The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Plan a flight · Sun 10:50 pm PDT (05:50 UTC)

Bellingham International to Ronald Reagan Washington Ntl Airport BLI → DCA

2,026 nautical miles (2,331 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 090°, about 074° magnetic at the departure end (variation 16E). At 120 knots that is 12 h 21 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 44-knot tailwind), arriving about 2:11 pm EDT (18:11 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 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 E19E: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 43,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 20 knots, until 11:55 pm PDT (06:55 UTC). Over the last 120 nm of the route.
    as issued
    WSUS31 KKCI 120455
    MKCE WST 120455
    CONVECTIVE SIGMET 19E
    VALID UNTIL 0655Z
    CT NY NJ PA DE MD VA DC WV AND DE NJ NY MD CT VA CSTL WTRS
    FROM 20NNW HTO-70SSE HTO-90SE SIE-20WNW LYH-40ESE AIR-20NNW HTO
    AREA EMBD TS MOV FROM 24020KT. TOPS TO FL430.
  • AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 39,000 ft. Over the first 210 nm of the route.
  • AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Over the route from 200 to 689 nm out.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 269 to 389 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 36,000 ft. Over the route from 289 to 479 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 349 to 1108 nm out.
  • AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Near the route, 689 nm along 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 1277 to 1407 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 479 nm of the route.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 1846 to 1976 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 21,000 ft to 33,000 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 BLI.

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 18 forecast points nearest it (SEA, GEG, GPI, GTF, GGW, MLS, DIK, ABR, AXN, MSP, LSE, GRB, MKG, FWA, CLE, AGC, EKN, RIC). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

HeightAverage windHead- or tailwindTemperatureGround speedTime en routeArrival
3,500 ft260° at 9 kt−8 kt128 kt15 h 50 min5:40 pm EDT (21:40 UTC)
5,500 ft260° at 1 kt−1 kt1 °C121 kt16 h 45 min6:35 pm EDT (22:35 UTC)
7,500 ft260° at 3 kt−2 kt7 °C122 kt16 h 36 min6:26 pm EDT (22:26 UTC)
9,500 ft250° at 4 kt−3 kt3 °C123 kt16 h 28 min6:18 pm EDT (22:18 UTC)
11,500 ft240° at 7 kt−5 kt0 °C125 kt16 h 12 min6:02 pm EDT (22:02 UTC)
13,500 ft250° at 10 kt−9 kt-3 °C129 kt15 h 42 min5:32 pm EDT (21:32 UTC)
15,500 ft260° at 14 kt−13 kt-7 °C133 kt15 h 14 min5:04 pm EDT (21:04 UTC)
17,500 ft260° at 18 kt−17 kt-11 °C137 kt14 h 47 min4:37 pm EDT (20:37 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180260° at 19 kt−18 kt-12 °C138 kt14 h 41 min4:31 pm EDT (20:31 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240260° at 21 kt−20 kt-23 °C140 kt14 h 28 min4:18 pm EDT (20:18 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300260° at 24 kt−24 kt-37 °C144 kt14 h 04 min3:54 pm EDT (19:54 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340270° at 34 kt−33 kt-43 °C153 kt13 h 15 min3:05 pm EDT (19:05 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390270° at 44 kt−44 kt-48 °C164 kt12 h 21 min2:11 pm EDT (18:11 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
SEAused from 0 nm out; 82 nm from the line050/7050/11 1°050/12 -5°030/31 -7°010/61 -15°010/69 -26°360/73 -40°360/62 -47°330/21 -43°
GEGused from 100 nm out; 101 nm from the line080/16 -2°050/17 -7°080/9 -10°190/33 -21°180/31 -32°L/V -35°L/V -37°270/8 -40°
GPIused from 249 nm out; 57 nm from the line070/19 -5°100/16 -7°080/10 -8°130/8 -19°170/37 -28°200/50 -40°210/43 -40°220/41 -42°
GTFused from 399 nm out; 55 nm from the line070/11080/15 -7°110/19 -9°190/25 -14°200/34 -23°200/54 -39°220/66 -40°220/77 -44°
GGWused from 549 nm out; 65 nm from the line110/23 0°130/20 -2°170/24 -3°230/44 -11°220/51 -21°210/52 -39°220/64 -44°240/85 -48°
MLSused from 699 nm out; 81 nm from the line150/23 2°190/29 4°210/44 2°220/32 -10°210/36 -21°200/48 -37°230/63 -40°240/71 -47°
DIKused from 748 nm out; 35 nm from the line150/24 7°200/38 6°220/53 0°230/51 -9°230/49 -21°240/37 -37°240/47 -44°250/65 -48°
ABRused from 898 nm out; 90 nm from the line070/14250/10 17°270/16 11°260/28 5°260/36 -10°260/41 -22°270/33 -37°260/42 -42°260/50 -48°
AXNused from 1048 nm out; 43 nm from the line100/14250/21 14°240/24 12°240/31 5°260/36 -10°260/40 -21°250/42 -36°260/48 -45°260/53 -50°
MSPused from 1148 nm out; 46 nm from the line230/26240/30 17°240/24 12°250/22 5°250/35 -10°260/36 -21°250/41 -36°250/49 -45°260/58 -52°
LSEused from 1297 nm out; 30 nm from the line230/40240/24 17°240/13 10°250/13 6°280/22 -9°250/28 -21°250/41 -34°260/42 -44°270/62 -53°
GRBused from 1397 nm out; 59 nm from the line250/36270/23 16°270/14 9°240/18 4°280/26 -9°280/29 -20°290/42 -36°290/51 -45°290/72 -55°
MKGused from 1447 nm out; 68 nm from the line260/22290/16 15°300/11 10°290/5 3°300/26 -9°300/32 -20°320/48 -36°320/61 -45°310/74 -53°
FWAused from 1597 nm out; 76 nm from the line300/17320/20 16°330/20 10°340/15 3°310/27 -8°320/37 -20°330/52 -36°330/65 -43°330/60 -50°
CLEused from 1697 nm out; 41 nm from the line340/7010/16 13°350/18 8°350/20 3°340/31 -10°340/46 -21°340/54 -37°330/62 -44°340/65 -49°
AGCused from 1796 nm out; 44 nm from the line350/14330/20 11°340/18 8°330/17 3°340/22 -11°340/31 -22°330/33 -36°300/34 -41°300/35 -47°
EKNused from 1946 nm out; 89 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 1996 nm out; 89 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
BLI Bellingham, WA departure no report just now 171 ft
OMK Omak, WA 120 nm out, 18 nm south of the line no report just now 1,304 ft
GPI Kalispell, MT 329 nm out, 13 nm south of the line, tower no report just now 2,976 ft
SBX Shelby, MT 419 nm out, 13 nm northeast of the line no report just now 3,442 ft
GDV Glendive, MT 719 nm out, 19 nm south of the line no report just now 2,458 ft
BIS Bismarck, ND 888 nm out, 4 nm northwest of the line, tower no report just now 1,661 ft
MIC Minneapolis, MN 1208 nm out, 3 nm northeast of the line, tower no report just now 869 ft
STP St Paul, MN 1228 nm out, 4 nm northwest of the line, tower no report just now 705 ft
BTL Battle Creek, MI 1597 nm out, 5 nm south of the line, tower no report just now 951 ft
CAK Akron, OH 1786 nm out, 3 nm northeast of the line, tower no report just now 1,225 ft
JYO Leesburg, VA 1996 nm out, 3 nm southeast of the line, tower no report just now 389 ft
DCA Washington, DC destination no report just now 14 ft

The highest airport on this list sits at 3,442 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, 2:11 pm EDT (18:11 UTC)

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

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

  • 6/6654 28NM W TWISP, WA, Thursday, October 1, 2026 through Thursday, October 15, 2026 UTC 23 nm from the route, at the departure end · a hazard on the ground (fire-fighting, a chemical spill, rescue work) · until 15 October · ZSE
  • 6/6656 ANOKA, MN, Monday, October 5, 2026 through Monday, October 19, 2026 Local 10 nm from the route, 1208 nm along the route · security · until 19 October · ZMP
  • 6/8829 Youngstown, OH, Monday, October 12, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local 21 nm from the route, 1806 nm along the route · a VIP movement · today · ZOB
  • 6/8587 Youngstown, OH, Monday, October 12, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local 1 nm from the route, 1816 nm along the route · a VIP movement · today · ZOB
  • 6/8600 Sterling, VA, Monday, October 12, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local on the route, at the destination end · a VIP movement · today · ZDC
  • 4/9383 WASHINGTON, DC., USA on the route, at the destination end · security · ZDC

Daylight

Sunset at BLI 6:26 pm PDT (01:26 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 Pacific Northwest
Radar now, the Pacific Northwest · loop National Weather Service
Radar now, the northern Rockies
Radar now, the northern Rockies · 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: Bellingham International, Ronald Reagan Washington Ntl Airport.