The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Plan a flight · Mon 2:47 am EDT (06:47 UTC)

Charleston Afb/Intl Airport to General Downing - Peoria International CHS → PIA

657 nautical miles (756 statute miles) northwest on a straight line, true course 318°, about 325° magnetic at the departure end (variation 7W). At 120 knots that is 6 h 15 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 15-knot headwind), arriving about 8:02 am CDT (13:02 UTC). Right now CHS is VFR, wind from the west-southwest (240°) at 5 knots; PIA is VFR, wind from the south (180°) at 4 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: 4 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

  • AIRMET TANGO 5W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 10,000 ft. Over the route from 119 to 219 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 5W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) from 29,000 ft to 40,000 ft. Over the route from 169 to 239 nm out.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 199 to 319 nm out.
  • 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 route from 209 to 518 nm out.

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

  • B38M at 29,000 ft, 44 nm northeast, 12:52 am EDT (04:52 UTC): no turbulence from 23,000 ft to 29,000 ft. 607 nm along the route, 44 nm northeast of the line.
    as filed, and in English
    TIP UA /OV RBS/TM 0452/FL290/TP B38M/TB NEG 230-290
    Report
    a routine report filed through TIP
    Where
    over RBS
    Time
    04:52 UTC
    Height
    at 29,000 ft
    Aircraft
    B38M
    Turbulence
    no from 23,000 ft to 29,000 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 westbound cruising heights for this course (VFR: even thousands plus 500 ft; above 18,000 ft the forecast levels), with the wind averaged along the line from the 7 forecast points nearest it (CHS, CAE, GSP, TYS, LOU, EVV, SPI). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

HeightAverage windHead- or tailwindTemperatureGround speedTime en routeArrival
4,500 ft300° at 15 kt+15 kt105 kt6 h 15 min8:02 am CDT (13:02 UTC)
6,500 ft310° at 17 kt+17 kt13 °C103 kt6 h 23 min8:10 am CDT (13:10 UTC)
8,500 ft320° at 21 kt+21 kt10 °C99 kt6 h 38 min8:25 am CDT (13:25 UTC)
10,500 ft320° at 22 kt+22 kt7 °C98 kt6 h 42 min8:29 am CDT (13:29 UTC)
12,500 ft320° at 22 kt+22 kt4 °C98 kt6 h 42 min8:29 am CDT (13:29 UTC)
14,500 ft310° at 24 kt+23 kt0 °C97 kt6 h 46 min8:33 am CDT (13:33 UTC)
16,500 ft310° at 25 kt+25 kt-4 °C95 kt6 h 55 min8:42 am CDT (13:42 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180300° at 27 kt+26 kt-7 °C94 kt6 h 59 min8:46 am CDT (13:46 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240310° at 30 kt+30 kt-18 °C90 kt7 h 18 min9:05 am CDT (14:05 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300300° at 35 kt+34 kt-33 °C86 kt7 h 38 min9:25 am CDT (14:25 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340300° at 43 kt+42 kt-40 °C78 kt8 h 25 min10:12 am CDT (15:12 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390310° at 42 kt+41 kt-50 °C79 kt8 h 19 min10:06 am CDT (15:06 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
PointFrom3,0006,0009,00012,00018,00024,00030,00034,00039,000
CHSused from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line280/21270/23 12°280/28 11°260/35 6°250/41 -5°250/45 -16°230/59 -32°220/74 -40°230/67 -52°
CAEused from 50 nm out; 8 nm from the line330/15330/13 12°330/22 9°300/26 6°280/33 -7°270/38 -18°250/45 -33°240/46 -40°270/38 -49°
GSPused from 100 nm out; 37 nm from the line320/22340/19 13°320/18 8°310/24 5°300/34 -7°300/36 -18°290/30 -33°300/32 -39°320/42 -49°
TYSused from 199 nm out; 44 nm from the line320/20340/18 11°340/32 9°340/36 4°330/37 -7°330/38 -19°330/50 -34°330/53 -38°330/44 -48°
LOUused from 348 nm out; 52 nm from the line310/18340/28 16°340/29 10°350/27 3°330/27 -7°340/39 -19°330/58 -33°330/67 -41°330/40 -49°
EVVused from 448 nm out; 47 nm from the line280/15290/12 17°310/16 10°320/13 5°310/22 -6°320/26 -18°320/38 -33°310/56 -41°320/55 -51°
SPIused from 548 nm out; 62 nm from the line220/21250/23 16°260/27 9°270/14 6°270/23 -7°270/31 -19°270/28 -33°290/48 -42°300/55 -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 VFR Sky: a few clouds at 20,000 feet from the west-southwest (240°) at 5 knots 10+ mi none 46 ft 1:56 am EDT (05:56 UTC)
DYB Summerville, SC 20 nm out, 5 nm south of the line VFR calm 10+ mi none 55 ft 06:35 UTC
CAE Columbia, SC 80 nm out, 4 nm north of the line, tower VFR from the west-southwest (250°) at 5 knots 10+ mi none 235 ft 05:56 UTC
GSP Greer, SC 159 nm out, 3 nm north of the line, tower VFR from the south-southwest (200°) at 3 knots 10+ mi none 963 ft 05:53 UTC
AVL Asheville, NC 199 nm out, 13 nm northeast of the line, tower VFR Sky: a few clouds at 2,300 feet from the north-northwest (340°) at 11 knots, gusting to 18 10+ mi none 2,163 ft 06:35 UTC
JAU Jacksboro, TN 289 nm out, 7 nm southwest of the line marginal VFR Sky: a few clouds at 1,400 feet, scattered clouds at 2,100 feet, overcast at 2,800 feet calm 10+ mi 2,800 ft 1,179 ft 06:35 UTC
AAS Campbellsville, KY 368 nm out, 5 nm west of the line low IFR Sky: overcast at 100 feet calm 0.25 mi 100 ft 921 ft 06:35 UTC
SDF Louisville, KY 418 nm out, 18 nm northeast of the line, tower VFR Weather: mist from the east-southeast (120°) at 3 knots 6 mi none 500 ft 05:56 UTC
SIV Sullivan, IN 518 nm out, 2 nm northeast of the line no report just now 539 ft
CMI Champaign/Urbana, IL 587 nm out, 17 nm northeast of the line, tower VFR from the south-southwest (200°) at 6 knots 10+ mi none 754 ft 05:53 UTC
DEC Decatur, IL 597 nm out, 11 nm southwest of the line, tower VFR from the south-southwest (210°) at 8 knots 10+ mi none 681 ft 05:54 UTC
PIA Peoria, IL destination VFR from the south (180°) at 4 knots 10+ mi none 660 ft 12:54 am CDT (05:54 UTC)

The highest airport on this list sits at 2,163 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At PIA when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 8:02 am CDT (13:02 UTC)

Wind from the south at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 8,000 feet, a broken layer at 25,000 feet VFR

The whole forecast for PIA
  • From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 8,000 feet, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
  • From Mon 9:00 am CDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 12,000 feet
  • From Mon 10:00 pm CDT (03:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, clear skies
The forecast for CHS, the departure
  • From Mon 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the west at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
  • From Mon 10:00 am EDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the north-northwest at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
  • From Mon 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies

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 CHS 6:50 pm EDT (22:50 UTC), at PIA 6:23 pm CDT (23:23 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:50 pm CDT (23:50 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 lower Mississippi valley
Radar now, the lower Mississippi valley · loop National Weather Service
Radar now, the central Great Lakes
Radar now, the central Great Lakes · 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, General Downing - Peoria International.