The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Plan a flight · Sun 11:40 pm EDT (03:40 UTC)

Philadelphia International to Smyrna Airport PHL → MQY

582 nautical miles (669 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 250°, about 262° magnetic at the departure end (variation 12W). At 120 knots that is 5 h 04 min at the quickest height in today's winds (6,500 ft, a 5-knot headwind), arriving about 3:44 am CDT (08:44 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now PHL is IFR, wind from the northeast (040°) at 7 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: 5 flights in the DOT's last twelve reported months, the route's page.

The return flight

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 E11E: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 34,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 20 knots, until 12:55 am EDT (04:55 UTC). Over the first 177 nm of the route.
    as issued
    WSUS31 KKCI 120255
    MKCE WST 120255
    CONVECTIVE SIGMET 11E
    VALID UNTIL 0455Z
    NY NJ PA DE MD VA DC WV AND DE NJ NY MD CT VA CSTL WTRS
    FROM 20NE JFK-90SE SIE-20NNW ORF-30ENE EKN-10S JST-20NE JFK
    AREA EMBD TS MOV FROM 24020KT. TOPS TO FL340.
  • 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 whole route.
  • AIRMET TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 21,000 ft to 33,000 ft. Over the first 256 nm of the route.
  • AIRMET TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 13,000 ft. Over the first 49 nm of the route.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 138 to 463 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 PHL.

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 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 7 forecast points nearest it (ACY, RIC, EKN, CRW, TRI, TYS, BNA). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

HeightAverage windHead- or tailwindTemperatureGround speedTime en routeArrival
4,500 ft310° at 16 kt+6 kt12 °C114 kt5 h 06 min3:46 am CDT (08:46 UTC)
6,500 ft320° at 16 kt+5 kt12 °C115 kt5 h 04 min3:44 am CDT (08:44 UTC)
8,500 ft310° at 18 kt+7 kt9 °C113 kt5 h 09 min3:49 am CDT (08:49 UTC)
10,500 ft310° at 17 kt+6 kt6 °C114 kt5 h 06 min3:46 am CDT (08:46 UTC)
12,500 ft310° at 17 kt+6 kt2 °C114 kt5 h 06 min3:46 am CDT (08:46 UTC)
14,500 ft310° at 18 kt+7 kt-2 °C113 kt5 h 09 min3:49 am CDT (08:49 UTC)
16,500 ft310° at 20 kt+9 kt-5 °C111 kt5 h 15 min3:55 am CDT (08:55 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180310° at 22 kt+10 kt-8 °C110 kt5 h 17 min3:57 am CDT (08:57 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240300° at 26 kt+15 kt-20 °C105 kt5 h 33 min4:13 am CDT (09:13 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300290° at 32 kt+24 kt-33 °C96 kt6 h 04 min4:44 am CDT (09:44 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340280° at 42 kt+34 kt-39 °C86 kt6 h 46 min5:26 am CDT (10:26 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390290° at 36 kt+26 kt-48 °C94 kt6 h 11 min4:51 am CDT (09:51 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
PointFrom3,0006,0009,00012,00018,00024,00030,00034,00039,000
ACYused from 0 nm out; 56 nm from the line220/19220/18 14°210/36 9°210/35 5°220/36 -8°240/49 -21°220/90 -31°230/103 -40°230/81 -50°
RICused from 99 nm out; 100 nm from the line270/23280/19 11°270/18 8°240/22 4°230/39 -7°220/55 -18°220/75 -30°230/83 -39°230/64 -50°
EKNused from 148 nm out; 54 nm from the line330/21 12°330/25 7°350/22 2°330/24 -10°310/27 -21°320/33 -35°290/31 -39°290/34 -47°
CRWused from 246 nm out; 46 nm from the line330/20330/23 11°340/25 8°340/21 2°340/33 -9°340/41 -20°330/42 -35°320/44 -39°320/43 -47°
TRIused from 345 nm out; 64 nm from the line330/22 11°330/29 7°330/32 3°330/36 -8°320/34 -19°320/36 -34°320/43 -39°320/46 -47°
TYSused from 444 nm out; 65 nm from the line320/20340/18 11°340/32 9°340/36 4°330/37 -7°330/38 -19°330/50 -34°330/53 -38°330/44 -48°
BNAused from 493 nm out; 69 nm from the line310/20340/20 17°330/24 10°340/22 5°330/26 -6°340/29 -18°330/52 -33°320/62 -41°340/45 -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

AirportWhereConditionsWindVisibilityCeilingElevationReported
PHL Philadelphia, PA departure IFR Sky: a broken layer at 700 feet, overcast at 1,000 feet Weather: mist from the northeast (040°) at 7 knots 6 mi 700 ft 35 ft 11:28 pm EDT (03:28 UTC)
ILG Wilmington, DE 20 nm out, 5 nm south of the line, tower IFR Sky: overcast at 500 feet from the north-northeast (030°) at 11 knots, gusting to 17 3 mi 500 ft 79 ft 02:51 UTC
FDK Frederick, MD 99 nm out, 10 nm northwest of the line, tower IFR Sky: overcast at 600 feet Weather: light rain, mist from the north (350°) at 7 knots 4 mi 600 ft 308 ft 03:15 UTC
JYO Leesburg, VA 118 nm out, 7 nm southeast of the line, tower IFR Sky: overcast at 600 feet from the north (360°) at 7 knots 7 mi 600 ft 389 ft 03:35 UTC
VBW Bridgewater, VA 197 nm out, 22 nm southeast of the line marginal VFR Sky: overcast at 1,900 feet calm 10+ mi 1,900 ft 1,165 ft 03:35 UTC
LWB Lewisburg, WV 266 nm out, 24 nm south of the line, tower marginal VFR Sky: a few clouds at 900 feet, a broken layer at 2,100 feet, overcast at 2,500 feet Weather: light rain, mist from the west-southwest (240°) at 7 knots 4 mi 2,100 ft 2,301 ft 02:15 UTC
EBD Williamson, WV 345 nm out, 3 nm southwest of the line no report just now 1,883 ft
PBX Pikeville, KY 375 nm out, 5 nm northeast of the line low IFR Sky: overcast at 300 feet Weather: light drizzle from the west-northwest (290°) at 9 knots 3 mi 300 ft 1,464 ft 03:15 UTC
LOZ London, KY 444 nm out, 7 nm northwest of the line VFR from the north (010°) at 9 knots, gusting to 16 10+ mi none 1,212 ft 20:18 UTC
EKQ Monticello, KY 483 nm out, 11 nm northwest of the line marginal VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 600 feet, a broken layer at 1,600 feet, overcast at 2,400 feet calm 10+ mi 1,600 ft 962 ft 02:56 UTC
SRB Sparta, TN 542 nm out, 20 nm southeast of the line low IFR Sky: overcast at 100 feet Weather: fog calm 0.25 mi 100 ft 1,025 ft 03:15 UTC
MQY Smyrna, TN destination reported, no category calm none 543 ft 10:26 pm CDT (03:26 UTC)

The highest airport on this list sits at 2,301 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At MQY when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 3:44 am CDT (08:44 UTC)

Wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies VFR

The whole forecast for MQY
  • From Sun 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
  • From Mon 4:00 am CDT (09:00 UTC): wind calm, visibility 5 miles, mist, patches of fog, clear skies
  • From Mon 9:00 am CDT (14:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 20,000 feet
  • From Mon 12:00 pm CDT (17:00 UTC): wind from the west at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 20,000 feet
The forecast for PHL, the departure
  • From Sun 11:00 pm EDT (03:00 UTC): wind from the north-northeast at 8 knots, visibility 5 miles, light rain, mist, overcast at 500 feet
  • From Mon 6:00 am EDT (10:00 UTC): wind from the north-northeast at 10 knots, visibility 5 miles, mist, overcast at 800 feet
  • From Mon 10:00 am EDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the north at 12 knots, gusting to 19, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 2,500 feet
  • From Mon 2:00 pm EDT (18:00 UTC): wind from the north at 12 knots, gusting to 21, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 5,000 feet
  • From Mon 6:00 pm EDT (22:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet

Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it

  • 6/8800 Baltimore, MD, Saturday, October 17, 2026 through Sunday, October 18, 2026 UTC 11 nm from the route, 69 nm along the route · drones kept away from a public gathering · starts Saturday 17 October · ZDC
  • 4/9383 WASHINGTON, DC., USA 13 nm from the route, 99 nm along the route · security · ZDC
  • 6/8600 Sterling, VA, Monday, October 12, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local 7 nm from the route, 108 nm along the route · a VIP movement · today · ZDC
  • 6/0708 Goodlettsville, TN, Saturday, August 1, 2026 through Sunday, August 1, 2027 UTC 21 nm from the route, at the destination end · security · until 1 August · ZME

Daylight

Sunset at PHL 6:26 pm EDT (22:26 UTC), at MQY 6:14 pm CDT (23:14 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:40 pm CDT (23:40 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at MQY is before sunrise there (6:50 am CDT (11:50 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

Radar now, the Northeast
Radar now, the Northeast · loop National Weather Service
Radar now, the Southeast
Radar now, the Southeast · loop National Weather Service
Radar now, the central Great Lakes
Radar now, the central Great Lakes · loop National Weather Service
Radar, the whole country
Radar, the whole country · loop National Weather Service
Surface analysis now
Surface analysis now Weather Prediction Center
Forecast chart, 12 hours ahead
Forecast chart, 12 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center
Forecast chart, 24 hours ahead
Forecast chart, 24 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center

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: Philadelphia International, Smyrna Airport.