Wilmington International to John F Kennedy International ILM → JFK
430 nautical miles (495 statute miles) northeast on a straight line, true course 026°, about 036° magnetic at the departure end (variation 10W). At 120 knots that is 2 h 42 min at the quickest height in today's winds (30,000 ft, a 39-knot tailwind), arriving about 8:48 am EDT (12:48 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: 3 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 2W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 28,000 ft to 41,000 ft. Over the first 250 nm of the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 5E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft). Over the route from 20 to 50 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 3E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist, fog). Over the last 240 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 24,000 ft to 33,000 ft. Over the last 170 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 ILM.
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 4 forecast points nearest it (ILM, ORF, ACY, JFK). 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 | 320° at 19 kt | +8 kt | 112 kt | 3 h 50 min | 9:56 am EDT (13:56 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 320° at 19 kt | +7 kt | 113 kt | 3 h 48 min | 9:54 am EDT (13:54 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 320° at 19 kt | +6 kt | 9 °C | 114 kt | 3 h 46 min | 9:52 am EDT (13:52 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 310° at 20 kt | +6 kt | 6 °C | 114 kt | 3 h 46 min | 9:52 am EDT (13:52 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 320° at 21 kt | +7 kt | 4 °C | 113 kt | 3 h 48 min | 9:54 am EDT (13:54 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 310° at 22 kt | +4 kt | 0 °C | 116 kt | 3 h 42 min | 9:48 am EDT (13:48 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 300° at 23 kt | 0 | -4 °C | 120 kt | 3 h 35 min | 9:41 am EDT (13:41 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 290° at 25 kt | −5 kt | -8 °C | 125 kt | 3 h 26 min | 9:32 am EDT (13:32 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 280° at 26 kt | −6 kt | -9 °C | 126 kt | 3 h 25 min | 9:31 am EDT (13:31 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 260° at 30 kt | −17 kt | -21 °C | 137 kt | 3 h 08 min | 9:14 am EDT (13:14 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 240° at 48 kt | −39 kt | -33 °C | 159 kt | 2 h 42 min | 8:48 am EDT (12:48 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 240° at 48 kt | −39 kt | -40 °C | 159 kt | 2 h 42 min | 8:48 am EDT (12:48 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 250° at 41 kt | −29 kt | -49 °C | 149 kt | 2 h 53 min | 8:59 am EDT (12:59 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ILM | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 300/18 | 300/22 13° | 300/21 8° | 290/28 4° | 280/38 -7° | 270/40 -18° | 250/49 -32° | 250/50 -40° | 270/33 -50° |
| ORF | used from 100 nm out; 53 nm from the line | 310/30 | 320/27 11° | 310/30 8° | 320/30 3° | 290/36 -8° | 270/40 -21° | 250/52 -32° | 250/50 -39° | 260/42 -48° |
| ACY | used from 250 nm out; 75 nm from the line | 350/12 | 340/12 11° | 340/12 6° | 340/13 2° | 270/10 -10° | 240/17 -23° | 230/46 -33° | 230/46 -40° | 240/46 -49° |
| JFK | used from 400 nm out; 15 nm from the line | 020/25 | 290/9 12° | 300/12 7° | 320/14 3° | 290/17 -10° | 240/27 -21° | 240/44 -36° | 240/53 -41° | 240/51 -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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ILM Wilmington, NC | departure | no report just now | 31 ft | ||||
| OAJ Jacksonville, NC | 40 nm out, 4 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 92 ft | ||||
| ISO Kinston, NC | 60 nm out, 15 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 92 ft | ||||
| OCW Washington, NC | 90 nm out, 3 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 37 ft | ||||
| ECG Elizabeth City, NC | 140 nm out, 23 nm east of the line, tower | no report just now | 10 ft | ||||
| ORF Norfolk, VA | 180 nm out, 5 nm southeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 26 ft | ||||
| MFV Melfa, VA | 230 nm out, 3 nm south of the line | no report just now | 47 ft | ||||
| SBY Salisbury, MD | 270 nm out, 6 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 52 ft | ||||
| WWD Wildwood, NJ | 320 nm out, 1 nm south of the line | no report just now | 21 ft | ||||
| ACY Atlantic City, NJ | 350 nm out, 1 nm southeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 74 ft | ||||
| BLM Belmar/Farmingdale, NJ | 400 nm out, 2 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 153 ft | ||||
| JFK New York, NY | destination | no report just now | 13 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 153 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At JFK when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 8:48 am EDT (12:48 UTC)
JFK has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/8719 Greenwood, DE, Friday, October 16, 2026 through Saturday, October 17, 2026 UTC 20 nm from the route, 300 nm along the route · air shows/sports · starts Friday 16 October · ZDC
- 6/8886 Greenwood, DE, Sunday, October 18, 2026 UTC 20 nm from the route, 300 nm along the route · air shows/sports · starts Sunday 18 October · ZDC
- 5/2811 NEW YORK, NY, Monday, October 20, 2025 through Tuesday, October 20, 2026 Local 11 nm from the route, at the destination end · security · until 20 October · ZNY
Daylight
Sunset at ILM 6:41 pm EDT (22:41 UTC), at JFK 6:19 pm EDT (22:19 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:47 pm EDT (22:47 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: Wilmington International, John F Kennedy International.