Des Moines International to Raleigh-Durham International DSM → RDU
774 nautical miles (891 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 111°, about 110° magnetic at the departure end (variation 1E). At 120 knots that is 4 h 40 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 46-knot tailwind), arriving about 3:16 am EDT (07:16 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: 1 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 7E: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 33,000 ft, moving from the west at 15 knots, until 10:55 pm CDT (03:55 UTC). Over the route from 605 to 605 nm out.
as issued
WSUS31 KKCI 120155 MKCE WST 120155 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 7E VALID UNTIL 0355Z PA MD VA DC WV OH FROM 10NNE JST-30WNW SBY-40ENE RIC-50SW BKW-20SE APE-10NNE JST AREA TS MOV FROM 28015KT. TOPS TO FL330.
- 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 first 30 nm of the route.
- 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 486 to 665 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 536 to 704 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 5W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 8,000 ft. Over the route from 625 to 724 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 DSM.
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 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 10 forecast points nearest it (DSM, BRL, SPI, IND, LOU, CVG, CRW, TRI, ROA, RDU). 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 | 270° at 18 kt | −17 kt | 137 kt | 5 h 39 min | 4:15 am EDT (08:15 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 290° at 19 kt | −19 kt | 11 °C | 139 kt | 5 h 34 min | 4:10 am EDT (08:10 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 300° at 20 kt | −20 kt | 12 °C | 140 kt | 5 h 32 min | 4:08 am EDT (08:08 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 310° at 21 kt | −20 kt | 8 °C | 140 kt | 5 h 32 min | 4:08 am EDT (08:08 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 310° at 18 kt | −18 kt | 5 °C | 138 kt | 5 h 37 min | 4:13 am EDT (08:13 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 310° at 19 kt | −19 kt | 1 °C | 139 kt | 5 h 34 min | 4:10 am EDT (08:10 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 300° at 22 kt | −22 kt | -3 °C | 142 kt | 5 h 27 min | 4:03 am EDT (08:03 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 300° at 24 kt | −24 kt | -6 °C | 144 kt | 5 h 22 min | 3:58 am EDT (07:58 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 300° at 25 kt | −25 kt | -7 °C | 145 kt | 5 h 20 min | 3:56 am EDT (07:56 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 290° at 29 kt | −29 kt | -19 °C | 149 kt | 5 h 12 min | 3:48 am EDT (07:48 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 290° at 33 kt | −33 kt | -33 °C | 153 kt | 5 h 04 min | 3:40 am EDT (07:40 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 290° at 45 kt | −45 kt | -41 °C | 165 kt | 4 h 41 min | 3:17 am EDT (07:17 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 300° at 46 kt | −46 kt | -50 °C | 166 kt | 4 h 40 min | 3:16 am EDT (07:16 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DSM | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 230/40 | 250/33 17° | 250/18 12° | 240/17 5° | 260/28 -8° | 270/34 -19° | 260/41 -33° | 260/55 -41° | 270/62 -51° |
| BRL | used from 50 nm out; 49 nm from the line | 230/24 | 240/29 15° | 290/16 10° | 280/15 4° | 260/23 -7° | 260/32 -19° | 260/36 -33° | 280/48 -41° | 280/59 -52° |
| SPI | used from 149 nm out; 41 nm from the line | 220/21 | 250/23 16° | 260/27 9° | 270/14 6° | 270/23 -7° | 270/31 -19° | 270/28 -33° | 290/48 -42° | 300/55 -52° |
| IND | used from 298 nm out; 45 nm from the line | 290/16 | 310/20 16° | 320/21 10° | 330/13 3° | 300/25 -7° | 320/32 -19° | 330/46 -34° | 320/61 -43° | 320/63 -50° |
| LOU | used from 397 nm out; 33 nm from the line | 310/18 | 340/28 16° | 340/29 10° | 350/27 3° | 330/27 -7° | 340/39 -19° | 330/58 -33° | 330/67 -41° | 330/40 -49° |
| CVG | used from 446 nm out; 47 nm from the line | 320/18 | 350/32 16° | 350/35 10° | 350/30 3° | 330/30 -7° | 340/44 -20° | 340/58 -35° | 330/72 -41° | 320/36 -49° |
| CRW | used from 496 nm out; 89 nm from the line | 330/20 | 330/23 11° | 340/25 8° | 340/21 2° | 340/33 -9° | 340/41 -20° | 330/42 -35° | 320/44 -39° | 320/43 -47° |
| TRI | used from 546 nm out; 64 nm from the line | 330/22 11° | 330/29 7° | 330/32 3° | 330/36 -8° | 320/34 -19° | 320/36 -34° | 320/43 -39° | 320/46 -47° | |
| ROA | used from 645 nm out; 48 nm from the line | 310/29 | 330/31 13° | 340/28 7° | 330/25 3° | 310/32 -8° | 300/32 -22° | 290/32 -31° | 270/35 -38° | 270/32 -47° |
| RDU | used from 695 nm out; 55 nm from the line | 280/33 | 300/23 11° | 300/28 8° | 290/28 4° | 260/41 -6° | 240/52 -18° | 230/66 -31° | 230/76 -39° | 240/52 -49° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DSM Des Moines, IA | departure | no report just now | 957 ft | ||||
| OTM Ottumwa, IA | 60 nm out, 4 nm south of the line | no report just now | 845 ft | ||||
| FFL Fairfield, IA | 79 nm out, 2 nm east of the line | no report just now | 800 ft | ||||
| PIA Peoria, IL | 189 nm out, 21 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 660 ft | ||||
| DEC Decatur, IL | 238 nm out, 10 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 681 ft | ||||
| HUF Terre Haute, IN | 317 nm out, 2 nm west of the line, tower | no report just now | 589 ft | ||||
| SER Seymour, IN | 387 nm out, 1 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 582 ft | ||||
| LEX Lexington, KY | 466 nm out, 21 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 979 ft | ||||
| PBX Pikeville, KY | 566 nm out, 1 nm south of the line | no report just now | 1,464 ft | ||||
| HLX Galax Hillsville, VA | 665 nm out, 4 nm west of the line | no report just now | 2,693 ft | ||||
| GSO Greensboro, NC | 714 nm out, 17 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 925 ft | ||||
| RDU Raleigh/Durham, NC | destination | no report just now | 435 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 2,693 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At RDU when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 3:16 am EDT (07:16 UTC)
RDU has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
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 DSM 6:38 pm CDT (23:38 UTC), at RDU 6:43 pm EDT (22:43 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:09 pm EDT (23:09 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at RDU is before sunrise there (7:19 am EDT (11:19 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: Des Moines International, Raleigh-Durham International.