Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport to Richmond International CHO → RIC
66 nautical miles (76 statute miles) southeast on a straight line, true course 125°, about 133° magnetic at the departure end (variation 8W). At 120 knots that is 28 min at the quickest height in today's winds (3,500 ft, a 19-knot tailwind), arriving about 11:09 pm EDT (03:09 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now CHO is low IFR, wind calm; 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: 9 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 7E: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 33,000 ft, moving from the west at 15 knots, until 11:55 pm EDT (03:55 UTC). Over the first 47 nm of the route.
as issued
WSUS31 KKCI 120155 MKCE WST 120155 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 7E VALID UNTIL 0355Z PA MD VA DC WV OH FROM 10NNE JST-30WNW SBY-40ENE RIC-50SW BKW-20SE APE-10NNE JST AREA TS MOV FROM 28015KT. TOPS TO FL330.
- 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 first 47 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 CHO.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
- E170 at 500 ft, 0 nm southeast, 8:01 pm EDT (00:01 UTC): overcast above 500 ft. At the departure end, 0 nm southeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
IAD UA /OV CHO/TM 0001/FL005/TP E170/SK OVC005
- Report
- a routine report filed through IAD
- Where
- over CHO
- Time
- 00:01 UTC
- Height
- at 500 ft
- Aircraft
- E170
- Sky
- overcast from 500 ft
- 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 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 | −19 kt | 139 kt | 28 min | 11:09 pm EDT (03:09 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 280° at 20 kt | −17 kt | 137 kt | 29 min | 11:10 pm EDT (03:10 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 280° at 18 kt | −16 kt | 10 °C | 136 kt | 29 min | 11:10 pm EDT (03:10 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 260° at 18 kt | −14 kt | 7 °C | 134 kt | 30 min | 11:11 pm EDT (03:11 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 240° at 21 kt | −10 kt | 5 °C | 130 kt | 30 min | 11:11 pm EDT (03:11 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 240° at 26 kt | −9 kt | 1 °C | 129 kt | 31 min | 11:12 pm EDT (03:12 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 230° at 32 kt | −10 kt | -2 °C | 130 kt | 30 min | 11:11 pm EDT (03:11 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 230° at 38 kt | −10 kt | -6 °C | 130 kt | 30 min | 11:11 pm EDT (03:11 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 230° at 39 kt | −10 kt | -7 °C | 130 kt | 30 min | 11:11 pm EDT (03:11 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 220° at 55 kt | −5 kt | -18 °C | 125 kt | 32 min | 11:13 pm EDT (03:13 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 220° at 75 kt | −6 kt | -30 °C | 126 kt | 31 min | 11:12 pm EDT (03:12 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 230° at 83 kt | −21 kt | -39 °C | 141 kt | 28 min | 11:09 pm EDT (03:09 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 230° at 64 kt | −16 kt | -50 °C | 136 kt | 29 min | 11:10 pm EDT (03:10 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; 42 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 | low IFR Sky: overcast at 300 feet Weather: mist | calm | 5 mi | 300 ft | 640 ft | 10:01 pm EDT (02:01 UTC) |
| LKU Louisa, VA | 19 nm out, 8 nm east of the line | low IFR Sky: a broken layer at 400 feet, overcast at 1,600 feet | from the west-northwest (290°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | 400 ft | 493 ft | 02:35 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 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 RIC when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 11:09 pm EDT (03:09 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 CHO, the departure
- From Sun 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the northeast at 7 knots, visibility 5 miles, light rain showers, mist, overcast at 600 feet
- At times between Sun 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC) and 9:00 pm EDT (01:00 UTC): visibility 2 miles, rain showers, overcast at 500 feet
- From Mon 12:00 am EDT (04:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 3 knots, visibility 5 miles, rain showers, mist, a broken layer at 700 feet, overcast at 1,900 feet
- From Mon 3:00 am EDT (07:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 3 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 1,500 feet, overcast at 3,500 feet
- From Mon 10:00 am EDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the north-northwest at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 5,000 feet
- From Mon 7:00 pm EDT (23:00 UTC): wind calm, 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 CHO 6:40 pm EDT (22:40 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 after sunset there (6:38 pm EDT (22:38 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, Richmond International.