Philadelphia International to Pensacola International PHL → PNS
812 nautical miles (935 statute miles) southwest on a straight line, true course 230°, about 242° magnetic at the departure end (variation 12W). At 120 knots that is 6 h 36 min at the quickest height in today's winds (6,500 ft, a 3-knot tailwind), arriving about 4:40 am CDT (09:40 UTC), after sunset at the destination. 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: 524 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 TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 21,000 ft to 33,000 ft. Over the first 178 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 13,000 ft. Over the first 50 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 5W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 10,000 ft. Over the route from 267 to 416 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 287 to 485 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 8 forecast points nearest it (ACY, RIC, ROA, GSP, ATL, CSG, MGM, MOB). 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 | 310° at 21 kt | +1 kt | 119 kt | 6 h 49 min | 4:53 am CDT (09:53 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 320° at 21 kt | −3 kt | 13 °C | 123 kt | 6 h 36 min | 4:40 am CDT (09:40 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 320° at 21 kt | −2 kt | 10 °C | 122 kt | 6 h 39 min | 4:43 am CDT (09:43 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 310° at 19 kt | +1 kt | 7 °C | 119 kt | 6 h 49 min | 4:53 am CDT (09:53 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 300° at 18 kt | +4 kt | 4 °C | 116 kt | 7 h | 5:04 am CDT (10:04 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 290° at 21 kt | +7 kt | 0 °C | 113 kt | 7 h 11 min | 5:15 am CDT (10:15 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 290° at 24 kt | +10 kt | -4 °C | 110 kt | 7 h 23 min | 5:27 am CDT (10:27 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 290° at 26 kt | +13 kt | -7 °C | 107 kt | 7 h 35 min | 5:39 am CDT (10:39 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 280° at 31 kt | +18 kt | -19 °C | 102 kt | 7 h 58 min | 6:02 am CDT (11:02 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 280° at 33 kt | +18 kt | -32 °C | 102 kt | 7 h 58 min | 6:02 am CDT (11:02 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 280° at 38 kt | +22 kt | -40 °C | 98 kt | 8 h 17 min | 6:21 am CDT (11:21 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 280° at 33 kt | +18 kt | -49 °C | 102 kt | 7 h 58 min | 6:02 am CDT (11:02 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACY | used from 0 nm out; 50 nm from the line | 220/19 | 220/18 14° | 210/36 9° | 210/35 5° | 220/36 -8° | 240/49 -21° | 220/90 -31° | 230/103 -40° | 230/81 -50° |
| RIC | used from 99 nm out; 61 nm from the line | 270/23 | 280/19 11° | 270/18 8° | 240/22 4° | 230/39 -7° | 220/55 -18° | 220/75 -30° | 230/83 -39° | 230/64 -50° |
| ROA | used from 198 nm out; 56 nm from the line | 310/29 | 330/31 13° | 340/28 7° | 330/25 3° | 310/32 -8° | 300/32 -22° | 290/32 -31° | 270/35 -38° | 270/32 -47° |
| GSP | used from 347 nm out; 76 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 495 nm out; 65 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° |
| CSG | used from 594 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 310/24 | 340/35 17° | 340/37 12° | 330/22 8° | 310/30 -7° | 290/30 -18° | 340/57 -32° | 340/55 -41° | 320/33 -49° |
| MGM | used from 693 nm out; 47 nm from the line | 310/19 | 340/24 17° | 340/28 11° | 330/16 7° | 300/23 -7° | 320/32 -16° | 330/46 -33° | 330/55 -42° | 330/41 -50° |
| MOB | used from 792 nm out; 62 nm from the line | 330/5 | 330/6 19° | 340/6 11° | 330/10 7° | 320/16 -5° | 310/26 -16° | 340/40 -32° | 340/47 -42° | 350/51 -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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PHL Philadelphia, PA | departure | no report just now | 35 ft | ||||
| ILG Wilmington, DE | 20 nm out, 2 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 79 ft | ||||
| DCA Washington, DC | 99 nm out, 9 nm west of the line, tower | no report just now | 14 ft | ||||
| LYH Lynchburg, VA | 238 nm out, 9 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 938 ft | ||||
| GSO Greensboro, NC | 317 nm out, 21 nm southeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 925 ft | ||||
| INT Winston Salem, NC | 327 nm out, 10 nm southeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 969 ft | ||||
| GYH Greenville, SC | 456 nm out, 5 nm west of the line, tower | no report just now | 955 ft | ||||
| AHN Athens, GA | 525 nm out, 3 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 812 ft | ||||
| CSG Columbus, GA | 644 nm out, 1 nm west of the line, tower | no report just now | 397 ft | ||||
| TOI Troy, AL | 713 nm out, 13 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 397 ft | ||||
| VPS Valparaiso/Destin-Ft Walton Beach, FL | 792 nm out, 25 nm southeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 84 ft | ||||
| PNS Pensacola, FL | destination | no report just now | 120 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 969 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At PNS when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 4:40 am CDT (09:40 UTC)
PNS has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
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 14 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 on the route, 99 nm along the route · security · ZDC
- 6/8600 Sterling, VA, Monday, October 12, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local 22 nm from the route, 109 nm along the route · a VIP movement · today · ZDC
Daylight
Sunset at PHL 6:26 pm EDT (22:26 UTC), at PNS 6:21 pm CDT (23:21 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:45 pm CDT (23:45 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at PNS is before sunrise there (6:48 am CDT (11:48 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: Philadelphia International, Pensacola International.