Rickenbacker International to St. Pete-Clearwater International LCK → PIE
715 nautical miles (823 statute miles) south on a straight line, true course 179°, about 186° magnetic at the departure end (variation 7W). At 120 knots that is 5 h 15 min at the quickest height in today's winds (8,500 ft, a 16-knot tailwind), arriving about 4:48 am EDT (08:48 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now LCK is marginal VFR, wind from the northwest (320°) at 4 knots; PIE is VFR, wind from the north-northwest (330°) at 3 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: 343 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 228 nm of the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 109 to 268 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 5W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 10,000 ft. Over the route from 238 to 298 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 LCK.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
- BCS3 climbing, 11 nm north, 10:27 pm EDT (02:27 UTC): a routine report with nothing remarked on. At the departure end, 11 nm north of the line.
as filed, and in English
CMH UA /OV CMH/TM 0227/FLDURC/TP BCS3/SK B010
- Report
- a routine report filed through CMH
- Where
- over CMH
- Time
- 02:27 UTC
- Height
- during the climb
- Aircraft
- BCS3
- Sky
- B010
- B737 at 35,000 ft, 42 nm west, 9:25 pm EDT (01:25 UTC): light chop turbulence. 159 nm along the route, 42 nm west of the line.
as filed, and in English
LOZ UA /OV AZQ250025/TM 0125/FL350/TP B737/TB CONS LGT CHOP OCNL MOD CHOP
- Report
- a routine report filed through LOZ
- Where
- 25 nm west (250°) of AZQ
- Time
- 01:25 UTC
- Height
- at 35,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B737
- Turbulence
- continuous light chop occasional moderate chop
- PC12 at 16,000 ft, 39 nm east, 8:55 pm EDT (00:55 UTC): no turbulence, clear from 16,000 ft to 60,000 ft. 566 nm along the route, 39 nm east of the line.
as filed, and in English
AYS UA /OV AYS150060/TM 0055/FL160/TP PC12/SK SKC/TB NEG
- Report
- a routine report filed through AYS
- Where
- 60 nm southeast (150°) of AYS
- Time
- 00:55 UTC
- Height
- at 16,000 ft
- Aircraft
- PC12
- Sky
- clear
- Turbulence
- none
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 8 forecast points nearest it (CMH, CRW, TRI, GSP, ATL, SAV, JAX, PIE). 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 | 320° at 18 kt | −14 kt | 11 °C | 134 kt | 5 h 20 min | 4:53 am EDT (08:53 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 320° at 19 kt | −15 kt | 13 °C | 135 kt | 5 h 18 min | 4:51 am EDT (08:51 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 320° at 21 kt | −16 kt | 11 °C | 136 kt | 5 h 15 min | 4:48 am EDT (08:48 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 310° at 22 kt | −15 kt | 8 °C | 135 kt | 5 h 18 min | 4:51 am EDT (08:51 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 310° at 22 kt | −13 kt | 5 °C | 133 kt | 5 h 23 min | 4:56 am EDT (08:56 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 300° at 24 kt | −13 kt | 0 °C | 133 kt | 5 h 23 min | 4:56 am EDT (08:56 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 300° at 25 kt | −12 kt | -4 °C | 132 kt | 5 h 25 min | 4:58 am EDT (08:58 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 300° at 26 kt | −11 kt | -7 °C | 131 kt | 5 h 27 min | 5:00 am EDT (09:00 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 290° at 30 kt | −12 kt | -18 °C | 132 kt | 5 h 25 min | 4:58 am EDT (08:58 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 280° at 30 kt | −7 kt | -33 °C | 127 kt | 5 h 38 min | 5:11 am EDT (09:11 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 270° at 32 kt | −2 kt | -40 °C | 122 kt | 5 h 52 min | 5:25 am EDT (09:25 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 280° at 30 kt | −4 kt | -49 °C | 124 kt | 5 h 46 min | 5:19 am EDT (09:19 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CMH | used from 0 nm out; 36 nm from the line | 330/15 | 340/22 14° | 340/24 9° | 340/23 4° | 340/35 -9° | 340/49 -20° | 340/58 -37° | 330/70 -42° | 340/55 -47° |
| CRW | used from 50 nm out; 63 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 149 nm out; 35 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° | |
| GSP | used from 248 nm out; 37 nm from the line | 320/22 | 340/19 13° | 320/18 8° | 310/24 5° | 300/34 -7° | 300/36 -18° | 290/30 -33° | 300/32 -39° | 320/42 -49° |
| ATL | used from 348 nm out; 82 nm from the line | 320/30 | 330/37 16° | 340/44 11° | 330/35 7° | 310/33 -6° | 300/38 -18° | 330/58 -33° | 330/48 -40° | 320/34 -49° |
| SAV | used from 397 nm out; 89 nm from the line | 280/23 | 300/22 14° | 290/27 11° | 270/31 6° | 260/36 -5° | 260/38 -17° | 240/49 -32° | 230/68 -40° | 230/59 -51° |
| JAX | used from 496 nm out; 67 nm from the line | 290/14 | 300/16 17° | 280/22 14° | 280/24 8° | 250/32 -6° | 250/37 -17° | 230/50 -31° | 220/52 -41° | 220/51 -52° |
| PIE | used from 645 nm out; 45 nm from the line | 350/6 | L/V 18° | 290/6 14° | 280/9 9° | 250/18 -6° | 250/23 -17° | 240/30 -31° | 220/31 -41° | 220/30 -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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LCK Columbus, OH | departure | marginal VFR Sky: overcast at 1,000 feet | from the northwest (320°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | 1,000 ft | 743 ft | 10:55 pm EDT (02:55 UTC) |
| EOP Waverly, OH | 40 nm out, 1 nm northwest of the line | IFR Sky: overcast at 700 feet Weather: light drizzle, mist | from the west (280°) at 4 knots | 3 mi | 700 ft | 661 ft | 03:15 UTC |
| HTS Huntington, WV | 89 nm out, 16 nm east of the line, tower | IFR Sky: a broken layer at 700 feet, overcast at 1,400 feet Weather: mist | from the west (280°) at 5 knots | 2.5 mi | 700 ft | 828 ft | 02:51 UTC |
| TRI Bristol/Johnson/Kingsport, TN | 199 nm out, 22 nm east of the line, tower | marginal VFR Sky: a few clouds at 800 feet, a broken layer at 1,400 feet, overcast at 5,000 feet Weather: light rain | from the west-southwest (250°) at 12 knots | 10+ mi | 1,400 ft | 1,518 ft | 02:53 UTC |
| AVL Asheville, NC | 258 nm out, 15 nm east of the line, tower | VFR | from the north-northwest (340°) at 8 knots | 10+ mi | none | 2,163 ft | 02:54 UTC |
| GYH Greenville, SC | 308 nm out, 22 nm east of the line, tower | VFR | from the west-southwest (240°) at 8 knots | 10+ mi | none | 955 ft | 03:15 UTC |
| OKZ Sandersville, GA | 407 nm out, 5 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 438 ft | ||||
| EZM Eastman, GA | 457 nm out, 18 nm west of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 303 ft | 03:55 UTC |
| HOE Homerville, GA | 526 nm out, 2 nm west of the line | no report just now | 186 ft | ||||
| LCQ Lake City, FL | 576 nm out, 8 nm east of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 200 ft | 03:15 UTC |
| BKV Brooksville, FL | 685 nm out, 13 nm east of the line, tower | VFR | from the southeast (130°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 76 ft | 02:53 UTC |
| PIE St Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | destination | VFR | from the north-northwest (330°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 10 ft | 10:53 pm EDT (02:53 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 2,163 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At PIE when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 4:48 am EDT (08:48 UTC)
Wind from the north at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for PIE
- From Sun 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the north at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 3,000 feet, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
- From Sun 11:00 pm EDT (03:00 UTC): wind from the north at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 9:00 am EDT (13:00 UTC): wind from the north at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
The forecast for LCK, the departure
- From Sun 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the north at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 800 feet
- From Mon 4:00 am EDT (08:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 4 knots, visibility 3 miles, mist, a broken layer at 800 feet
- From Mon 9:00 am EDT (13:00 UTC): wind from the south at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 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 LCK 6:57 pm EDT (22:57 UTC), at PIE 7:04 pm EDT (23:04 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:28 pm EDT (23:28 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at PIE is before sunrise there (7:29 am EDT (11:29 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: Rickenbacker International, St. Pete-Clearwater International.