1371 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 5W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 10,000 ft. Near the route, 1292 nm along the route.
  • AIRMET TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 21,000 ft to 33,000 ft. Over the last 89 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 ABQ.

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 16 forecast points nearest it (ABQ, TCC, AMA, GAG, ICT, TUL, SGF, COU, STL, CGI, EVV, LOU, CVG, CRW, EKN, RIC). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

HeightAverage windHead- or tailwindTemperatureGround speedTime en routeArrival
3,500 ft240° at 19 kt−20 kt140 kt10 h 13 min12:59 pm EDT (16:59 UTC)
5,500 ft250° at 19 kt−21 kt15 °C141 kt10 h 09 min12:55 pm EDT (16:55 UTC)
7,500 ft260° at 18 kt−19 kt13 °C139 kt10 h 18 min1:04 pm EDT (17:04 UTC)
9,500 ft270° at 16 kt−17 kt10 °C137 kt10 h 27 min1:13 pm EDT (17:13 UTC)
11,500 ft270° at 14 kt−15 kt6 °C135 kt10 h 36 min1:22 pm EDT (17:22 UTC)
13,500 ft270° at 15 kt−16 kt2 °C136 kt10 h 31 min1:17 pm EDT (17:17 UTC)
15,500 ft270° at 17 kt−18 kt-2 °C138 kt10 h 22 min1:08 pm EDT (17:08 UTC)
17,500 ft270° at 18 kt−20 kt-6 °C140 kt10 h 13 min12:59 pm EDT (16:59 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180260° at 19 kt−20 kt-7 °C140 kt10 h 13 min12:59 pm EDT (16:59 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240270° at 26 kt−27 kt-19 °C147 kt9 h 44 min12:30 pm EDT (16:30 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300270° at 41 kt−42 kt-31 °C162 kt8 h 50 min11:36 am EDT (15:36 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340280° at 48 kt−47 kt-39 °C167 kt8 h 34 min11:20 am EDT (15:20 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390280° at 42 kt−40 kt-49 °C160 kt8 h 57 min11:43 am EDT (15:43 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
ABQused from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line220/27 11°210/35 5°220/46 -9°230/62 -20°240/78 -25°240/80 -35°240/56 -47°
TCCused from 99 nm out; 40 nm from the line210/42230/33 14°230/32 6°220/35 -6°230/49 -19°240/72 -27°250/62 -36°250/52 -48°
AMAused from 199 nm out; 59 nm from the line210/38230/29 14°240/29 7°220/27 -5°240/37 -18°240/66 -28°250/59 -37°260/47 -49°
GAGused from 298 nm out; 26 nm from the line220/40 19°230/28 14°240/23 8°230/21 -6°240/31 -19°250/66 -29°260/58 -38°260/47 -49°
ICTused from 397 nm out; 58 nm from the line200/48230/39 19°240/24 14°240/20 8°240/22 -6°250/31 -18°250/61 -29°260/58 -38°270/54 -49°
TULused from 547 nm out; 82 nm from the line210/37240/29 17°260/15 14°260/11 7°240/22 -6°250/29 -16°270/45 -29°270/47 -40°280/44 -50°
SGFused from 596 nm out; 43 nm from the line230/33230/28 15°250/20 13°240/18 7°250/20 -6°250/24 -17°280/42 -31°280/49 -40°290/46 -51°
COUused from 696 nm out; 56 nm from the line230/31230/30 15°260/16 11°270/14 6°260/24 -6°270/27 -18°270/37 -32°280/49 -41°290/56 -51°
STLused from 745 nm out; 55 nm from the line250/24250/24 16°260/23 9°270/16 6°260/25 -6°270/29 -19°290/34 -33°290/48 -41°290/54 -51°
CGIused from 845 nm out; 68 nm from the line240/20270/15 15°280/15 11°300/13 6°290/20 -6°280/24 -18°300/34 -32°300/47 -41°310/49 -51°
EVVused from 894 nm out; 27 nm from the line280/15290/12 17°310/16 10°320/13 5°310/22 -6°320/26 -18°320/38 -33°310/56 -41°320/55 -51°
LOUused from 994 nm out; 20 nm from the line310/18340/28 16°340/29 10°350/27 3°330/27 -7°340/39 -19°330/58 -33°330/67 -41°330/40 -49°
CVGused from 1043 nm out; 27 nm from the line320/18350/32 16°350/35 10°350/30 3°330/30 -7°340/44 -20°340/58 -35°330/72 -41°320/36 -49°
CRWused from 1143 nm out; 54 nm from the line330/20330/23 11°340/25 8°340/21 2°340/33 -9°340/41 -20°330/42 -35°320/44 -39°320/43 -47°
EKNused from 1242 nm out; 32 nm from the line330/21 12°330/25 7°350/22 2°330/24 -10°310/27 -21°320/33 -35°290/31 -39°290/34 -47°
RICused from 1391 nm out; 81 nm from the line270/23280/19 11°270/18 8°240/22 4°230/39 -7°220/55 -18°220/75 -30°230/83 -39°230/64 -50°

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
ABQ Albuquerque, NM departure no report just now 5,354 ft
LVS Las Vegas, NM 79 nm out, 14 nm north of the line no report just now 6,877 ft
DHT Dalhart, TX 209 nm out, 2 nm southwest of the line no report just now 3,991 ft
PYX Perryton, TX 298 nm out, 1 nm southwest of the line no report just now 2,918 ft
PPF Parsons, KS 556 nm out, 4 nm south of the line no report just now 900 ft
TBN Fort Leonard Wood, MO 715 nm out, 9 nm south of the line, tower no report just now 1,159 ft
BLV Belleville, IL 835 nm out, 23 nm north of the line, tower no report just now 459 ft
EVV Evansville, IN 934 nm out, 21 nm south of the line, tower no report just now 421 ft
LOU Louisville, KY 1023 nm out, 19 nm south of the line, tower no report just now 545 ft
HTS Huntington, WV 1173 nm out, 21 nm south of the line, tower no report just now 828 ft
IAD Washington, DC 1411 nm out, 6 nm north of the line, tower no report just now 312 ft
DCA Washington, DC destination no report just now 14 ft

The highest airport on this list sits at 6,877 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At DCA when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 11:20 am EDT (15:20 UTC)

DCA has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.

Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it

  • 6/8029 Cincinnati, OH, Friday, October 9, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local 21 nm from the route, 1073 nm along the route · a VIP movement · until 12 October · ZID
  • 4/9383 WASHINGTON, DC., USA on the route, at the destination end · security · ZDC
  • 6/8600 Sterling, VA, Monday, October 12, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local 8 nm from the route, at the destination end · a VIP movement · today · ZDC

Daylight

Sunset at ABQ 6:34 pm MDT (00:34 UTC), at DCA 6:34 pm EDT (22:34 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:01 pm EDT (23:01 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 southern Rockies
Radar now, the southern Rockies · loop National Weather Service
Radar now, the southern Plains
Radar now, the southern Plains · 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: Albuquerque International Sunport, Ronald Reagan Washington Ntl Airport.