Floyd Bennett Memorial to Buffalo Niagara International GFL → BUF
226 nautical miles (260 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 266°, about 280° magnetic at the departure end (variation 14W). At 120 knots that is 1 h 54 min at the quickest height in today's winds (6,500 ft, a 1-knot headwind), arriving about 4:54 am EDT (08:54 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now GFL is low IFR, wind calm; BUF is VFR, wind from the south (170°) 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: 2 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 118 nm of the route.
- AIRMET ZULU 1C: moderate icing up to 22,000 ft. Over the first 88 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 21,000 ft to 33,000 ft. Over the first 167 nm of the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the first 108 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 GFL.
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 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 3 forecast points nearest it (ALB, SYR, BUF). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.
| Height | Average wind | Head- or tailwind | Temperature | Ground speed | Time en route | Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4,500 ft | 330° at 9 kt | +3 kt | 117 kt | 1 h 56 min | 4:56 am EDT (08:56 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 350° at 12 kt | +1 kt | 9 °C | 119 kt | 1 h 54 min | 4:54 am EDT (08:54 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 350° at 9 kt | +1 kt | 7 °C | 119 kt | 1 h 54 min | 4:54 am EDT (08:54 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 320° at 9 kt | +4 kt | 4 °C | 116 kt | 1 h 57 min | 4:57 am EDT (08:57 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 310° at 12 kt | +9 kt | 0 °C | 111 kt | 2 h 02 min | 5:02 am EDT (09:02 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 300° at 15 kt | +12 kt | -4 °C | 108 kt | 2 h 06 min | 5:06 am EDT (09:06 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 290° at 17 kt | +15 kt | -8 °C | 105 kt | 2 h 09 min | 5:09 am EDT (09:09 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 290° at 20 kt | +17 kt | -11 °C | 103 kt | 2 h 12 min | 5:12 am EDT (09:12 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 270° at 23 kt | +23 kt | -23 °C | 97 kt | 2 h 20 min | 5:20 am EDT (09:20 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 280° at 29 kt | +28 kt | -37 °C | 92 kt | 2 h 27 min | 5:27 am EDT (09:27 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 260° at 39 kt | +39 kt | -43 °C | 81 kt | 2 h 47 min | 5:47 am EDT (09:47 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 250° at 47 kt | +46 kt | -50 °C | 74 kt | 3 h 03 min | 6:03 am EDT (10:03 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALB | used from 0 nm out; 37 nm from the line | 120/9 | 270/8 10° | L/V 5° | 260/9 1° | 260/34 -10° | 250/42 -22° | 240/57 -35° | 240/70 -42° | 240/65 -50° |
| SYR | used from 49 nm out; 37 nm from the line | 280/13 | 350/18 10° | 340/10 6° | 300/15 1° | 280/17 -12° | 270/16 -23° | 280/25 -38° | 250/40 -42° | 240/53 -50° |
| BUF | used from 147 nm out; 54 nm from the line | 320/10 | 010/16 10° | 360/10 6° | 340/13 2° | 330/22 -11° | 300/25 -23° | 320/31 -38° | 300/29 -44° | 280/36 -50° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GFL Glens Falls, NY | departure | low IFR Sky: a broken layer at 400 feet, overcast at 4,800 feet | calm | 10+ mi | 400 ft | 328 ft | 2:53 am EDT (06:53 UTC) |
| RME Rome, NY | 78 nm out, 1 nm northwest of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 300 feet, a broken layer at 3,400 feet, overcast at 4,200 feet | from the southeast (130°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | 3,400 ft | 504 ft | 06:53 UTC |
| SYR Syracuse, NY | 108 nm out, 4 nm southwest of the line, tower | low IFR Sky: overcast at 400 feet | from the north-northwest (330°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | 400 ft | 421 ft | 06:54 UTC |
| ROC Rochester, NY | 177 nm out, 5 nm northwest of the line, tower | marginal VFR Sky: a broken layer at 4,300 feet, a broken layer at 7,000 feet Weather: mist | calm | 3 mi | 4,300 ft | 558 ft | 06:54 UTC |
| GVQ Batavia, NY | 196 nm out, 5 nm west of the line | VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 4,000 feet | from the west-northwest (290°) at 22 knots, gusting to 27 | 10+ mi | none | 913 ft | 14:56 UTC |
| BUF Buffalo, NY | destination | VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 3,400 feet, a broken layer at 14,000 feet | from the south (170°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | 14,000 ft | 726 ft | 2:54 am EDT (06:54 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 913 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At BUF when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 4:54 am EDT (08:54 UTC)
Wind light and variable, visibility 4 miles, mist, overcast at 2,000 feet marginal VFR
The whole forecast for BUF
- From Mon 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility 4 miles, mist, overcast at 2,000 feet
- From Mon 5:00 am EDT (09:00 UTC): wind calm, visibility 5 miles, mist, overcast at 300 feet
- From Mon 10:00 am EDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the west-southwest at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 700 feet
- From Mon 1:00 pm EDT (17:00 UTC): wind from the west-southwest at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 1,500 feet
- From Tue 1:00 am EDT (05:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, a few clouds at 12,000 feet
The forecast for GFL, the departure
- From Mon 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC): wind calm, visibility more than 6 miles, showers nearby, a broken layer at 700 feet, a broken layer at 1,300 feet and more above
- At times between Mon 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC) and 5:00 am EDT (09:00 UTC): visibility 5 miles, light drizzle, mist, scattered clouds at 700 feet, overcast at 1,300 feet
- From Mon 5:00 am EDT (09:00 UTC): wind calm, visibility 4 miles, mist, a broken layer at 600 feet, overcast at 1,500 feet
- From Mon 8:00 am EDT (12:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 2,000 feet
- From Mon 2:00 pm EDT (18:00 UTC): wind from the north at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 3,500 feet
- From Mon 10:00 pm EDT (02:00 UTC): wind calm, visibility more than 6 miles, showers nearby, overcast at 2,500 feet
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 GFL 6:16 pm EDT (22:16 UTC), at BUF 6:37 pm EDT (22:37 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:06 pm EDT (23:06 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at BUF is before sunrise there (7:24 am EDT (11:24 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: Floyd Bennett Memorial, Buffalo Niagara International.