Gerald R Ford International to Richmond International GRR → RIC
495 nautical miles (570 statute miles) southeast on a straight line, true course 128°, about 134° magnetic at the departure end (variation 6W). At 120 knots that is 3 h 34 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 19-knot tailwind), arriving about 1:14 am EDT (05:14 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: 25 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 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 last 248 nm of the route.
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 route from 89 to 485 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 277 to 416 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 21,000 ft to 33,000 ft. Over the route from 337 to 406 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 GRR.
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 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 6 forecast points nearest it (MKG, FWA, CLE, AGC, EKN, RIC). 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 | 240° at 3 kt | −1 kt | 121 kt | 4 h 05 min | 1:45 am EDT (05:45 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 290° at 10 kt | −9 kt | 13 °C | 129 kt | 3 h 50 min | 1:30 am EDT (05:30 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 300° at 10 kt | −9 kt | 11 °C | 129 kt | 3 h 50 min | 1:30 am EDT (05:30 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 300° at 8 kt | −7 kt | 7 °C | 127 kt | 3 h 54 min | 1:34 am EDT (05:34 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 290° at 5 kt | −5 kt | 4 °C | 125 kt | 3 h 58 min | 1:38 am EDT (05:38 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 280° at 6 kt | −5 kt | 0 °C | 125 kt | 3 h 58 min | 1:38 am EDT (05:38 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 270° at 8 kt | −6 kt | -4 °C | 126 kt | 3 h 56 min | 1:36 am EDT (05:36 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 270° at 11 kt | −8 kt | -8 °C | 128 kt | 3 h 52 min | 1:32 am EDT (05:32 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 270° at 12 kt | −8 kt | -10 °C | 128 kt | 3 h 52 min | 1:32 am EDT (05:32 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 260° at 20 kt | −11 kt | -21 °C | 131 kt | 3 h 47 min | 1:27 am EDT (05:27 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 250° at 29 kt | −12 kt | -34 °C | 132 kt | 3 h 45 min | 1:25 am EDT (05:25 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 240° at 39 kt | −13 kt | -40 °C | 133 kt | 3 h 43 min | 1:23 am EDT (05:23 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 250° at 41 kt | −19 kt | -48 °C | 139 kt | 3 h 34 min | 1:14 am EDT (05:14 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
| Point | From | 3,000 | 6,000 | 9,000 | 12,000 | 18,000 | 24,000 | 30,000 | 34,000 | 39,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MKG | used from 0 nm out; 60 nm from the line | 250/5 | 320/10 15° | 310/19 9° | 320/21 3° | 310/23 -10° | 330/37 -22° | 330/51 -38° | 320/44 -47° | 300/60 -49° |
| FWA | used from 50 nm out; 81 nm from the line | 350/9 | 350/24 15° | 360/25 9° | 360/29 4° | 350/31 -10° | 340/39 -22° | 330/40 -37° | 320/38 -43° | 320/48 -48° |
| CLE | used from 99 nm out; 68 nm from the line | 340/5 | 320/13 14° | 300/12 8° | 310/10 2° | 310/14 -10° | 340/14 -23° | 320/27 -35° | 260/28 -40° | 250/36 -48° |
| AGC | used from 248 nm out; 48 nm from the line | 140/12 | 350/10 12° | L/V 9° | L/V 3° | 200/11 -11° | 220/21 -22° | 220/47 -33° | 230/51 -39° | 230/45 -48° |
| EKN | used from 297 nm out; 35 nm from the line | 270/18 13° | 310/5 7° | 140/7 3° | 210/16 -9° | 220/41 -20° | 210/57 -32° | 220/57 -38° | 230/49 -47° | |
| RIC | used from 446 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 190/33 | 200/29 14° | 210/31 12° | 210/38 6° | 230/42 -7° | 230/68 -16° | 220/84 -29° | 220/86 -40° | 220/81 -52° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GRR Grand Rapids, MI | departure | no report just now | 793 ft | ||||
| BTL Battle Creek, MI | 30 nm out, 20 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 951 ft | ||||
| JXN Jackson, MI | 59 nm out, 0 nm southeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,000 ft | ||||
| TOL Toledo, OH | 109 nm out, 13 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 683 ft | ||||
| MFD Mansfield, OH | 178 nm out, 12 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,297 ft | ||||
| CAK Akron, OH | 218 nm out, 24 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,225 ft | ||||
| HLG Wheeling, WV | 267 nm out, 15 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,194 ft | ||||
| CKB Clarksburg, WV | 317 nm out, 13 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,223 ft | ||||
| EKN Elkins, WV | 347 nm out, 20 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 1,987 ft | ||||
| CHO Charlottesville, VA | 426 nm out, 10 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 640 ft | ||||
| LKU Louisa, VA | 456 nm out, 4 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 493 ft | ||||
| RIC Richmond, VA | destination | no report just now | 167 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,987 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At RIC when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 1:14 am EDT (05:14 UTC)
RIC 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 GRR 7:04 pm EDT (23:04 UTC), at RIC 6:36 pm EDT (22:36 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:02 pm EDT (23:02 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at RIC is before sunrise there (7:14 am EDT (11:14 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: Gerald R Ford International, Richmond International.