Alexandria International to Richmond International AEX → RIC
839 nautical miles (966 statute miles) northeast on a straight line, true course 060°, about 057° magnetic at the departure end (variation 3E). At 120 knots that is 6 h 07 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 17-knot tailwind), arriving about 5:12 am EDT (09:12 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: 144 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: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 440 to 709 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 5W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 10,000 ft. Over the route from 529 to 739 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 route from 779 to 819 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 21,000 ft to 33,000 ft. Near the route, at the destination end.
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 AEX.
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 9 forecast points nearest it (LCH, JAN, BHM, HSV, ATL, TYS, TRI, ROA, RIC). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.
| Height | Average wind | Head- or tailwind | Temperature | Ground speed | Time en route | Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3,500 ft | 300° at 15 kt | −9 kt | 129 kt | 6 h 30 min | 5:35 am EDT (09:35 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 310° at 16 kt | −6 kt | 11 °C | 126 kt | 6 h 40 min | 5:45 am EDT (09:45 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 320° at 18 kt | −5 kt | 12 °C | 125 kt | 6 h 43 min | 5:48 am EDT (09:48 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 320° at 20 kt | −5 kt | 9 °C | 125 kt | 6 h 43 min | 5:48 am EDT (09:48 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 320° at 19 kt | −4 kt | 6 °C | 124 kt | 6 h 46 min | 5:51 am EDT (09:51 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 320° at 20 kt | −5 kt | 2 °C | 125 kt | 6 h 43 min | 5:48 am EDT (09:48 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 310° at 21 kt | −8 kt | -2 °C | 128 kt | 6 h 33 min | 5:38 am EDT (09:38 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 310° at 22 kt | −10 kt | -5 °C | 130 kt | 6 h 27 min | 5:32 am EDT (09:32 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 310° at 23 kt | −11 kt | -6 °C | 131 kt | 6 h 24 min | 5:29 am EDT (09:29 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 300° at 25 kt | −13 kt | -18 °C | 133 kt | 6 h 18 min | 5:23 am EDT (09:23 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 310° at 35 kt | −16 kt | -32 °C | 136 kt | 6 h 10 min | 5:15 am EDT (09:15 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 310° at 39 kt | −17 kt | -40 °C | 137 kt | 6 h 07 min | 5:12 am EDT (09:12 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 310° at 34 kt | −12 kt | -50 °C | 132 kt | 6 h 21 min | 5:26 am EDT (09:26 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
| Point | From | 3,000 | 6,000 | 9,000 | 12,000 | 18,000 | 24,000 | 30,000 | 34,000 | 39,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LCH | used from 0 nm out; 102 nm from the line | 160/21 | 160/18 18° | 180/13 12° | 230/6 8° | 280/10 -4° | 260/13 -14° | 310/29 -30° | 320/32 -40° | 330/33 -53° |
| JAN | used from 50 nm out; 65 nm from the line | 230/10 | 270/13 18° | 270/11 12° | 310/11 6° | 300/15 -4° | 300/22 -16° | 310/33 -31° | 320/37 -41° | 330/41 -52° |
| BHM | used from 250 nm out; 53 nm from the line | 310/19 | 330/20 17° | 320/28 11° | 340/21 6° | 310/22 -7° | 330/33 -17° | 330/50 -32° | 330/57 -41° | 330/41 -50° |
| HSV | used from 350 nm out; 42 nm from the line | 310/20 | 330/20 16° | 320/27 11° | 340/23 5° | 320/23 -7° | 340/30 -17° | 320/50 -33° | 330/61 -41° | 340/41 -50° |
| ATL | used from 400 nm out; 72 nm from the line | 320/30 | 330/37 16° | 340/44 11° | 330/35 7° | 310/33 -6° | 300/38 -18° | 330/58 -33° | 330/48 -40° | 320/34 -49° |
| TYS | used from 450 nm out; 47 nm from the line | 320/20 | 340/18 11° | 340/32 9° | 340/36 4° | 330/37 -7° | 330/38 -19° | 330/50 -34° | 330/53 -38° | 330/44 -48° |
| TRI | used from 549 nm out; 43 nm from the line | 330/22 11° | 330/29 7° | 330/32 3° | 330/36 -8° | 320/34 -19° | 320/36 -34° | 320/43 -39° | 320/46 -47° | |
| ROA | used from 649 nm out; 58 nm from the line | 310/29 | 330/31 13° | 340/28 7° | 330/25 3° | 310/32 -8° | 300/32 -22° | 290/32 -31° | 270/35 -38° | 270/32 -47° |
| RIC | used from 749 nm out; 65 nm from the line | 270/23 | 280/19 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
| Airport | Where | Conditions | Wind | Visibility | Ceiling | Elevation | Reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AEX Alexandria, LA | departure | no report just now | 88 ft | ||||
| HEZ Natchez, MS | 60 nm out, 18 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 272 ft | ||||
| HKS Jackson, MS | 130 nm out, 7 nm southeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 341 ft | ||||
| GTR Columbus/W Point/Starkville, MS | 240 nm out, 13 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 264 ft | ||||
| TCL Tuscaloosa, AL | 270 nm out, 23 nm southeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 169 ft | ||||
| BFZ Albertville, AL | 360 nm out, 3 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 1,032 ft | ||||
| CHA Chattanooga, TN | 430 nm out, 20 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 682 ft | ||||
| AVL Asheville, NC | 559 nm out, 14 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 2,163 ft | ||||
| HKY Hickory, NC | 619 nm out, 21 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,189 ft | ||||
| INT Winston Salem, NC | 679 nm out, 22 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 969 ft | ||||
| BKT Blackstone, VA | 799 nm out, 13 nm southeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 437 ft | ||||
| RIC Richmond, VA | destination | no report just now | 167 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 2,163 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At RIC when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 5:12 am EDT (09:12 UTC)
RIC 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 AEX 6:42 pm CDT (23:42 UTC), at RIC 6:36 pm EDT (22:36 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:02 pm EDT (23:02 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at RIC is before sunrise there (7:14 am EDT (11:14 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: Alexandria International, Richmond International.