Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport to Ronald Reagan Washington Ntl Airport CHO → DCA
79 nautical miles (91 statute miles) northeast on a straight line, true course 057°, about 065° magnetic at the departure end (variation 8W). At 120 knots that is 23 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 82-knot tailwind), arriving about 3:01 am EDT (07:01 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now CHO is VFR, wind calm; DCA is IFR, wind from the northwest (320°) at 10 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: 16 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 E22E: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 40,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 20 knots, until 3:55 am EDT (07:55 UTC). Over the last 59 nm of the route.
as issued
WSUS31 KKCI 120555 MKCE WST 120555 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 22E VALID UNTIL 0755Z NY NJ PA DE MD VA DC WV AND MA RI DE NJ NY CSTL WTRS FROM 40E HTO-80SSW ACK-100ESE SIE-30SW CSN-40SSE JST-40E HTO AREA EMBD TS MOV FROM 24020KT. TOPS TO FL400.
- 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 whole route.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 21,000 ft to 33,000 ft. Over the whole route.
- AIRMET TANGO 5W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 10,000 ft. Near the route, at the departure 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 CHO.
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 1 forecast point nearest it (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 | 270° at 22 kt | −18 kt | 138 kt | 34 min | 3:12 am EDT (07:12 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 280° at 20 kt | −15 kt | 135 kt | 35 min | 3:13 am EDT (07:13 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 280° at 18 kt | −15 kt | 10 °C | 135 kt | 35 min | 3:13 am EDT (07:13 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 260° at 18 kt | −16 kt | 7 °C | 136 kt | 35 min | 3:13 am EDT (07:13 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 240° at 21 kt | −21 kt | 5 °C | 141 kt | 34 min | 3:12 am EDT (07:12 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 240° at 26 kt | −26 kt | 1 °C | 146 kt | 32 min | 3:10 am EDT (07:10 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 230° at 32 kt | −32 kt | -2 °C | 152 kt | 31 min | 3:09 am EDT (07:09 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 230° at 38 kt | −37 kt | -6 °C | 157 kt | 30 min | 3:08 am EDT (07:08 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 230° at 39 kt | −39 kt | -7 °C | 159 kt | 30 min | 3:08 am EDT (07:08 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 220° at 55 kt | −53 kt | -18 °C | 173 kt | 27 min | 3:05 am EDT (07:05 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 220° at 75 kt | −72 kt | -30 °C | 192 kt | 25 min | 3:03 am EDT (07:03 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 230° at 83 kt | −82 kt | -39 °C | 202 kt | 23 min | 3:01 am EDT (07:01 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 230° at 64 kt | −64 kt | -50 °C | 184 kt | 26 min | 3:04 am EDT (07:04 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RIC | used from 0 nm out; 61 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHO Charlottesville, VA | departure | VFR Sky: overcast at 3,300 feet Weather: light rain | calm | 10+ mi | 3,300 ft | 640 ft | 1:53 am EDT (05:53 UTC) |
| HEF Washington, DC | 59 nm out, 6 nm northwest of the line, tower | IFR Sky: a broken layer at 900 feet, a broken layer at 1,300 feet, overcast at 2,800 feet Weather: light rain | from the north-northwest (340°) at 10 knots | 3 mi | 900 ft | 192 ft | 06:19 UTC |
| DCA Washington, DC | destination | IFR Sky: overcast at 900 feet Weather: light drizzle, mist | from the northwest (320°) at 10 knots | 4 mi | 900 ft | 14 ft | 2:35 am EDT (06:35 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 640 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At DCA when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 3:01 am EDT (07:01 UTC)
Wind from the north at 8 knots, visibility 5 miles, light rain, mist, overcast at 900 feet IFR
The whole forecast for DCA
- From Mon 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the north at 8 knots, visibility 5 miles, light rain, mist, overcast at 900 feet
- From Mon 9:00 am EDT (13:00 UTC): wind from the north-northwest at 10 knots, gusting to 18, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 1,200 feet
- From Mon 1:00 pm EDT (17:00 UTC): wind from the north-northwest at 13 knots, gusting to 22, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 1,500 feet, overcast at 2,500 feet
- From Mon 3:00 pm EDT (19:00 UTC): wind from the north-northwest at 10 knots, gusting to 17, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 2,500 feet, a broken layer at 3,500 feet
- From Mon 5:00 pm EDT (21:00 UTC): wind from the northwest at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 3,500 feet
- From Mon 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 4,000 feet
The forecast for CHO, the departure
- From Mon 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the northwest at 3 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 2,500 feet, a broken layer at 6,000 feet and more above
- From Mon 10:00 am EDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the north-northwest at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 3,500 feet, a broken layer at 5,000 feet
- From Mon 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): wind calm, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 5,000 feet
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 4/9383 WASHINGTON, DC., USA on the route, 69 nm along the route · security · ZDC
- 6/8600 Sterling, VA, Monday, October 12, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local 13 nm from the route, at the destination end · a VIP movement · today · ZDC
Daylight
Sunset at CHO 6:40 pm EDT (22:40 UTC), at DCA 6:34 pm EDT (22:34 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:01 pm EDT (23:01 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at DCA 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: Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport, Ronald Reagan Washington Ntl Airport.