Columbia Metro Airport to Richmond International CAE → RIC
283 nautical miles (326 statute miles) northeast on a straight line, true course 040°, about 047° magnetic at the departure end (variation 7W). At 120 knots that is 1 h 28 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 72-knot tailwind), arriving about 12:15 am EDT (04:15 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now CAE is VFR, wind from the south-southwest (210°) at 4 knots; RIC is VFR, wind from the west-southwest (240°) at 10 knots, gusting to 19. 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: 48 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). Near the route, 244 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 CAE.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
- PA32 at 7,000 ft, 30 nm west, 8:17 pm EDT (00:17 UTC): 8 °C, remarks: smooth. At the departure end, 30 nm west 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
- SR22 at 8,000 ft, 26 nm southeast, 8:18 pm EDT (00:18 UTC): no turbulence, clear, remarks: thin layer below but can see lights from the ground. 78 nm along the route, 26 nm southeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
FLO UA /OV BBP/TM 0018/FL080/TP SR22/SK CLR/TB SMOOTH/RM THIN LAYER BELOW BUT CAN SEE LIGHTS FROM THE GROUND
- Report
- a routine report filed through FLO
- Where
- over BBP
- Time
- 00:18 UTC
- Height
- at 8,000 ft
- Aircraft
- SR22
- Sky
- clear
- Turbulence
- smooth
- Remarks
- thin layer below but can see lights from the ground
- BCS3 at 600 ft, 0 nm south, 8:06 pm EDT (00:06 UTC): a routine report with nothing remarked on. At the destination end, 0 nm south of the line.
as filed, and in English
RIC UA /OV RIC/TM 0006/FL006/TP BCS3/SK BASES 006
- Report
- a routine report filed through RIC
- Where
- over RIC
- Time
- 00:06 UTC
- Height
- at 600 ft
- Aircraft
- BCS3
- Sky
- bases 600 ft
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 4 forecast points nearest it (CAE, FLO, RDU, RIC). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.
| Height | Average wind | Head- or tailwind | Temperature | Ground speed | Time en route | Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3,500 ft | 290° at 23 kt | −9 kt | 129 kt | 2 h 12 min | 12:59 am EDT (04:59 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 300° at 19 kt | −4 kt | 124 kt | 2 h 17 min | 1:04 am EDT (05:04 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 300° at 21 kt | −2 kt | 10 °C | 122 kt | 2 h 19 min | 1:06 am EDT (05:06 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 300° at 23 kt | −4 kt | 7 °C | 124 kt | 2 h 17 min | 1:04 am EDT (05:04 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 290° at 25 kt | −9 kt | 5 °C | 129 kt | 2 h 12 min | 12:59 am EDT (04:59 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 280° at 28 kt | −15 kt | 2 °C | 135 kt | 2 h 06 min | 12:53 am EDT (04:53 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 270° at 32 kt | −22 kt | -2 °C | 142 kt | 2 h | 12:47 am EDT (04:47 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 260° at 37 kt | −28 kt | -5 °C | 148 kt | 1 h 55 min | 12:42 am EDT (04:42 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 260° at 38 kt | −30 kt | -6 °C | 150 kt | 1 h 53 min | 12:40 am EDT (04:40 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 240° at 47 kt | −44 kt | -18 °C | 164 kt | 1 h 44 min | 12:31 am EDT (04:31 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 230° at 62 kt | −61 kt | -31 °C | 181 kt | 1 h 34 min | 12:21 am EDT (04:21 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 230° at 73 kt | −72 kt | -39 °C | 192 kt | 1 h 28 min | 12:15 am EDT (04:15 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 240° at 52 kt | −49 kt | -49 °C | 169 kt | 1 h 40 min | 12:27 am EDT (04:27 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; 24 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° |
| FLO | used from 49 nm out; 47 nm from the line | 300/16 | 320/14 12° | 320/19 7° | 290/26 5° | 260/39 -6° | 250/45 -18° | 230/62 -32° | 230/83 -40° | 230/64 -51° |
| RDU | used from 98 nm out; 43 nm from the line | 280/33 | 300/23 11° | 300/28 8° | 290/28 4° | 260/41 -6° | 240/52 -18° | 230/66 -31° | 230/76 -39° | 240/52 -49° |
| RIC | used from 244 nm out; 20 nm from the line | 270/23 | 280/19 11° | 270/18 8° | 240/22 4° | 230/39 -7° | 220/55 -18° | 220/75 -30° | 230/83 -39° | 230/64 -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 | from the south-southwest (210°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 235 ft | 9:56 pm EDT (01:56 UTC) |
| CDN Camden, SC | 29 nm out, 9 nm east of the line | marginal VFR Sky: a broken layer at 2,000 feet | calm | 10+ mi | 2,000 ft | 302 ft | 02:35 UTC |
| PYG Pageland, SC | 59 nm out, 3 nm north of the line | no report just now | 574 ft | ||||
| VUJ Albemarle, NC | 98 nm out, 20 nm northwest of the line, tower | VFR | from the southwest (220°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 609 ft | 02:35 UTC |
| SCR Siler City, NC | 137 nm out, 9 nm west of the line | VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 6,500 feet, scattered clouds at 7,500 feet | from the southwest (220°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 615 ft | 02:35 UTC |
| RDU Raleigh/Durham, NC | 166 nm out, 12 nm southeast of the line, tower | VFR Sky: overcast at 3,500 feet | from the southwest (230°) at 12 knots | 10+ mi | 3,500 ft | 435 ft | 01:51 UTC |
| AVC South Hill, VA | 224 nm out, 7 nm southeast of the line | VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 3,400 feet, overcast at 5,500 feet | from the south-southwest (210°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | 5,500 ft | 441 ft | 02:35 UTC |
| BKT Blackstone, VA | 244 nm out, 5 nm northwest of the line, tower | VFR | from the north-northeast (030°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 437 ft | 12:55 UTC |
| RIC Richmond, VA | destination | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 5,000 feet, a few clouds at 7,000 feet, a broken layer at 30,000 feet | from the west-southwest (240°) at 10 knots, gusting to 19 | 10+ mi | 30,000 ft | 167 ft | 9:54 pm EDT (01:54 UTC) |
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 RIC when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 12:15 am EDT (04:15 UTC)
Wind from the southwest at 12 knots, gusting to 20, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 2,000 feet marginal VFR
The whole forecast for RIC
- From Sun 9:00 pm EDT (01:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 12 knots, gusting to 20, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 2,000 feet
- From Mon 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the west at 10 knots, gusting to 17, visibility 5 miles, light rain, mist, overcast at 600 feet
- From Mon 6:00 am EDT (10:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 10 knots, gusting to 17, visibility more than 6 miles, showers nearby, a broken layer at 1,000 feet
- From Mon 10:00 am EDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the north-northwest at 13 knots, gusting to 21, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 2,500 feet
- From Mon 1:00 pm EDT (17:00 UTC): wind from the north-northwest at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 6,000 feet
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
No temporary flight restriction on or near this route right now.
Daylight
Sunset at CAE 6:54 pm EDT (22:54 UTC), at RIC 6:36 pm EDT (22:36 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:02 pm EDT (23:02 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at RIC is before sunrise there (7:14 am EDT (11:14 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, Richmond International.