Washington Dulles International to Albany International IAD → ALB
282 nautical miles (325 statute miles) northeast on a straight line, true course 035°, about 045° magnetic at the departure end (variation 10W). At 120 knots that is 2 h 23 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 2-knot headwind), arriving about 12:28 pm EDT (16:28 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: 2,826 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 TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 6,000 ft. Near the route, 29 nm along the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, mist). Over the last 117 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 last 10 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 24,000 ft to 40,000 ft. Near the route, at the destination end.
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 IAD.
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 3 forecast points nearest it (PSB, AVP, ALB). 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 | 010° at 20 kt | +17 kt | 103 kt | 2 h 44 min | 12:49 pm EDT (16:49 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 010° at 21 kt | +20 kt | 12 °C | 100 kt | 2 h 49 min | 12:54 pm EDT (16:54 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 010° at 21 kt | +18 kt | 10 °C | 102 kt | 2 h 46 min | 12:51 pm EDT (16:51 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 360° at 22 kt | +17 kt | 7 °C | 103 kt | 2 h 44 min | 12:49 pm EDT (16:49 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 350° at 23 kt | +17 kt | 3 °C | 103 kt | 2 h 44 min | 12:49 pm EDT (16:49 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 350° at 24 kt | +16 kt | -1 °C | 104 kt | 2 h 43 min | 12:48 pm EDT (16:48 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 340° at 25 kt | +14 kt | -6 °C | 106 kt | 2 h 40 min | 12:45 pm EDT (16:45 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 340° at 25 kt | +12 kt | -10 °C | 108 kt | 2 h 37 min | 12:42 pm EDT (16:42 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 330° at 26 kt | +12 kt | -11 °C | 108 kt | 2 h 37 min | 12:42 pm EDT (16:42 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 340° at 30 kt | +16 kt | -22 °C | 104 kt | 2 h 43 min | 12:48 pm EDT (16:48 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 340° at 34 kt | +18 kt | -37 °C | 102 kt | 2 h 46 min | 12:51 pm EDT (16:51 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 320° at 38 kt | +12 kt | -43 °C | 108 kt | 2 h 37 min | 12:42 pm EDT (16:42 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 310° at 29 kt | +2 kt | -51 °C | 118 kt | 2 h 23 min | 12:28 pm EDT (16:28 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSB | used from 0 nm out; 105 nm from the line | 020/21 12° | 360/28 7° | 360/29 1° | 350/33 -10° | 350/42 -22° | 350/49 -37° | 340/63 -43° | 350/39 -52° | |
| AVP | used from 97 nm out; 45 nm from the line | 010/20 | 020/24 11° | 360/19 8° | 350/23 2° | 320/24 -11° | 330/25 -22° | 330/27 -37° | 310/28 -42° | 290/30 -50° |
| ALB | used from 243 nm out; 19 nm from the line | 340/22 | 340/19 9° | 320/16 7° | 330/16 2° | 330/19 -11° | 320/21 -23° | 320/25 -39° | 280/30 -44° | 270/41 -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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IAD Washington, DC | departure | no report just now | 312 ft | ||||
| FDK Frederick, MD | 29 nm out, 13 nm west of the line, tower | no report just now | 308 ft | ||||
| MDT Harrisburg, PA | 78 nm out, 17 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 310 ft | ||||
| LNS Lancaster, PA | 88 nm out, 4 nm east of the line, tower | no report just now | 402 ft | ||||
| ABE Allentown, PA | 136 nm out, 16 nm southeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 393 ft | ||||
| AVP Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, PA | 165 nm out, 18 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 961 ft | ||||
| MSV Monticello, NY | 204 nm out, 3 nm east of the line | no report just now | 1,403 ft | ||||
| ALB Albany, NY | destination | no report just now | 284 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,403 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At ALB when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 12:28 pm EDT (16:28 UTC)
ALB 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 4 nm from the route, at the departure end · security · ZDC
- 6/8600 Sterling, VA, Monday, October 12, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local on the route, at the departure end · a VIP movement · today · ZDC
- 6/8800 Baltimore, MD, Saturday, October 17, 2026 through Sunday, October 18, 2026 UTC 19 nm from the route, 39 nm along the route · drones kept away from a public gathering · starts Saturday 17 October · ZDC
Daylight
Sunset at IAD 6:36 pm EDT (22:36 UTC), at ALB 6:18 pm EDT (22:18 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:46 pm EDT (22:46 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: Washington Dulles International, Albany International.