Columbia Metro Airport to Phoenix Sky Harbor International CAE → PHX
1,538 nautical miles (1,770 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 278°, about 285° magnetic at the departure end (variation 7W). At 120 knots that is 14 h 47 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 16-knot headwind), arriving about 11:26 am MST (18:26 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: 3 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 3C: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 30,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 30 knots, until 12:55 am EDT (04:55 UTC). Over the route from 1168 to 1228 nm out.
as issued
WSUS32 KKCI 120255 MKCC WST 120255 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 3C VALID UNTIL 0455Z TX NM FROM 50SE CIM-70WNW MRF-30W ELP-10W FTI-50SE CIM AREA TS MOV FROM 22030KT. TOPS TO FL300.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 160 to 180 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 230 to 240 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the route from 1178 to 1418 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 35,000 ft to 45,000 ft. Over the route from 1228 to 1498 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 1498 to 1508 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 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 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 15 forecast points nearest it (CAE, GSP, ATL, HSV, MEM, LIT, FSM, OKC, SPS, AMA, TCC, ROW, ABQ, TUS, PHX). 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 | 230° at 18 kt | +16 kt | 13 °C | 104 kt | 14 h 47 min | 11:26 am MST (18:26 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 250° at 17 kt | +17 kt | 15 °C | 103 kt | 14 h 56 min | 11:35 am MST (18:35 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 250° at 18 kt | +18 kt | 12 °C | 102 kt | 15 h 05 min | 11:44 am MST (18:44 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 250° at 17 kt | +18 kt | 9 °C | 102 kt | 15 h 05 min | 11:44 am MST (18:44 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 250° at 17 kt | +18 kt | 5 °C | 102 kt | 15 h 05 min | 11:44 am MST (18:44 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 250° at 20 kt | +20 kt | 1 °C | 100 kt | 15 h 23 min | 12:02 pm MST (19:02 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 250° at 22 kt | +22 kt | -3 °C | 98 kt | 15 h 42 min | 12:21 pm MST (19:21 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 250° at 23 kt | +23 kt | -6 °C | 97 kt | 15 h 51 min | 12:30 pm MST (19:30 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 250° at 33 kt | +33 kt | -18 °C | 87 kt | 17 h 41 min | 2:20 pm MST (21:20 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 260° at 46 kt | +48 kt | -29 °C | 72 kt | 21 h 22 min | 6:01 pm MST (01:01 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 270° at 47 kt | +49 kt | -38 °C | 71 kt | 21 h 40 min | 6:19 pm MST (01:19 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 270° at 40 kt | +42 kt | -50 °C | 78 kt | 19 h 43 min | 4:22 pm MST (23:22 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAE | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 330/15 | 330/13 12° | 330/22 9° | 300/26 6° | 280/33 -7° | 270/38 -18° | 250/45 -33° | 240/46 -40° | 270/38 -49° |
| GSP | used from 50 nm out; 52 nm from the line | 320/22 | 340/19 13° | 320/18 8° | 310/24 5° | 300/34 -7° | 300/36 -18° | 290/30 -33° | 300/32 -39° | 320/42 -49° |
| ATL | used from 100 nm out; 52 nm from the line | 320/30 | 330/37 16° | 340/44 11° | 330/35 7° | 310/33 -6° | 300/38 -18° | 330/58 -33° | 330/48 -40° | 320/34 -49° |
| HSV | used from 200 nm out; 60 nm from the line | 310/20 | 330/20 16° | 320/27 11° | 340/23 5° | 320/23 -7° | 340/30 -17° | 320/50 -33° | 330/61 -41° | 340/41 -50° |
| MEM | used from 349 nm out; 73 nm from the line | 230/19 | 260/16 15° | 270/17 12° | 300/13 6° | 300/15 -5° | 300/26 -18° | 300/34 -32° | 300/41 -40° | 310/46 -52° |
| LIT | used from 499 nm out; 28 nm from the line | 220/21 | 230/17 16° | 250/24 12° | 260/15 7° | 260/13 -5° | 280/25 -16° | 290/35 -30° | 300/42 -40° | 300/40 -52° |
| FSM | used from 599 nm out; 52 nm from the line | 210/27 | 250/23 16° | 250/20 13° | 240/17 8° | 250/18 -6° | 260/31 -16° | 280/42 -30° | 280/44 -40° | 290/38 -51° |
| OKC | used from 749 nm out; 62 nm from the line | 200/44 | 230/32 18° | 240/13 15° | 240/10 9° | 240/20 -5° | 250/27 -16° | 260/47 -28° | 270/48 -39° | 270/45 -50° |
| SPS | used from 849 nm out; 39 nm from the line | 200/39 | 220/28 17° | 230/27 12° | 240/15 9° | 250/15 -4° | 250/24 -15° | 260/45 -28° | 270/43 -39° | 280/45 -51° |
| AMA | used from 949 nm out; 63 nm from the line | 210/38 | 230/29 14° | 240/29 7° | 220/27 -5° | 240/37 -18° | 240/66 -28° | 250/59 -37° | 260/47 -49° | |
| TCC | used from 1048 nm out; 62 nm from the line | 210/42 | 230/33 14° | 230/32 6° | 220/35 -6° | 230/49 -19° | 240/72 -27° | 250/62 -36° | 250/52 -48° | |
| ROW | used from 1148 nm out; 59 nm from the line | 190/33 | 210/27 14° | 220/28 6° | 230/36 -6° | 230/56 -15° | 230/63 -27° | 250/59 -37° | 260/57 -49° | |
| ABQ | used from 1198 nm out; 67 nm from the line | 220/27 11° | 210/35 5° | 220/46 -9° | 230/62 -20° | 240/78 -25° | 240/80 -35° | 240/56 -47° | ||
| TUS | used from 1398 nm out; 115 nm from the line | 210/13 13° | 200/35 9° | 210/40 5° | 220/50 -7° | 220/59 -18° | 230/79 -26° | 230/84 -35° | 230/84 -48° | |
| PHX | used from 1448 nm out; 65 nm from the line | 150/5 | 200/21 12° | 200/27 6° | 200/35 3° | 220/58 -8° | 220/69 -19° | 220/87 -26° | 230/93 -35° | 230/79 -47° |
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 | no report just now | 235 ft | ||||
| AHN Athens, GA | 110 nm out, 13 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 812 ft | ||||
| HSV Huntsville, AL | 280 nm out, 13 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 628 ft | ||||
| TUP Tupelo, MS | 379 nm out, 17 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 346 ft | ||||
| LIT Little Rock, AR | 549 nm out, 5 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 266 ft | ||||
| MEZ Mena, AR | 649 nm out, 8 nm south of the line | no report just now | 1,079 ft | ||||
| LAW Lawton, OK | 859 nm out, 3 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,110 ft | ||||
| CDS Childress, TX | 949 nm out, 7 nm south of the line | no report just now | 1,953 ft | ||||
| CVN Clovis, NM | 1088 nm out, 2 nm north of the line | no report just now | 4,215 ft | ||||
| ONM Socorro, NM | 1278 nm out, 3 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 4,875 ft | ||||
| IWA Phoenix, AZ | 1518 nm out, 11 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,384 ft | ||||
| PHX Phoenix, AZ | destination | no report just now | 1,134 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 4,875 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At PHX when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 11:26 am MST (18:26 UTC)
PHX has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/8722 ALAMOGORDO, NM, Tuesday, October 13, 2026 Local on the route, 1228 nm along the route · security · starts tomorrow · ZAB
Daylight
Sunset at CAE 6:54 pm EDT (22:54 UTC), at PHX 5:58 pm MST (00:58 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:23 pm MST (01:23 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, Phoenix Sky Harbor International.