Columbia Metro Airport to Hartsfield/Jackson Atlanta International CAE → ATL
166 nautical miles (191 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 265°, about 272° magnetic at the departure end (variation 7W). At 120 knots that is 1 h 37 min at the quickest height in today's winds (6,500 ft, a 17-knot headwind), arriving about 11:23 pm EDT (03:23 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now CAE is VFR, wind from the southwest (230°) at 5 knots; ATL is VFR, wind from the west-northwest (300°) at 6 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: 5,153 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 5W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 8,000 ft. Near the route, 88 nm along the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). 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 CAE.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
- PA32 at 7,000 ft, 5 nm south, 8:17 pm EDT (00:17 UTC): 8 °C, remarks: smooth. 29 nm along the route, 5 nm south of the line.
as filed, and in English
AGS UA /OV KAIK360010/TM 0017/FL070/TP PA32/WX FV99SM/TA 8/RM SMOOTH
- Report
- a routine report filed through AGS
- Where
- 10 nm north (360°) of KAIK
- Time
- 00:17 UTC
- Height
- at 7,000 ft
- Aircraft
- PA32
- Weather
- flight visibility 99 miles
- Temperature
- 8 °C
- Remarks
- smooth
- CRJ9 descending, 30 nm south, 7:06 pm EDT (23:06 UTC): no turbulence, remarks: smooth ride on final runway 26. 39 nm along the route, 30 nm south of the line.
as filed, and in English
AGS UA /OV AGS 080002/TM 2306/FLDURD/TP CRJ9/TB NEG/RM SMOOTH RIDE ON FINAL RWY26
- Report
- a routine report filed through AGS
- Where
- 2 nm east (080°) of AGS
- Time
- 23:06 UTC
- Height
- during the descent
- Aircraft
- CRJ9
- Turbulence
- none
- Remarks
- smooth ride on final runway 26
- B752 descending, 0 nm west, 7:03 pm EDT (23:03 UTC): remarks: final runway 26R atl. At the destination end, 0 nm west of the line.
as filed, and in English
ATL UA /OV ATL/TM 2303/FLDURD/TP B752/SK BASES 031 TOPS 045/RM FINAL RWY 26R ATL
- Report
- a routine report filed through ATL
- Where
- over ATL
- Time
- 23:03 UTC
- Height
- during the descent
- Aircraft
- B752
- Sky
- bases 3,100 ft tops 4,500 ft
- Remarks
- final runway 26R atl
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 3 forecast points nearest it (CAE, GSP, ATL). 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 | 300° at 23 kt | +18 kt | 102 kt | 1 h 38 min | 11:24 pm EDT (03:24 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 310° at 25 kt | +17 kt | 12 °C | 103 kt | 1 h 37 min | 11:23 pm EDT (03:23 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 310° at 28 kt | +21 kt | 10 °C | 99 kt | 1 h 41 min | 11:27 pm EDT (03:27 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 300° at 31 kt | +24 kt | 7 °C | 96 kt | 1 h 44 min | 11:30 pm EDT (03:30 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 300° at 33 kt | +28 kt | 5 °C | 92 kt | 1 h 48 min | 11:34 pm EDT (03:34 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 290° at 32 kt | +30 kt | 1 °C | 90 kt | 1 h 51 min | 11:37 pm EDT (03:37 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 280° at 33 kt | +32 kt | -2 °C | 88 kt | 1 h 53 min | 11:39 pm EDT (03:39 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 270° at 34 kt | +33 kt | -5 °C | 87 kt | 1 h 54 min | 11:40 pm EDT (03:40 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 250° at 38 kt | +37 kt | -17 °C | 83 kt | 2 h | 11:46 pm EDT (03:46 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 240° at 45 kt | +40 kt | -32 °C | 80 kt | 2 h 05 min | 11:51 pm EDT (03:51 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 230° at 53 kt | +45 kt | -40 °C | 75 kt | 2 h 13 min | 11:59 pm EDT (03:59 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 230° at 51 kt | +42 kt | -50 °C | 78 kt | 2 h 08 min | 11:54 pm EDT (03:54 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAE | used from 0 nm out; 24 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° |
| GSP | used from 49 nm out; 67 nm from the line | 300/22 | 310/22 11° | 300/22 7° | 290/28 5° | 270/36 -5° | 250/42 -18° | 230/54 -31° | 230/59 -40° | 230/65 -50° |
| ATL | used from 98 nm out; 44 nm from the line | 300/23 | 320/26 14° | 320/34 10° | 320/41 5° | 290/32 -6° | 290/31 -18° | 280/28 -33° | 260/32 -41° | 250/28 -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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAE Columbia, SC | departure | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 3,000 feet | from the southwest (230°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 235 ft | 8:56 pm EDT (00:56 UTC) |
| AIK Aiken, SC | 29 nm out, 15 nm south of the line | VFR | from the southwest (230°) at 9 knots, gusting to 14 | 10+ mi | none | 528 ft | 01:35 UTC |
| HQU Thomson, GA | 68 nm out, 18 nm south of the line | VFR | from the west-southwest (240°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | none | 501 ft | 01:35 UTC |
| AHN Athens, GA | 107 nm out, 12 nm north of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a broken layer at 3,800 feet | from the west (260°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | 3,800 ft | 812 ft | 00:51 UTC |
| LZU Lawrenceville, GA | 137 nm out, 18 nm north of the line, tower | VFR | from the west (270°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,061 ft | 00:56 UTC |
| ATL Atlanta, GA | destination | VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 2,800 feet | from the west-northwest (300°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,026 ft | 8:52 pm EDT (00:52 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,061 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At ATL when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 11:23 pm EDT (03:23 UTC)
Wind from the west-northwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for ATL
- From Sun 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 4,000 feet
- From Sun 11:00 pm EDT (03:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 12:00 pm EDT (16:00 UTC): wind from the northwest at 10 knots, gusting to 20, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 5:00 pm EDT (21:00 UTC): wind from the northwest at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
The forecast for CAE, the departure
- From Sun 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the west-southwest at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 4,000 feet
- From Mon 10:00 am EDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the northwest at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/8693 Atlanta, GA, Sunday, October 11, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 UTC 6 nm from the route, at the destination end · drones kept away from a public gathering · until 12 October · ZTL
Daylight
Sunset at CAE 6:54 pm EDT (22:54 UTC), at ATL 7:07 pm EDT (23:07 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:32 pm EDT (23:32 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at ATL is after sunset there (7:09 pm EDT (23:09 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: Columbia Metro Airport, Hartsfield/Jackson Atlanta International.