The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Plan a flight · Sun 9:41 pm EDT (01:41 UTC)

Ronald Reagan Washington Ntl Airport to Bellingham International DCA → BLI

2,026 nautical miles (2,331 statute miles) northwest on a straight line, true course 302°, about 313° magnetic at the departure end (variation 11W). At 120 knots that is 16 h 28 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 3-knot tailwind), arriving about 11:09 am PDT (18:09 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: 1 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 30 to 140 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.
  • 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 359 nm of the route.
  • AIRMET TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 21,000 ft to 33,000 ft. Over the first 160 nm of the route.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 50 to 180 nm out.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 4E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 938 to 1028 nm out.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 4E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 1158 to 1677 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 36,000 ft. Over the route from 1178 to 1756 nm out.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 1507 to 1737 nm out.
  • AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 16,000 ft. Over the route from 1517 to 1856 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 39,000 ft. Over the last 200 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 DCA.

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 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 18 forecast points nearest it (RIC, EKN, AGC, CLE, FWA, MKG, GRB, LSE, MSP, AXN, ABR, DIK, MLS, GGW, GTF, GPI, GEG, SEA). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

HeightAverage windHead- or tailwindTemperatureGround speedTime en routeArrival
4,500 ft100° at 2 kt−3 kt2 °C123 kt16 h 28 min11:09 am PDT (18:09 UTC)
6,500 ftlight and variable09 °C120 kt16 h 53 min11:34 am PDT (18:34 UTC)
8,500 ft230° at 4 kt+2 kt6 °C118 kt17 h 10 min11:51 am PDT (18:51 UTC)
10,500 ft240° at 7 kt+4 kt2 °C116 kt17 h 28 min12:09 pm PDT (19:09 UTC)
12,500 ft240° at 10 kt+7 kt-1 °C113 kt17 h 56 min12:37 pm PDT (19:37 UTC)
14,500 ft240° at 13 kt+9 kt-5 °C111 kt18 h 15 min12:56 pm PDT (19:56 UTC)
16,500 ft240° at 16 kt+12 kt-9 °C108 kt18 h 46 min1:27 pm PDT (20:27 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180240° at 19 kt+14 kt-12 °C106 kt19 h 07 min1:48 pm PDT (20:48 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240250° at 26 kt+21 kt-23 °C99 kt20 h 28 min3:09 pm PDT (22:09 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300250° at 37 kt+30 kt-36 °C90 kt22 h 31 min5:12 pm PDT (00:12 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340250° at 43 kt+36 kt-43 °C84 kt24 h 07 min6:48 pm PDT (01:48 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390260° at 51 kt+46 kt-49 °C74 kt27 h 23 min10:04 pm PDT (05:04 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
RICused from 0 nm out; 94 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°
EKNused from 50 nm out; 77 nm from the line270/18 13°310/5 7°140/7 3°210/16 -9°220/41 -20°210/57 -32°220/57 -38°230/49 -47°
AGCused from 100 nm out; 37 nm from the line140/12350/10 12°L/V 9°L/V 3°200/11 -11°220/21 -22°220/47 -33°230/51 -39°230/45 -48°
CLEused from 200 nm out; 48 nm from the line340/5320/13 14°300/12 8°310/10 2°310/14 -10°340/14 -23°320/27 -35°260/28 -40°250/36 -48°
FWAused from 349 nm out; 76 nm from the line350/9350/24 15°360/25 9°360/29 4°350/31 -10°340/39 -22°330/40 -37°320/38 -43°320/48 -48°
MKGused from 399 nm out; 69 nm from the line250/5320/10 15°310/19 9°320/21 3°310/23 -10°330/37 -22°330/51 -38°320/44 -47°300/60 -49°
GRBused from 549 nm out; 63 nm from the line240/24260/18 16°270/20 11°290/14 4°280/24 -9°300/34 -21°310/51 -38°310/54 -48°300/71 -51°
LSEused from 649 nm out; 44 nm from the line220/33250/29 17°250/15 9°260/12 6°280/21 -9°280/33 -20°300/43 -36°310/56 -45°300/79 -53°
MSPused from 748 nm out; 34 nm from the line200/28240/30 19°240/24 12°240/17 5°270/24 -10°270/33 -20°280/48 -35°290/55 -45°280/84 -54°
AXNused from 848 nm out; 44 nm from the lineL/V220/23 17°230/24 12°240/25 5°260/32 -11°260/40 -21°270/50 -35°270/57 -45°270/81 -55°
ABRused from 998 nm out; 47 nm from the line030/24220/5 16°230/18 12°230/32 5°240/38 -10°250/37 -20°240/40 -35°240/56 -44°250/72 -52°
DIKused from 1098 nm out; 103 nm from the line110/15 6°200/17 5°230/31 1°240/47 -10°240/52 -20°230/52 -36°240/57 -45°250/67 -51°
MLSused from 1297 nm out; 73 nm from the line120/22 5°170/18 4°200/33 1°230/49 -10°230/58 -21°220/54 -37°230/64 -44°250/74 -49°
GGWused from 1347 nm out; 35 nm from the line090/18 0°140/12 -2°150/13 -3°200/35 -12°230/56 -22°240/75 -37°240/81 -46°240/78 -49°
GTFused from 1497 nm out; 71 nm from the line070/21080/18 -6°120/5 -5°180/30 -14°200/53 -24°210/80 -38°220/83 -44°230/68 -46°
GPIused from 1647 nm out; 27 nm from the line060/19 -3°110/11 -8°130/6 -8°200/40 -19°190/58 -28°200/101 -39°220/73 -43°230/41 -43°
GEGused from 1796 nm out; 65 nm from the line050/18 -2°060/19 -8°L/V -11°160/11 -24°190/17 -31°200/19 -35°220/14 -37°250/11 -41°
SEAused from 1946 nm out; 93 nm from the line360/9350/10 1°010/10 -5°030/20 -11°020/60 -17°010/86 -26°360/90 -40°010/68 -42°360/31 -43°

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
DCA Washington, DC departure no report just now 14 ft
JYO Leesburg, VA 30 nm out, 3 nm southeast of the line, tower no report just now 389 ft
CAK Akron, OH 240 nm out, 3 nm northeast of the line, tower no report just now 1,225 ft
BTL Battle Creek, MI 429 nm out, 5 nm south of the line, tower no report just now 951 ft
STP St Paul, MN 798 nm out, 4 nm northwest of the line, tower no report just now 705 ft
MIC Minneapolis, MN 818 nm out, 3 nm northeast of the line, tower no report just now 869 ft
BIS Bismarck, ND 1138 nm out, 4 nm northwest of the line, tower no report just now 1,661 ft
GDV Glendive, MT 1307 nm out, 19 nm south of the line no report just now 2,458 ft
SBX Shelby, MT 1607 nm out, 13 nm northeast of the line no report just now 3,442 ft
GPI Kalispell, MT 1697 nm out, 13 nm south of the line, tower no report just now 2,976 ft
OMK Omak, WA 1906 nm out, 18 nm south of the line no report just now 1,304 ft
BLI Bellingham, WA destination no report just now 171 ft

The highest airport on this list sits at 3,442 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At BLI when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 11:09 am PDT (18:09 UTC)

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

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

  • 4/9383 WASHINGTON, DC., USA on the route, at the departure end · security · ZDC
  • 6/8600 Sterling, VA, Monday, October 12, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local on the route, at the departure end · a VIP movement · today · ZDC
  • 6/8587 Youngstown, OH, Monday, October 12, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local 1 nm from the route, 210 nm along the route · a VIP movement · today · ZOB
  • 6/8829 Youngstown, OH, Monday, October 12, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local 21 nm from the route, 220 nm along the route · a VIP movement · today · ZOB
  • 6/6656 ANOKA, MN, Monday, October 5, 2026 through Monday, October 19, 2026 Local 10 nm from the route, 818 nm along the route · security · until 19 October · ZMP
  • 6/6654 28NM W TWISP, WA, Thursday, October 1, 2026 through Thursday, October 15, 2026 UTC 23 nm from the route, at the destination end · a hazard on the ground (fire-fighting, a chemical spill, rescue work) · until 15 October · ZSE

Daylight

Sunset at DCA 6:34 pm EDT (22:34 UTC), at BLI 6:26 pm PDT (01:26 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:58 pm PDT (01:58 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 Northeast
Radar now, the Northeast · loop National Weather Service
Radar now, the Southeast
Radar now, the Southeast · 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: Ronald Reagan Washington Ntl Airport, Bellingham International.