Rafael Hernandez Airport to Ronald Reagan Washington Ntl Airport BQN → DCA
1,327 nautical miles (1,527 statute miles) north on a straight line, true course 339°, about 349° magnetic at the departure end (variation 10W). At 120 knots that is 8 h 51 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 30-knot tailwind), arriving about 7:35 am EDT (11:35 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
- SIGMET 5E: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 45,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 25 knots, until 11:55 pm AST (03:55 UTC). Over the route from 968 to 1107 nm out.
as issued
WSUS31 KKCI 120155 MKCE WST 120155 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 5E VALID UNTIL 0355Z NC SC CSTL WTRS FROM 140E ECG-220ESE ECG-180SE ILM-130SSE ILM-60SE ECG-140E ECG AREA TS MOV FROM 23025KT. TOPS TO FL450.
- SIGMET 7E: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 33,000 ft, moving from the west at 15 knots, until 11:55 pm AST (03:55 UTC). Over the last 60 nm of the route.
as issued
WSUS31 KKCI 120155 MKCE WST 120155 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 7E VALID UNTIL 0355Z PA MD VA DC WV OH FROM 10NNE JST-30WNW SBY-40ENE RIC-50SW BKW-20SE APE-10NNE JST AREA TS MOV FROM 28015KT. TOPS TO FL330.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: strong surface winds (30 knots or more) (due to sustained surface winds greater than 30 knots). Over the route from 1018 to 1058 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 60 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 21,000 ft to 33,000 ft. Over the last 20 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 BQN.
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 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 5 forecast points nearest it (MIA, MLB, ILM, ORF, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4,500 ft | 250° at 11 kt | 0 | 120 kt | 11 h 04 min | 9:48 am EDT (13:48 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 240° at 13 kt | 0 | 13 °C | 120 kt | 11 h 04 min | 9:48 am EDT (13:48 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 240° at 16 kt | −2 kt | 12 °C | 122 kt | 10 h 53 min | 9:37 am EDT (13:37 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 240° at 18 kt | −3 kt | 10 °C | 123 kt | 10 h 47 min | 9:31 am EDT (13:31 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 230° at 20 kt | −4 kt | 6 °C | 124 kt | 10 h 42 min | 9:26 am EDT (13:26 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 230° at 23 kt | −5 kt | 2 °C | 125 kt | 10 h 37 min | 9:21 am EDT (13:21 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 240° at 26 kt | −5 kt | -2 °C | 125 kt | 10 h 37 min | 9:21 am EDT (13:21 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 240° at 28 kt | −5 kt | -5 °C | 125 kt | 10 h 37 min | 9:21 am EDT (13:21 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 230° at 35 kt | −7 kt | -17 °C | 127 kt | 10 h 27 min | 9:11 am EDT (13:11 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 220° at 42 kt | −19 kt | -31 °C | 139 kt | 9 h 33 min | 8:17 am EDT (12:17 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 210° at 49 kt | −30 kt | -40 °C | 150 kt | 8 h 51 min | 7:35 am EDT (11:35 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 220° at 48 kt | −23 kt | -51 °C | 143 kt | 9 h 17 min | 8:01 am EDT (12:01 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MIA | used from 0 nm out; 832 nm from the line | 150/7 | 140/5 17° | 160/5 14° | L/V 9° | 230/8 -5° | 230/8 -17° | 150/11 -32° | 150/25 -41° | 180/29 -51° |
| MLB | used from 599 nm out; 494 nm from the line | 230/6 | 230/12 17° | 240/13 12° | 240/14 7° | 240/20 -5° | 240/24 -16° | 210/21 -32° | 190/33 -41° | 200/36 -52° |
| ILM | used from 648 nm out; 453 nm from the line | 270/22 | 270/23 11° | 260/35 10° | 240/41 6° | 240/49 -5° | 240/61 -16° | 230/74 -30° | 220/79 -40° | 230/71 -51° |
| ORF | used from 1048 nm out; 132 nm from the line | 250/24 | 230/32 11° | 220/37 10° | 220/37 6° | 230/47 -5° | 230/62 -17° | 220/89 -30° | 220/93 -40° | 230/77 -51° |
| RIC | used from 1247 nm out; 49 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BQN Aguadilla, PR | departure | no report just now | 237 ft | ||||
| FFA Kill Devil Hills, NC | 1147 nm out, 14 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 11 ft | ||||
| ORF Norfolk, VA | 1207 nm out, 15 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 26 ft | ||||
| DCA Washington, DC | destination | no report just now | 14 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 237 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, 7:35 am EDT (11:35 UTC)
DCA has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 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 13 nm from the route, at the destination end · a VIP movement · today · ZDC
Daylight
Sunset at BQN 6:08 pm AST (22:08 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
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: Rafael Hernandez Airport, Ronald Reagan Washington Ntl Airport.