Ronald Reagan Washington Ntl Airport to Luis Munoz Marin International DCA → SJU
1,354 nautical miles (1,558 statute miles) southeast on a straight line, true course 152°, about 163° magnetic at the departure end (variation 11W). At 120 knots that is 11 h 11 min at the quickest height in today's winds (3,500 ft, a 1-knot tailwind), arriving about 2:19 pm AST (18:19 UTC). Right now DCA is IFR, wind from the north-northwest (330°) at 12 knots; SJU is VFR, wind from the east-southeast (110°) at 6 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: 711 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
- 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 110 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 21,000 ft to 33,000 ft. Over the first 80 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: strong surface winds (30 knots or more) (due to sustained surface winds greater than 30 knots). Over the route from 249 to 309 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 DCA.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
No pilot reports within 50 nautical miles of the line in the last three hours.
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 4 forecast points nearest it (RIC, ORF, ILM, MIA). 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 | 250° at 12 kt | −1 kt | 121 kt | 11 h 11 min | 2:19 pm AST (18:19 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 250° at 12 kt | −1 kt | 121 kt | 11 h 11 min | 2:19 pm AST (18:19 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 240° at 15 kt | 0 | 13 °C | 120 kt | 11 h 17 min | 2:25 pm AST (18:25 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 240° at 18 kt | +1 kt | 11 °C | 119 kt | 11 h 23 min | 2:31 pm AST (18:31 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 240° at 20 kt | +3 kt | 8 °C | 117 kt | 11 h 34 min | 2:42 pm AST (18:42 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 230° at 23 kt | +3 kt | 4 °C | 117 kt | 11 h 34 min | 2:42 pm AST (18:42 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 240° at 26 kt | +4 kt | 0 °C | 116 kt | 11 h 40 min | 2:48 pm AST (18:48 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 240° at 29 kt | +4 kt | -4 °C | 116 kt | 11 h 40 min | 2:48 pm AST (18:48 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 240° at 29 kt | +4 kt | -5 °C | 116 kt | 11 h 40 min | 2:48 pm AST (18:48 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 230° at 37 kt | +6 kt | -17 °C | 114 kt | 11 h 53 min | 3:01 pm AST (19:01 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 220° at 44 kt | +18 kt | -31 °C | 102 kt | 13 h 16 min | 4:24 pm AST (20:24 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 210° at 51 kt | +28 kt | -40 °C | 92 kt | 14 h 43 min | 5:51 pm AST (21:51 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 220° at 49 kt | +21 kt | -51 °C | 99 kt | 13 h 41 min | 4:49 pm AST (20:49 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; 64 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° |
| ORF | used from 100 nm out; 20 nm from the line | 250/24 | 230/32 11° | 220/37 10° | 220/37 6° | 230/47 -5° | 230/62 -17° | 220/89 -30° | 220/93 -40° | 230/77 -51° |
| ILM | used from 299 nm out; 196 nm from the line | 270/22 | 270/23 11° | 260/35 10° | 240/41 6° | 240/49 -5° | 240/61 -16° | 230/74 -30° | 220/79 -40° | 230/71 -51° |
| MIA | used from 747 nm out; 548 nm from the line | 150/7 | 140/5 17° | 160/5 14° | L/V 9° | 230/8 -5° | 230/8 -17° | 150/11 -32° | 150/25 -41° | 180/29 -51° |
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 | IFR Sky: overcast at 900 feet Weather: light drizzle, mist | from the north-northwest (330°) at 12 knots | 5 mi | 900 ft | 14 ft | 2:52 am EDT (06:52 UTC) |
| ORF Norfolk, VA | 119 nm out, 20 nm southwest of the line, tower | VFR | from the west-southwest (240°) at 11 knots, gusting to 20 | 10+ mi | none | 26 ft | 06:51 UTC |
| FFA Kill Devil Hills, NC | 179 nm out, 22 nm southwest of the line | VFR | from the west-southwest (250°) at 10 knots, gusting to 15 | 10+ mi | none | 11 ft | 06:55 UTC |
| SJU San Juan, PR | destination | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 1,600 feet, scattered clouds at 2,300 feet, a broken layer at 4,500 feet Weather: light rain | from the east-southeast (110°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | 4,500 ft | 9 ft | 2:56 am AST (06:56 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 26 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At SJU when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 2:19 pm AST (18:19 UTC)
Wind from the east at 13 knots, gusting to 20, visibility more than 6 miles, light rain showers, thunderstorms nearby, scattered clouds at 2,500 feet (thunderheads), a broken layer at 5,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for SJU
- From Mon 3:00 am AST (07:00 UTC): wind from the east-southeast at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, light rain showers, thunderstorms nearby, scattered clouds at 2,500 feet (thunderheads), scattered clouds at 5,000 feet
- From Mon 10:00 am AST (14:00 UTC): wind from the east at 11 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, showers nearby, a few clouds at 2,500 feet, scattered clouds at 4,000 feet
- From Mon 1:00 pm AST (17:00 UTC): wind from the east at 13 knots, gusting to 20, visibility more than 6 miles, light rain showers, thunderstorms nearby, scattered clouds at 2,500 feet (thunderheads), a broken layer at 5,000 feet
- From Mon 7:00 pm AST (23:00 UTC): wind from the east-southeast at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, showers nearby, scattered clouds at 3,000 feet, scattered clouds at 6,000 feet
The forecast for DCA, the departure
- From Mon 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the north at 8 knots, visibility 5 miles, light rain, mist, overcast at 900 feet
- From Mon 9:00 am EDT (13:00 UTC): wind from the north-northwest at 10 knots, gusting to 18, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 1,200 feet
- From Mon 1:00 pm EDT (17:00 UTC): wind from the north-northwest at 13 knots, gusting to 22, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 1,500 feet, overcast at 2,500 feet
- From Mon 3:00 pm EDT (19:00 UTC): wind from the north-northwest at 10 knots, gusting to 17, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 2,500 feet, a broken layer at 3,500 feet
- From Mon 5:00 pm EDT (21:00 UTC): wind from the northwest at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 3,500 feet
- From Mon 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 4,000 feet
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
- 6/4508 CEIBA, PR 24 nm from the route, at the destination end · security · ZSU
Daylight
Sunset at DCA 6:34 pm EDT (22:34 UTC), at SJU 6:03 pm AST (22:03 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:25 pm AST (22:25 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, Luis Munoz Marin International.