Buffalo Niagara International to Erie Intl/Tom Ridge Field BUF → ERI
82 nautical miles (94 statute miles) southwest on a straight line, true course 232°, about 243° magnetic at the departure end (variation 11W). At 120 knots that is 35 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 19-knot tailwind), arriving about 10:44 am EDT (14:44 UTC). Right now BUF is IFR, wind from the west-southwest (240°) at 8 knots; ERI is marginal VFR, wind variable at 4 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: 2 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 3E: 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 SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, mist). Near the route, 46 nm along 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 BUF.
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 08:00–15:00 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 1 forecast point nearest it (BUF). 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 | 320° at 13 kt | +1 kt | 119 kt | 41 min | 10:50 am EDT (14:50 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 330° at 17 kt | −3 kt | 10 °C | 123 kt | 40 min | 10:49 am EDT (14:49 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 340° at 24 kt | −7 kt | 8 °C | 127 kt | 39 min | 10:48 am EDT (14:48 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 330° at 27 kt | −6 kt | 5 °C | 126 kt | 39 min | 10:48 am EDT (14:48 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 330° at 28 kt | −5 kt | 1 °C | 125 kt | 39 min | 10:48 am EDT (14:48 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 330° at 29 kt | −7 kt | -3 °C | 127 kt | 39 min | 10:48 am EDT (14:48 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 340° at 30 kt | −8 kt | -7 °C | 128 kt | 38 min | 10:47 am EDT (14:47 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 340° at 31 kt | −10 kt | -10 °C | 130 kt | 38 min | 10:47 am EDT (14:47 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 340° at 32 kt | −10 kt | -21 °C | 130 kt | 38 min | 10:47 am EDT (14:47 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 340° at 52 kt | −17 kt | -37 °C | 137 kt | 36 min | 10:45 am EDT (14:45 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 340° at 59 kt | −19 kt | -46 °C | 139 kt | 35 min | 10:44 am EDT (14:44 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 330° at 66 kt | −10 kt | -53 °C | 130 kt | 38 min | 10:47 am EDT (14:47 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BUF | used from 0 nm out; 23 nm from the line | 300/11 | 330/15 11° | 340/26 8° | 330/28 2° | 340/31 -10° | 340/32 -21° | 340/52 -37° | 340/59 -46° | 330/66 -53° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BUF Buffalo, NY | departure | IFR Sky: a broken layer at 900 feet, overcast at 1,300 feet Weather: light drizzle | from the west-southwest (240°) at 8 knots | 9 mi | 900 ft | 726 ft | 9:54 am EDT (13:54 UTC) |
| DKK Dunkirk, NY | 36 nm out, 6 nm southeast of the line | marginal VFR Sky: a few clouds at 1,100 feet, overcast at 1,600 feet | from the west-southwest (250°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | 1,600 ft | 692 ft | 13:53 UTC |
| JHW Jamestown, NY | 46 nm out, 23 nm southeast of the line | low IFR Sky: overcast at 400 feet Weather: mist | from the west (280°) at 6 knots | 3 mi | 400 ft | 1,723 ft | 14:04 UTC |
| ERI Erie, PA | destination | marginal VFR Sky: overcast at 3,000 feet | variable at 4 knots | 10+ mi | 3,000 ft | 732 ft | 8:51 pm EDT (00:51 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,723 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At ERI when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 10:44 am EDT (14:44 UTC)
Wind from the west-northwest at 3 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 1,500 feet marginal VFR
At times between Mon 8:00 am EDT (12:00 UTC) and 12:00 pm EDT (16:00 UTC): a broken layer at 800 feet IFR
The whole forecast for ERI
- From Mon 8:00 am EDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 3 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 1,500 feet
- At times between Mon 8:00 am EDT (12:00 UTC) and 12:00 pm EDT (16:00 UTC): a broken layer at 800 feet
- From Mon 12:00 pm EDT (16:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 1,500 feet
- From Mon 2:00 pm EDT (18:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 7:00 pm EDT (23:00 UTC): wind from the south at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
The forecast for BUF, the departure
- From Mon 8:00 am EDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 700 feet, overcast at 1,500 feet
- From Mon 11:00 am EDT (15:00 UTC): wind from the west-southwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 1,200 feet
- From Mon 2:00 pm EDT (18:00 UTC): wind from the west-southwest at 10 knots, gusting to 18, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 3,000 feet
- From Mon 7:00 pm EDT (23:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 20,000 feet
- From Mon 9:00 pm EDT (01:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, scattered clouds at 20,000 feet
- From Tue 5:00 am EDT (09:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 9,000 feet
- 30% chance between Tue 6:00 am EDT (10:00 UTC) and 8:00 am EDT (12:00 UTC): visibility 4 miles, light rain showers, a broken layer at 7,000 feet
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 BUF 6:37 pm EDT (22:37 UTC), at ERI 6:44 pm EDT (22:44 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:12 pm EDT (23:12 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: Buffalo Niagara International, Erie Intl/Tom Ridge Field.