Buffalo Niagara International to Southwest Florida International BUF → RSW
996 nautical miles (1,146 statute miles) south on a straight line, true course 190°, about 201° magnetic at the departure end (variation 11W). At 120 knots that is 8 h 18 min at the quickest height in today's winds (6,500 ft, no wind along the track), arriving about 6:14 am EDT (10:14 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: 259 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 TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 21,000 ft to 33,000 ft. Over the first 249 nm of the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 50 to 398 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 70 to 319 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 5W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 8,000 ft. Over the route from 349 to 448 nm out.
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 20:00–03:00 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 13 forecast points nearest it (BUF, PSB, AGC, EKN, ROA, RDU, FLO, CAE, CHS, SAV, JAX, MLB, PIE). 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 | 270° at 14 kt | +2 kt | 13 °C | 118 kt | 8 h 26 min | 6:22 am EDT (10:22 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 280° at 16 kt | 0 | 13 °C | 120 kt | 8 h 18 min | 6:14 am EDT (10:14 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 260° at 17 kt | +4 kt | 11 °C | 116 kt | 8 h 35 min | 6:31 am EDT (10:31 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 250° at 18 kt | +8 kt | 8 °C | 112 kt | 8 h 54 min | 6:50 am EDT (10:50 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 240° at 19 kt | +11 kt | 5 °C | 109 kt | 9 h 08 min | 7:04 am EDT (11:04 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 240° at 23 kt | +15 kt | 1 °C | 105 kt | 9 h 29 min | 7:25 am EDT (11:25 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 240° at 28 kt | +19 kt | -3 °C | 101 kt | 9 h 52 min | 7:48 am EDT (11:48 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 230° at 31 kt | +22 kt | -7 °C | 98 kt | 10 h 10 min | 8:06 am EDT (12:06 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 220° at 41 kt | +34 kt | -18 °C | 86 kt | 11 h 35 min | 9:31 am EDT (13:31 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 220° at 55 kt | +49 kt | -31 °C | 71 kt | 14 h 02 min | 11:58 am EDT (15:58 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 210° at 58 kt | +53 kt | -40 °C | 67 kt | 14 h 52 min | 12:48 pm EDT (16:48 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 220° at 54 kt | +48 kt | -51 °C | 72 kt | 13 h 50 min | 11:46 am EDT (15:46 UTC) |
Based on data from the 11th at 18:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 00:00 UTC for use 20:00 to 03:00 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; 25 nm from the line | 170/19 | L/V 10° | 040/9 6° | 220/8 2° | 230/15 -11° | 220/33 -22° | 220/47 -35° | 230/55 -41° | 230/56 -50° |
| PSB | used from 50 nm out; 65 nm from the line | 260/13 13° | 220/12 8° | 220/11 4° | 230/27 -11° | 210/31 -21° | 220/73 -32° | 220/75 -40° | 230/66 -50° | |
| AGC | used from 100 nm out; 47 nm from the line | 140/12 | 350/10 12° | L/V 9° | L/V 3° | 200/11 -11° | 220/21 -22° | 220/47 -33° | 230/51 -39° | 230/45 -48° |
| EKN | used from 199 nm out; 27 nm from the line | 270/18 13° | 310/5 7° | 140/7 3° | 210/16 -9° | 220/41 -20° | 210/57 -32° | 220/57 -38° | 230/49 -47° | |
| ROA | used from 299 nm out; 18 nm from the line | 280/9 | 290/15 12° | 290/11 8° | 210/6 3° | 210/30 -6° | 220/46 -19° | 210/74 -30° | 220/78 -39° | 220/64 -48° |
| RDU | used from 398 nm out; 67 nm from the line | 240/28 | 250/22 10° | 230/30 11° | 230/40 7° | 230/45 -4° | 220/69 -15° | 220/83 -29° | 210/84 -40° | 220/75 -52° |
| FLO | used from 448 nm out; 65 nm from the line | 240/25 | 270/23 11° | 250/36 10° | 240/38 7° | 240/50 -4° | 230/66 -15° | 220/75 -30° | 210/77 -40° | 220/73 -52° |
| CAE | used from 548 nm out; 36 nm from the line | 260/27 | 310/26 11° | 280/31 9° | 270/36 7° | 250/39 -4° | 230/57 -16° | 220/74 -30° | 220/83 -40° | 220/73 -51° |
| CHS | used from 598 nm out; 38 nm from the line | 260/22 | 280/26 12° | 260/37 12° | 250/40 8° | 240/54 -4° | 230/55 -15° | 220/61 -31° | 200/66 -41° | 210/62 -52° |
| SAV | used from 647 nm out; 22 nm from the line | 260/18 | 290/26 13° | 270/33 12° | 260/40 9° | 240/47 -5° | 230/53 -16° | 220/61 -31° | 210/64 -41° | 210/64 -52° |
| JAX | used from 697 nm out; 48 nm from the line | 280/14 | 300/22 16° | 260/27 15° | 260/26 9° | 240/41 -6° | 230/38 -16° | 220/44 -32° | 200/49 -41° | 200/52 -53° |
| MLB | used from 847 nm out; 51 nm from the line | 240/7 | 240/11 17° | 240/13 13° | 250/15 8° | 230/25 -5° | 210/25 -16° | 210/24 -31° | 190/29 -41° | 190/27 -53° |
| PIE | used from 946 nm out; 78 nm from the line | 310/7 | 270/12 17° | 270/14 13° | 260/14 8° | 240/22 -5° | 230/24 -16° | 220/26 -31° | 200/31 -41° | 180/33 -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 | no report just now | 726 ft | ||||
| JHW Jamestown, NY | 50 nm out, 15 nm west of the line | no report just now | 1,723 ft | ||||
| LBE Latrobe, PA | 159 nm out, 6 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,198 ft | ||||
| EKN Elkins, WV | 249 nm out, 12 nm west of the line | no report just now | 1,987 ft | ||||
| ROA Roanoke, VA | 339 nm out, 4 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,175 ft | ||||
| VUJ Albemarle, NC | 458 nm out, 6 nm east of the line, tower | no report just now | 609 ft | ||||
| PYG Pageland, SC | 498 nm out, 2 nm east of the line | no report just now | 574 ft | ||||
| HXD Hilton Head Island, SC | 647 nm out, 8 nm southeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 19 ft | ||||
| SGJ St Augustine, FL | 787 nm out, 7 nm west of the line, tower | no report just now | 9 ft | ||||
| ISM Orlando, FL | 886 nm out, 4 nm southeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 82 ft | ||||
| BOW Bartow, FL | 916 nm out, 13 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 124 ft | ||||
| RSW Fort Myers, FL | destination | no report just now | 29 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,987 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At RSW when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 6:14 am EDT (10:14 UTC)
RSW has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/8389 Jacksonville, FL, Thursday, October 15, 2026 through Sunday, October 18, 2026 UTC 21 nm from the route, 777 nm along the route · air shows/sports · starts Thursday 15 October · ZJX
- 6/8298 Daytona Beach, FL, Wednesday, October 14, 2026 through Sunday, October 18, 2026 UTC 17 nm from the route, 827 nm along the route · drones kept away from a public gathering · starts Wednesday 14 October · ZJX
- 4/3634 DISNEY WORLD THEME PARK, ORLANDO, FL 4 nm from the route, 886 nm along the route · security · ZJX
Daylight
Sunset at BUF 6:37 pm EDT (22:37 UTC), at RSW 7:02 pm EDT (23:02 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:25 pm EDT (23:25 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at RSW is before sunrise there (7:24 am EDT (11:24 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, Southwest Florida International.