Columbia Metro Airport to Roanoke/Blacksburg Regional (Woodrum Field) CAE → ROA
211 nautical miles (243 statute miles) north on a straight line, true course 015°, about 022° magnetic at the departure end (variation 7W). At 120 knots that is 2 h 02 min at the quickest height in today's winds (3,500 ft, a 16-knot headwind), arriving about 12:10 pm EDT (16:10 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: 42 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 below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 6,000 ft. Over the last 96 nm of the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, mist). Near the route, 182 nm along 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). Near the route, 201 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
- C172 at 4,500 ft, 28 nm west, 9:17 am EDT (13:17 UTC): no turbulence, wind 000° at 0 knots. 10 nm along the route, 28 nm west of the line.
as filed, and in English
EOE UA /OV EOE180006 /TM 1317 /FL045 /TP C172 /WV 00000KT /TB NEG
- Report
- a routine report filed through EOE
- Where
- 6 nm south (180°) of EOE
- Time
- 13:17 UTC
- Height
- at 4,500 ft
- Aircraft
- C172
- Wind
- from 000° at 0 knots
- Turbulence
- none
- BE33 at 7,000 ft, 36 nm west, 8:53 am EDT (12:53 UTC): light turbulence, remarks: ztlfd 45. 115 nm along the route, 36 nm west of the line.
as filed, and in English
ATL UA /OV BZM/TM 1253/FL070/TP BE33/TB LGT/RM ZTLFD 45
- Report
- a routine report filed through ATL
- Where
- over BZM
- Time
- 12:53 UTC
- Height
- at 7,000 ft
- Aircraft
- BE33
- Turbulence
- light
- Remarks
- ztlfd 45
- A321 at 30,000 ft, 44 nm west, 7:55 am EDT (11:55 UTC): light turbulence, remarks: ztlfd 43. 115 nm along the route, 44 nm west of the line.
as filed, and in English
ATL UA /OV BZM330010/TM 1155/FL300/TP A321/TB LGT/RM ZTLFD 43
- Report
- a routine report filed through ATL
- Where
- 10 nm northwest (330°) of BZM
- Time
- 11:55 UTC
- Height
- at 30,000 ft
- Aircraft
- A321
- Turbulence
- light
- Remarks
- ztlfd 43
- B739 at 33,000 ft, 21 nm east, 9:00 am EDT (13:00 UTC): light turbulence, remarks: ztlfd 33. 134 nm along the route, 21 nm east of the line.
as filed, and in English
ATL UA /OV GSO/TM 1300/FL330/TP B739/TB LGT/RM ZTLFD 33
- Report
- a routine report filed through ATL
- Where
- over GSO
- Time
- 13:00 UTC
- Height
- at 33,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B739
- Turbulence
- light
- Remarks
- ztlfd 33
- E145 at 4,000 ft, 5 nm east, 8:06 am EDT (12:06 UTC): a broken layer above 4,000 ft, remarks: during the descent 20SW roa bases 4,000 ft. 192 nm along the route, 5 nm east of the line.
as filed, and in English
ROA UA /OV ROA170020/TM 1206/FL040/TP E145/SK BKN040/RM DURD 20SW ROA BASES 040
- Report
- a routine report filed through ROA
- Where
- 20 nm south (170°) of ROA
- Time
- 12:06 UTC
- Height
- at 4,000 ft
- Aircraft
- E145
- Sky
- a broken layer from 4,000 ft
- Remarks
- during the descent 20SW roa bases 4,000 ft
- E75L descending, 5 nm west, 7:09 am EDT (11:09 UTC): a broken layer above 3,700 ft. At the destination end, 5 nm west of the line.
as filed, and in English
ROA UA /OV ROA/TM 1109/FLDURD/TP E75L/SK BKN037 050
- Report
- a routine report filed through ROA
- Where
- over ROA
- Time
- 11:09 UTC
- Height
- during the descent
- Aircraft
- E75L
- Sky
- BKN037 at 5,000 ft
Winds aloft along the route, and the time en route the forecast for use 08:00–15:00 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 3 forecast points nearest it (CAE, RDU, ROA). 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 | 330° at 24 kt | +16 kt | 104 kt | 2 h 02 min | 12:10 pm EDT (16:10 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 330° at 23 kt | +17 kt | 103 kt | 2 h 03 min | 12:11 pm EDT (16:11 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 330° at 23 kt | +17 kt | 11 °C | 103 kt | 2 h 03 min | 12:11 pm EDT (16:11 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 330° at 24 kt | +17 kt | 8 °C | 103 kt | 2 h 03 min | 12:11 pm EDT (16:11 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 330° at 27 kt | +18 kt | 5 °C | 102 kt | 2 h 04 min | 12:12 pm EDT (16:12 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 330° at 31 kt | +21 kt | 1 °C | 99 kt | 2 h 08 min | 12:16 pm EDT (16:16 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 330° at 34 kt | +24 kt | -3 °C | 96 kt | 2 h 12 min | 12:20 pm EDT (16:20 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 330° at 37 kt | +27 kt | -7 °C | 93 kt | 2 h 16 min | 12:24 pm EDT (16:24 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 330° at 38 kt | +28 kt | -8 °C | 92 kt | 2 h 18 min | 12:26 pm EDT (16:26 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 330° at 38 kt | +25 kt | -20 °C | 95 kt | 2 h 13 min | 12:21 pm EDT (16:21 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 340° at 43 kt | +35 kt | -33 °C | 85 kt | 2 h 29 min | 12:37 pm EDT (16:37 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 340° at 46 kt | +39 kt | -39 °C | 81 kt | 2 h 36 min | 12:44 pm EDT (16:44 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 310° at 39 kt | +19 kt | -48 °C | 101 kt | 2 h 05 min | 12:13 pm EDT (16:13 UTC) |
Based on data from the 12th at 06:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 12:00 UTC for use 08:00 to 15:00 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 | 340/17 | 330/15 12° | 320/22 9° | 320/31 5° | 330/35 -7° | 320/33 -19° | 340/40 -32° | 350/43 -39° | 320/35 -49° |
| RDU | used from 96 nm out; 82 nm from the line | 330/30 | 340/24 12° | 330/26 7° | 320/30 3° | 330/39 -8° | 310/30 -20° | 300/33 -33° | 310/34 -39° | 310/41 -47° |
| ROA | used from 144 nm out; 43 nm from the line | 310/32 | 340/32 14° | 350/25 9° | 340/24 3° | 340/42 -8° | 340/52 -20° | 350/62 -34° | 350/64 -39° | 310/44 -48° |
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 | ||||
| FDW Winnsboro, SC | 19 nm out, 6 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 577 ft | ||||
| CLT Charlotte, NC | 77 nm out, 12 nm west of the line, tower | no report just now | 747 ft | ||||
| JQF Concord, NC | 86 nm out, 4 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 704 ft | ||||
| INT Winston Salem, NC | 134 nm out, 9 nm east of the line, tower | no report just now | 969 ft | ||||
| MTV Martinsville, VA | 173 nm out, 10 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 948 ft | ||||
| ROA Roanoke, VA | destination | no report just now | 1,175 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,175 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At ROA when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 12:10 pm EDT (16:10 UTC)
ROA has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
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 ROA 6:47 pm EDT (22:47 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:13 pm EDT (23:13 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, Roanoke/Blacksburg Regional (Woodrum Field).