The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Plan a flight · Sun 9:40 pm EDT (01:40 UTC)

Charleston Afb/Intl Airport to Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall CHS → BWI

411 nautical miles (473 statute miles) north on a straight line, true course 022°, about 029° magnetic at the departure end (variation 7W). At 120 knots that is 2 h 04 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 79-knot tailwind), arriving about 11:44 pm EDT (03:44 UTC), after sunset at the destination. 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: 2,431 flights in the DOT's last twelve reported months, the route's page.

The return flight

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 3E: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 31,000 ft, moving from the west at 15 knots, until 10:55 pm EDT (02:55 UTC). Over the route from 225 to 372 nm out.
    as issued
    WSUS31 KKCI 120055
    MKCE WST 120055
    CONVECTIVE SIGMET 3E
    VALID UNTIL 0255Z
    PA MD VA NC WV OH KY
    FROM 20NE APE-30SE JST-30SSE DCA-40SW ECG-70NNW HMV-20NE APE
    AREA TS MOV FROM 28015KT. TOPS TO FL310.
  • SIGMET 2E: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 31,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 20 knots, until 10:55 pm EDT (02:55 UTC). Near the route, at the destination end.
    as issued
    WSUS31 KKCI 120055
    MKCE WST 120055
    CONVECTIVE SIGMET 2E
    VALID UNTIL 0255Z
    CT NY NJ PA DE MD AND NJ NY CT CSTL WTRS
    FROM 30NE SAX-30SSW HTO-30ESE EMI-50WSW HAR-30NE SAX
    AREA EMBD TS MOV FROM 22020KT. TOPS TO FL310.
  • 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 last 117 nm of the route.
  • AIRMET TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 21,000 ft to 33,000 ft. Over the last 59 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 CHS.

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 20:00–03:00 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 (CHS, FLO, RDU, RIC). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

HeightAverage windHead- or tailwindTemperatureGround speedTime en routeArrival
3,500 ft220° at 25 kt−23 kt143 kt2 h 52 min12:32 am EDT (04:32 UTC)
5,500 ft230° at 22 kt−19 kt139 kt2 h 57 min12:37 am EDT (04:37 UTC)
7,500 ft230° at 26 kt−23 kt11 °C143 kt2 h 52 min12:32 am EDT (04:32 UTC)
9,500 ft230° at 32 kt−28 kt11 °C148 kt2 h 47 min12:27 am EDT (04:27 UTC)
11,500 ft230° at 36 kt−33 kt8 °C153 kt2 h 41 min12:21 am EDT (04:21 UTC)
13,500 ft230° at 39 kt−36 kt4 °C156 kt2 h 38 min12:18 am EDT (04:18 UTC)
15,500 ft230° at 42 kt−37 kt0 °C157 kt2 h 37 min12:17 am EDT (04:17 UTC)
17,500 ft230° at 45 kt−39 kt-4 °C159 kt2 h 35 min12:15 am EDT (04:15 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180230° at 46 kt−39 kt-5 °C159 kt2 h 35 min12:15 am EDT (04:15 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240230° at 66 kt−60 kt-15 °C180 kt2 h 17 min11:57 pm EDT (03:57 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300220° at 79 kt−76 kt-29 °C196 kt2 h 06 min11:46 pm EDT (03:46 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340210° at 80 kt−79 kt-40 °C199 kt2 h 04 min11:44 pm EDT (03:44 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390220° at 75 kt−73 kt-52 °C193 kt2 h 08 min11:48 pm EDT (03:48 UTC)

Based on data from the 11th at 18:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 00:00 UTC for use 20:00 to 03:00 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
PointFrom3,0006,0009,00012,00018,00024,00030,00034,00039,000
CHSused from 0 nm out; 24 nm from the line260/22280/26 12°260/37 12°250/40 8°240/54 -4°230/55 -15°220/61 -31°200/66 -41°210/62 -52°
FLOused from 49 nm out; 16 nm from the line240/25270/23 11°250/36 10°240/38 7°240/50 -4°230/66 -15°220/75 -30°210/77 -40°220/73 -52°
RDUused from 147 nm out; 22 nm from the line240/28250/22 10°230/30 11°230/40 7°230/45 -4°220/69 -15°220/83 -29°210/84 -40°220/75 -52°
RICused from 245 nm out; 40 nm from the line190/33200/29 14°210/31 12°210/38 6°230/42 -7°230/68 -16°220/84 -29°220/86 -40°220/81 -52°

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

AirportWhereConditionsWindVisibilityCeilingElevationReported
CHS Charleston, SC departure no report just now 46 ft
MKS Moncks Corner, SC 20 nm out, 7 nm west of the line no report just now 74 ft
FLO Florence, SC 78 nm out, 15 nm west of the line, tower no report just now 146 ft
MAO Marion, SC 88 nm out, 4 nm south of the line no report just now 92 ft
FAY Fayetteville, NC 137 nm out, 5 nm east of the line, tower no report just now 189 ft
RDU Raleigh/Durham, NC 186 nm out, 13 nm northwest of the line, tower no report just now 435 ft
AVC South Hill, VA 245 nm out, 3 nm northeast of the line no report just now 441 ft
BKT Blackstone, VA 274 nm out, 5 nm west of the line, tower no report just now 437 ft
RIC Richmond, VA 303 nm out, 14 nm east of the line, tower no report just now 167 ft
EZF Fredericksburg, VA 342 nm out, 12 nm northwest of the line no report just now 85 ft
DCA Washington, DC 381 nm out, 9 nm northwest of the line, tower no report just now 14 ft
BWI Baltimore, MD destination no report just now 143 ft

The highest airport on this list sits at 441 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At BWI when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 11:44 pm EDT (03:44 UTC)

BWI has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.

Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it

  • 6/8713 Maxton, NC, Friday, October 16, 2026 through Sunday, October 18, 2026 UTC 8 nm from the route, 117 nm along the route · air shows/sports · starts Friday 16 October · ZDC
  • 6/8508 Johnsontown, NC 24 nm from the route, 127 nm along the route · security · ZDC
  • 4/9383 WASHINGTON, DC., USA on the route, 381 nm along the route · security · ZDC
  • 6/8600 Sterling, VA, Monday, October 12, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local 20 nm from the route, 391 nm along the route · a VIP movement · today · ZDC
  • 6/8800 Baltimore, MD, Saturday, October 17, 2026 through Sunday, October 18, 2026 UTC 6 nm from the route, at the destination end · drones kept away from a public gathering · starts Saturday 17 October · ZDC

Daylight

Sunset at CHS 6:50 pm EDT (22:50 UTC), at BWI 6:32 pm EDT (22:32 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:59 pm EDT (22:59 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at BWI is before sunrise there (7:13 am EDT (11:13 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

Radar now, the Southeast
Radar now, the Southeast · loop National Weather Service
Radar now, the Northeast
Radar now, the Northeast · loop National Weather Service
Radar, the whole country
Radar, the whole country · loop National Weather Service
Surface analysis now
Surface analysis now Weather Prediction Center
Forecast chart, 12 hours ahead
Forecast chart, 12 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center
Forecast chart, 24 hours ahead
Forecast chart, 24 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center

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: Charleston Afb/Intl Airport, Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall.