Smyrna Airport to Albert J Ellis Airport MQY → OAJ
441 nautical miles (508 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 097°, about 099° magnetic at the departure end (variation 2W). At 120 knots that is 2 h 56 min at the quickest height in today's winds (30,000 ft, a 30-knot tailwind), arriving about 11:17 am EDT (15:17 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
- 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 186 nm of the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, mist). Over the route from 78 to 206 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 5W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) from 29,000 ft to 40,000 ft. Over the route from 157 to 245 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 6,000 ft. Over the route from 167 to 245 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: low-level wind shear (due to air speed loss or gain of 20 knots or more below 2,000 ft above the ground). Over the route from 226 to 324 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 30,000 ft to 41,000 ft. Over the last 108 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 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 6 forecast points nearest it (BNA, TYS, GSP, FLO, RDU, ILM). 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 21 kt | −13 kt | 133 kt | 3 h 19 min | 11:40 am EDT (15:40 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 340° at 23 kt | −11 kt | 131 kt | 3 h 22 min | 11:43 am EDT (15:43 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 340° at 25 kt | −12 kt | 11 °C | 132 kt | 3 h 20 min | 11:41 am EDT (15:41 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 340° at 27 kt | −14 kt | 8 °C | 134 kt | 3 h 17 min | 11:38 am EDT (15:38 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 330° at 27 kt | −17 kt | 6 °C | 137 kt | 3 h 13 min | 11:34 am EDT (15:34 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 330° at 28 kt | −19 kt | 2 °C | 139 kt | 3 h 10 min | 11:31 am EDT (15:31 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 320° at 30 kt | −21 kt | -2 °C | 141 kt | 3 h 08 min | 11:29 am EDT (15:29 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 320° at 31 kt | −22 kt | -6 °C | 142 kt | 3 h 06 min | 11:27 am EDT (15:27 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 320° at 31 kt | −23 kt | -7 °C | 143 kt | 3 h 05 min | 11:26 am EDT (15:26 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 320° at 32 kt | −23 kt | -19 °C | 143 kt | 3 h 05 min | 11:26 am EDT (15:26 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 320° at 38 kt | −30 kt | -32 °C | 150 kt | 2 h 56 min | 11:17 am EDT (15:17 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 320° at 41 kt | −30 kt | -41 °C | 150 kt | 2 h 56 min | 11:17 am EDT (15:17 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 310° at 34 kt | −28 kt | -50 °C | 148 kt | 2 h 59 min | 11:20 am EDT (15:20 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; 33 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; 50 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° |
| GSP | used from 196 nm out; 37 nm from the line | 340/30 | 360/24 13° | 350/29 10° | 340/33 6° | 340/40 -7° | 350/44 -19° | 340/59 -31° | 350/55 -41° | 300/29 -50° |
| FLO | used from 294 nm out; 64 nm from the line | 330/17 | 330/17 12° | 320/21 9° | 310/29 4° | 310/36 -8° | 300/36 -19° | 290/34 -32° | 300/29 -40° | 310/34 -48° |
| RDU | used from 343 nm out; 51 nm from the line | 330/30 | 340/24 12° | 330/26 7° | 320/30 3° | 330/39 -8° | 310/30 -20° | 300/33 -33° | 310/34 -39° | 310/41 -47° |
| ILM | used from 392 nm out; 40 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° |
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 | ||||
| RNC Mc Minnville, TN | 39 nm out, 15 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 1,031 ft | ||||
| CSV Crossville, TN | 69 nm out, 5 nm north of the line | no report just now | 1,881 ft | ||||
| TYS Knoxville, TN | 128 nm out, 6 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 986 ft | ||||
| GKT Sevierville, TN | 147 nm out, 10 nm north of the line | no report just now | 1,013 ft | ||||
| AVL Asheville, NC | 196 nm out, 8 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 2,163 ft | ||||
| HKY Hickory, NC | 245 nm out, 20 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,189 ft | ||||
| JQF Concord, NC | 284 nm out, 4 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 704 ft | ||||
| VUJ Albemarle, NC | 314 nm out, 11 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 609 ft | ||||
| FAY Fayetteville, NC | 383 nm out, 5 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 189 ft | ||||
| CTZ Clinton, NC | 402 nm out, 2 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 144 ft | ||||
| OAJ Jacksonville, NC | destination | no report just now | 92 ft |
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 OAJ when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 11:17 am EDT (15:17 UTC)
OAJ 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
- 6/8713 Maxton, NC, Friday, October 16, 2026 through Sunday, October 18, 2026 UTC 14 nm from the route, 353 nm along the route · air shows/sports · starts Friday 16 October · ZDC
- 6/8508 Johnsontown, NC 15 nm from the route, 392 nm along the route · security · ZDC
Daylight
Sunset at MQY 6:14 pm CDT (23:14 UTC), at OAJ 6:39 pm EDT (22:39 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:05 pm EDT (23:05 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, Albert J Ellis Airport.