Norfolk International to Southwest Florida International ORF → RSW
683 nautical miles (786 statute miles) southwest on a straight line, true course 206°, about 215° magnetic at the departure end (variation 9W). At 120 knots that is 6 h 34 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 16-knot headwind), arriving about 4:14 am EDT (08:14 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now ORF is VFR, wind from the south-southwest (200°) at 15 knots; RSW is VFR, wind from the north-northeast (030°) 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: 225 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 3E: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 31,000 ft, moving from the west at 15 knots, until 10:55 pm EDT (02:55 UTC). Over the route from 69 to 69 nm out.
as issued
WSUS31 KKCI 120055 MKCE WST 120055 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 3E VALID UNTIL 0255Z PA MD VA NC WV OH KY FROM 20NE APE-30SE JST-30SSE DCA-40SW ECG-70NNW HMV-20NE APE AREA TS MOV FROM 28015KT. TOPS TO FL310.
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 ORF.
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 20:00–03:00 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 6 forecast points nearest it (ORF, ILM, CHS, JAX, MLB, 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 | 240° at 20 kt | +16 kt | 104 kt | 6 h 34 min | 4:14 am EDT (08:14 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 240° at 23 kt | +18 kt | 15 °C | 102 kt | 6 h 42 min | 4:22 am EDT (08:22 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 240° at 28 kt | +23 kt | 13 °C | 97 kt | 7 h 02 min | 4:42 am EDT (08:42 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 240° at 30 kt | +25 kt | 10 °C | 95 kt | 7 h 11 min | 4:51 am EDT (08:51 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 240° at 33 kt | +27 kt | 7 °C | 93 kt | 7 h 21 min | 5:01 am EDT (09:01 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 240° at 37 kt | +31 kt | 3 °C | 89 kt | 7 h 40 min | 5:20 am EDT (09:20 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 240° at 42 kt | +35 kt | -2 °C | 85 kt | 8 h 02 min | 5:42 am EDT (09:42 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 240° at 45 kt | +38 kt | -5 °C | 82 kt | 8 h 20 min | 6:00 am EDT (10:00 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 230° at 46 kt | +42 kt | -15 °C | 78 kt | 8 h 45 min | 6:25 am EDT (10:25 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 220° at 51 kt | +49 kt | -31 °C | 71 kt | 9 h 37 min | 7:17 am EDT (11:17 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 210° at 54 kt | +54 kt | -41 °C | 66 kt | 10 h 21 min | 8:01 am EDT (12:01 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 210° at 51 kt | +51 kt | -53 °C | 69 kt | 9 h 54 min | 7:34 am EDT (11:34 UTC) |
Based on data from the 11th at 18:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 00:00 UTC for use 20:00 to 03:00 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ORF | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 210/45 | 210/41 15° | 210/39 13° | 220/37 7° | 230/55 -5° | 230/65 -16° | 220/71 -30° | 220/75 -40° | 220/72 -53° |
| ILM | used from 99 nm out; 55 nm from the line | 230/27 | 220/35 14° | 230/45 13° | 230/48 8° | 240/59 -4° | 230/57 -14° | 220/66 -30° | 210/66 -40° | 210/59 -52° |
| CHS | used from 248 nm out; 75 nm from the line | 260/22 | 280/26 12° | 260/37 12° | 250/40 8° | 240/54 -4° | 230/55 -15° | 220/61 -31° | 200/66 -41° | 210/62 -52° |
| JAX | used from 396 nm out; 100 nm from the line | 280/14 | 300/22 16° | 260/27 15° | 260/26 9° | 240/41 -6° | 230/38 -16° | 220/44 -32° | 200/49 -41° | 200/52 -53° |
| MLB | used from 495 nm out; 56 nm from the line | 240/7 | 240/11 17° | 240/13 13° | 250/15 8° | 230/25 -5° | 210/25 -16° | 210/24 -31° | 190/29 -41° | 190/27 -53° |
| PIE | used from 644 nm out; 86 nm from the line | 310/7 | 270/12 17° | 270/14 13° | 260/14 8° | 240/22 -5° | 230/24 -16° | 220/26 -31° | 200/31 -41° | 180/33 -53° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ORF Norfolk, VA | departure | VFR | from the south-southwest (200°) at 15 knots | 10+ mi | none | 26 ft | 8:51 pm EDT (00:51 UTC) |
| ECG Elizabeth City, NC | 30 nm out, 18 nm southeast of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 6,000 feet | from the south (190°) at 13 knots, gusting to 25 | 10+ mi | none | 10 ft | 00:54 UTC |
| EWN New Bern, NC | 119 nm out, 11 nm east of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southwest (210°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | none | 17 ft | 00:54 UTC |
| ILM Wilmington, NC | 178 nm out, 7 nm northwest of the line, tower | VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 2,300 feet, a broken layer at 3,900 feet | from the west-southwest (250°) at 9 knots, gusting to 19 | 10+ mi | 3,900 ft | 31 ft | 00:53 UTC |
| EVB New Smyrna Beach, FL | 525 nm out, 21 nm west of the line, tower | VFR | from the west (270°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 10 ft | 00:47 UTC |
| TIX Titusville, FL | 555 nm out, 1 nm north of the line, tower | VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 5,000 feet | calm | 7 mi | none | 34 ft | 00:47 UTC |
| PGD Punta Gorda, FL | 664 nm out, 21 nm west of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 25 ft | 00:53 UTC |
| RSW Fort Myers, FL | destination | VFR | from the north-northeast (030°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 29 ft | 8:53 pm EDT (00:53 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 34 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At RSW when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 4:14 am EDT (08:14 UTC)
Wind from the north-northeast at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for RSW
- From Sun 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the east-northeast at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 3,000 feet, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 1:00 am EDT (05:00 UTC): wind from the north-northeast at 4 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-northeast at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
The forecast for ORF, the departure
- From Sun 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south at 12 knots, gusting to 19, visibility more than 6 miles, showers nearby, a broken layer at 2,000 feet
- From Sun 11:00 pm EDT (03:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 11 knots, gusting to 17, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 6,000 feet
- From Mon 4:00 am EDT (08:00 UTC): wind from the west at 11 knots, gusting to 17, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 1,200 feet
- From Mon 11:00 am EDT (15:00 UTC): wind from the northwest at 13 knots, gusting to 20, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 1,200 feet
- From Mon 2:00 pm EDT (18:00 UTC): wind from the north-northwest at 13 knots, gusting to 21, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 2,000 feet
- From Mon 6:00 pm EDT (22:00 UTC): wind from the north at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 6,000 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 ORF 6:32 pm EDT (22:32 UTC), at RSW 7:02 pm EDT (23:02 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:25 pm EDT (23:25 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at RSW is before sunrise there (7:24 am EDT (11:24 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: Norfolk International, Southwest Florida International.