Ronald Reagan Washington Ntl Airport to Norfolk International DCA → ORF
124 nautical miles (143 statute miles) south on a straight line, true course 161°, about 172° magnetic at the departure end (variation 11W). At 120 knots that is 49 min at the quickest height in today's winds (3,500 ft, a 31-knot tailwind), arriving about 9:08 am EDT (13:08 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: 2,038 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 E38E: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 32,000 ft, moving from the northwest at 20 knots, until 9:55 am EDT (13:55 UTC). Over the route from 48 to 76 nm out.
as issued
WSUS31 KKCI 121155 MKCE WST 121155 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 38E VALID UNTIL 1355Z NJ DE MD VA AND CSTL WTRS FROM 50WNW SIE-20E SIE-30NNE ORF-20NE RIC-50WNW SIE AREA TS MOV FROM 33020KT. TOPS TO FL320.
- 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 76 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 24,000 ft to 33,000 ft. Over the first 95 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 6,000 ft. Near the route, at the departure end.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: low-level wind shear (due to air speed loss or gain of 20 knots or more below 2,000 ft above the ground). Over the route from 48 to 48 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 30,000 ft to 41,000 ft. Over the last 19 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 08:00–15:00 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 2 forecast points nearest it (RIC, ORF). 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 | 340° at 31 kt | −31 kt | 151 kt | 49 min | 9:08 am EDT (13:08 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 340° at 28 kt | −27 kt | 147 kt | 51 min | 9:10 am EDT (13:10 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 330° at 30 kt | −30 kt | 10 °C | 150 kt | 50 min | 9:09 am EDT (13:09 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 330° at 33 kt | −33 kt | 7 °C | 153 kt | 49 min | 9:08 am EDT (13:08 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 330° at 31 kt | −30 kt | 4 °C | 150 kt | 50 min | 9:09 am EDT (13:09 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 320° at 31 kt | −29 kt | 0 °C | 149 kt | 50 min | 9:09 am EDT (13:09 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 310° at 31 kt | −28 kt | -4 °C | 148 kt | 50 min | 9:09 am EDT (13:09 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 310° at 32 kt | −27 kt | -8 °C | 147 kt | 51 min | 9:10 am EDT (13:10 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 300° at 33 kt | −26 kt | -9 °C | 146 kt | 51 min | 9:10 am EDT (13:10 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 310° at 33 kt | −27 kt | -21 °C | 147 kt | 51 min | 9:10 am EDT (13:10 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 290° at 37 kt | −21 kt | -34 °C | 141 kt | 53 min | 9:12 am EDT (13:12 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 280° at 38 kt | −18 kt | -39 °C | 138 kt | 54 min | 9:13 am EDT (13:13 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 280° at 41 kt | −22 kt | -46 °C | 142 kt | 52 min | 9:11 am EDT (13:11 UTC) |
Based on data from the 12th at 06:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 12:00 UTC for use 08:00 to 15:00 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; 62 nm from the line | 350/34 | 340/27 12° | 340/36 8° | 330/31 3° | 310/32 -9° | 320/34 -21° | 300/37 -34° | 290/37 -39° | 290/42 -46° |
| ORF | used from 95 nm out; 14 nm from the line | 310/30 | 320/27 11° | 310/30 8° | 320/30 3° | 290/36 -8° | 270/40 -21° | 250/52 -32° | 250/50 -39° | 260/42 -48° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DCA Washington, DC | departure | no report just now | 14 ft | ||||
| XSA Tappahannock, VA | 57 nm out, 13 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 135 ft | ||||
| PHF Newport News, VA | 105 nm out, 9 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 42 ft | ||||
| ORF Norfolk, VA | destination | no report just now | 26 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 135 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At ORF when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 9:08 am EDT (13:08 UTC)
ORF 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 13 nm from the route, at the departure end · a VIP movement · today · ZDC
Daylight
Sunset at DCA 6:34 pm EDT (22:34 UTC), at ORF 6:32 pm EDT (22:32 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:58 pm EDT (22:58 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
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, Norfolk International.