The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Plan a flight · Mon 1:17 am EDT (05:17 UTC)

Columbia Metro Airport to Newark Liberty International CAE → EWR

524 nautical miles (603 statute miles) northeast on a straight line, true course 037°, about 044° magnetic at the departure end (variation 7W). At 120 knots that is 2 h 36 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 81-knot tailwind), arriving about 3:53 am EDT (07:53 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: 363 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 2:55 am EDT (06:55 UTC). Over the last 237 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 5W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 10,000 ft. Over the route from 119 to 188 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 21,000 ft to 33,000 ft. Over the last 336 nm of the route.
  • 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 277 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 CAE.

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 6 forecast points nearest it (CAE, FLO, RDU, RIC, ACY, JFK). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

HeightAverage windHead- or tailwindTemperatureGround speedTime en routeArrival
3,500 ft270° at 19 kt−12 kt132 kt3 h 58 min5:15 am EDT (09:15 UTC)
5,500 ft280° at 17 kt−9 kt129 kt4 h 04 min5:21 am EDT (09:21 UTC)
7,500 ft270° at 17 kt−10 kt10 °C130 kt4 h 02 min5:19 am EDT (09:19 UTC)
9,500 ft260° at 19 kt−13 kt7 °C133 kt3 h 56 min5:13 am EDT (09:13 UTC)
11,500 ft250° at 22 kt−18 kt5 °C138 kt3 h 48 min5:05 am EDT (09:05 UTC)
13,500 ft250° at 26 kt−22 kt2 °C142 kt3 h 41 min4:58 am EDT (08:58 UTC)
15,500 ft240° at 30 kt−27 kt-2 °C147 kt3 h 34 min4:51 am EDT (08:51 UTC)
17,500 ft240° at 35 kt−32 kt-6 °C152 kt3 h 27 min4:44 am EDT (08:44 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180240° at 36 kt−33 kt-7 °C153 kt3 h 25 min4:42 am EDT (08:42 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240230° at 49 kt−47 kt-19 °C167 kt3 h 08 min4:25 am EDT (08:25 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300220° at 72 kt−72 kt-31 °C192 kt2 h 44 min4:01 am EDT (08:01 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340230° at 83 kt−81 kt-39 °C201 kt2 h 36 min3:53 am EDT (07:53 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390230° at 63 kt−61 kt-50 °C181 kt2 h 54 min4:11 am EDT (08:11 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
CAEused from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line330/15330/13 12°330/22 9°300/26 6°280/33 -7°270/38 -18°250/45 -33°240/46 -40°270/38 -49°
FLOused from 49 nm out; 50 nm from the line300/16320/14 12°320/19 7°290/26 5°260/39 -6°250/45 -18°230/62 -32°230/83 -40°230/64 -51°
RDUused from 99 nm out; 43 nm from the line280/33300/23 11°300/28 8°290/28 4°260/41 -6°240/52 -18°230/66 -31°230/76 -39°240/52 -49°
RICused from 198 nm out; 62 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°
ACYused from 395 nm out; 50 nm from the line220/19220/18 14°210/36 9°210/35 5°220/36 -8°240/49 -21°220/90 -31°230/103 -40°230/81 -50°
JFKused from 494 nm out; 29 nm from the line250/18250/23 14°240/33 9°240/33 4°240/38 -10°240/45 -21°230/86 -32°230/102 -40°230/84 -51°

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
CAE Columbia, SC departure no report just now 235 ft
CDN Camden, SC 30 nm out, 10 nm east of the line no report just now 302 ft
VUJ Albemarle, NC 99 nm out, 16 nm northwest of the line, tower no report just now 609 ft
SCR Siler City, NC 128 nm out, 4 nm north of the line no report just now 615 ft
RDU Raleigh/Durham, NC 158 nm out, 20 nm southeast of the line, tower no report just now 435 ft
BKT Blackstone, VA 247 nm out, 6 nm south of the line, tower no report just now 437 ft
RIC Richmond, VA 287 nm out, 13 nm southeast of the line, tower no report just now 167 ft
XSA Tappahannock, VA 316 nm out, 15 nm southeast of the line no report just now 135 ft
ESN Easton, MD 385 nm out, 9 nm south of the line, tower no report just now 72 ft
PHL Philadelphia, PA 454 nm out, 5 nm northwest of the line, tower no report just now 35 ft
PNE Philadelphia, PA 474 nm out, 6 nm west of the line, tower no report just now 119 ft
EWR Newark, NJ destination no report just now 17 ft

The highest airport on this list sits at 615 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At EWR when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 3:53 am EDT (07:53 UTC)

EWR 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 16 nm from the route, 356 nm along the route · security · ZDC
  • 6/8719 Greenwood, DE, Friday, October 16, 2026 through Saturday, October 17, 2026 UTC 17 nm from the route, 395 nm along the route · air shows/sports · starts Friday 16 October · ZDC
  • 6/8886 Greenwood, DE, Sunday, October 18, 2026 UTC 17 nm from the route, 395 nm along the route · air shows/sports · starts Sunday 18 October · ZDC
  • 5/2811 NEW YORK, NY, Monday, October 20, 2025 through Tuesday, October 20, 2026 Local 9 nm from the route, at the destination end · security · until 20 October · ZNY

Daylight

Sunset at CAE 6:54 pm EDT (22:54 UTC), at EWR 6:21 pm EDT (22:21 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:48 pm EDT (22:48 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at EWR is before sunrise there (7:04 am EDT (11:04 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 Southeast
Radar now, the Southeast · loop National Weather Service
Radar now, the Northeast
Radar now, the Northeast · 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: Columbia Metro Airport, Newark Liberty International.