Smyrna Airport to Ronald Reagan Washington Ntl Airport MQY → DCA
483 nautical miles (556 statute miles) northeast on a straight line, true course 066°, about 068° magnetic at the departure end (variation 2W). At 120 knots that is 3 h 38 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 13-knot tailwind), arriving about 8:44 am EDT (12:44 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: 1 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 E31E: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 30,000 ft, until 5:55 am CDT (10:55 UTC). Over the last 39 nm of the route.
as issued
WSUS31 KKCI 120855 MKCE WST 120855 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 31E VALID UNTIL 1055Z MD VA DC FROM 20NNE DCA-30WSW SBY-RIC-CSN-20NNE DCA AREA TS MOV LTL. TOPS TO FL300.
- 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 whole route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, mist). Over the route from 89 to 375 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 6,000 ft. Over the route from 266 to 473 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 MQY.
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 7 forecast points nearest it (BNA, TYS, TRI, CRW, ROA, 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 | 330° at 22 kt | −5 kt | 125 kt | 3 h 52 min | 8:58 am EDT (12:58 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 340° at 24 kt | −1 kt | 11 °C | 121 kt | 4 h | 9:06 am EDT (13:06 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 340° at 28 kt | +2 kt | 10 °C | 118 kt | 4 h 06 min | 9:12 am EDT (13:12 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 340° at 30 kt | +3 kt | 8 °C | 117 kt | 4 h 08 min | 9:14 am EDT (13:14 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 340° at 29 kt | +1 kt | 5 °C | 119 kt | 4 h 04 min | 9:10 am EDT (13:10 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 340° at 31 kt | −1 kt | 1 °C | 121 kt | 4 h | 9:06 am EDT (13:06 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 340° at 33 kt | −2 kt | -2 °C | 122 kt | 3 h 58 min | 9:04 am EDT (13:04 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 330° at 35 kt | −3 kt | -6 °C | 123 kt | 3 h 56 min | 9:02 am EDT (13:02 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 330° at 35 kt | −4 kt | -7 °C | 124 kt | 3 h 54 min | 9:00 am EDT (13:00 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 340° at 40 kt | −1 kt | -20 °C | 121 kt | 4 h | 9:06 am EDT (13:06 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 340° at 50 kt | −1 kt | -33 °C | 121 kt | 4 h | 9:06 am EDT (13:06 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 330° at 56 kt | −7 kt | -41 °C | 127 kt | 3 h 48 min | 8:54 am EDT (12:54 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 320° at 39 kt | −13 kt | -50 °C | 133 kt | 3 h 38 min | 8:44 am EDT (12:44 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BNA | used from 0 nm out; 30 nm from the line | 300/20 | 300/14 15° | 300/14 10° | 300/13 4° | 310/22 -5° | 280/24 -18° | 310/37 -33° | 310/50 -41° | 320/49 -51° |
| TYS | used from 49 nm out; 68 nm from the line | 330/16 | 350/32 14° | 350/37 9° | 340/30 5° | 330/28 -6° | 340/36 -19° | 330/40 -33° | 330/51 -41° | 330/36 -51° |
| TRI | used from 148 nm out; 54 nm from the line | 340/25 11° | 350/37 9° | 350/34 6° | 340/39 -7° | 340/43 -19° | 340/55 -32° | 330/58 -42° | 320/37 -50° | |
| CRW | used from 246 nm out; 43 nm from the line | 320/17 | 340/23 12° | 340/32 8° | 340/35 4° | 330/40 -7° | 340/45 -20° | 340/57 -34° | 340/64 -42° | 320/38 -50° |
| ROA | used from 296 nm out; 42 nm from the line | 310/32 | 340/32 14° | 350/25 9° | 340/24 3° | 340/42 -8° | 340/52 -20° | 350/62 -34° | 350/64 -39° | 310/44 -48° |
| EKN | used from 345 nm out; 46 nm from the line | 330/20 10° | 350/29 7° | 340/32 2° | 340/44 -8° | 350/50 -21° | 350/63 -35° | 340/69 -40° | 330/42 -50° | |
| RIC | used from 444 nm out; 75 nm from the line | 350/34 | 340/27 12° | 340/36 8° | 330/31 3° | 310/32 -9° | 320/34 -21° | 300/37 -34° | 290/37 -39° | 290/42 -46° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MQY Smyrna, TN | departure | no report just now | 543 ft | ||||
| SRB Sparta, TN | 49 nm out, 17 nm south of the line | no report just now | 1,025 ft | ||||
| BYL Williamsburg, KY | 118 nm out, 3 nm east of the line | no report just now | 1,177 ft | ||||
| CPF Hazard, KY | 177 nm out, 16 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 1,256 ft | ||||
| EBD Williamson, WV | 237 nm out, 13 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 1,883 ft | ||||
| BKW Beckley, WV | 276 nm out, 5 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 2,503 ft | ||||
| LWB Lewisburg, WV | 315 nm out, 6 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 2,301 ft | ||||
| VBW Bridgewater, VA | 384 nm out, 4 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 1,165 ft | ||||
| CHO Charlottesville, VA | 404 nm out, 20 nm southeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 640 ft | ||||
| HEF Washington, DC | 463 nm out, 4 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 192 ft | ||||
| DCA Washington, DC | destination | no report just now | 14 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 2,503 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At DCA when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 8:44 am EDT (12:44 UTC)
DCA has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/0708 Goodlettsville, TN, Saturday, August 1, 2026 through Sunday, August 1, 2027 UTC 21 nm from the route, at the departure end · security · until 1 August · ZME
- 4/9383 WASHINGTON, DC., USA on the route, at the destination end · security · ZDC
- 6/8600 Sterling, VA, Monday, October 12, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local 11 nm from the route, at the destination end · a VIP movement · today · ZDC
Daylight
Sunset at MQY 6:14 pm CDT (23:14 UTC), at DCA 6:34 pm EDT (22:34 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:01 pm EDT (23:01 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: Smyrna Airport, Ronald Reagan Washington Ntl Airport.