The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Plan a flight · Sun 8:39 pm MST (03:39 UTC)

Phoenix Sky Harbor International to Ronald Reagan Washington Ntl Airport PHX → DCA

1,716 nautical miles (1,975 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 069°, about 057° magnetic at the departure end (variation 12E). At 120 knots that is 9 h 55 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 53-knot tailwind), arriving about 9:34 am EDT (13:34 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: 2,122 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 3C: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 30,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 30 knots, until 9:55 pm MST (04:55 UTC). Over the route from 349 to 399 nm out.
    as issued
    WSUS32 KKCI 120255
    MKCC WST 120255
    CONVECTIVE SIGMET 3C
    VALID UNTIL 0455Z
    TX NM
    FROM 50SE CIM-70WNW MRF-30W ELP-10W FTI-50SE CIM
    AREA TS MOV FROM 22030KT. TOPS TO FL300.
  • SIGMET E11E: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 34,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 20 knots, until 9:55 pm MST (04:55 UTC). Over the last 90 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 TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 35,000 ft to 45,000 ft. Over the route from 30 to 409 nm out.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 30 to 40 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the route from 100 to 439 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 419 to 738 nm out.
  • 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 last 489 nm of the route.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 1486 to 1666 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 21,000 ft to 33,000 ft. Over the last 160 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 PHX.

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 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 16 forecast points nearest it (PHX, ABQ, TCC, AMA, GAG, ICT, TUL, SGF, COU, STL, EVV, LOU, CVG, CRW, EKN, RIC). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

HeightAverage windHead- or tailwindTemperatureGround speedTime en routeArrival
3,500 ft250° at 16 kt−17 kt137 kt12 h 32 min12:11 pm EDT (16:11 UTC)
5,500 ft240° at 19 kt−20 kt16 °C140 kt12 h 15 min11:54 am EDT (15:54 UTC)
7,500 ft250° at 18 kt−19 kt13 °C139 kt12 h 21 min12:00 pm EDT (16:00 UTC)
9,500 ft260° at 16 kt−18 kt10 °C138 kt12 h 26 min12:05 pm EDT (16:05 UTC)
11,500 ft250° at 15 kt−17 kt6 °C137 kt12 h 32 min12:11 pm EDT (16:11 UTC)
13,500 ft250° at 17 kt−18 kt2 °C138 kt12 h 26 min12:05 pm EDT (16:05 UTC)
15,500 ft250° at 20 kt−21 kt-2 °C141 kt12 h 10 min11:49 am EDT (15:49 UTC)
17,500 ft250° at 22 kt−24 kt-6 °C144 kt11 h 55 min11:34 am EDT (15:34 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180250° at 23 kt−24 kt-7 °C144 kt11 h 55 min11:34 am EDT (15:34 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240250° at 30 kt−32 kt-19 °C152 kt11 h 17 min10:56 am EDT (14:56 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300260° at 46 kt−48 kt-30 °C168 kt10 h 13 min9:52 am EDT (13:52 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340270° at 51 kt−53 kt-38 °C173 kt9 h 55 min9:34 am EDT (13:34 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390270° at 43 kt−44 kt-49 °C164 kt10 h 28 min10:07 am EDT (14:07 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
PHXused from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line150/5200/21 12°200/27 6°200/35 3°220/58 -8°220/69 -19°220/87 -26°230/93 -35°230/79 -47°
ABQused from 150 nm out; 110 nm from the line220/27 11°210/35 5°220/46 -9°230/62 -20°240/78 -25°240/80 -35°240/56 -47°
TCCused from 349 nm out; 64 nm from the line210/42230/33 14°230/32 6°220/35 -6°230/49 -19°240/72 -27°250/62 -36°250/52 -48°
AMAused from 499 nm out; 58 nm from the line210/38230/29 14°240/29 7°220/27 -5°240/37 -18°240/66 -28°250/59 -37°260/47 -49°
GAGused from 549 nm out; 56 nm from the line220/40 19°230/28 14°240/23 8°230/21 -6°240/31 -19°250/66 -29°260/58 -38°260/47 -49°
ICTused from 698 nm out; 46 nm from the line200/48230/39 19°240/24 14°240/20 8°240/22 -6°250/31 -18°250/61 -29°260/58 -38°270/54 -49°
TULused from 798 nm out; 68 nm from the line210/37240/29 17°260/15 14°260/11 7°240/22 -6°250/29 -16°270/45 -29°270/47 -40°280/44 -50°
SGFused from 848 nm out; 71 nm from the line230/33230/28 15°250/20 13°240/18 7°250/20 -6°250/24 -17°280/42 -31°280/49 -40°290/46 -51°
COUused from 998 nm out; 58 nm from the line230/31230/30 15°260/16 11°270/14 6°260/24 -6°270/27 -18°270/37 -32°280/49 -41°290/56 -51°
STLused from 1047 nm out; 45 nm from the line250/24250/24 16°260/23 9°270/16 6°260/25 -6°270/29 -19°290/34 -33°290/48 -41°290/54 -51°
EVVused from 1147 nm out; 53 nm from the line280/15290/12 17°310/16 10°320/13 5°310/22 -6°320/26 -18°320/38 -33°310/56 -41°320/55 -51°
LOUused from 1247 nm out; 42 nm from the line310/18340/28 16°340/29 10°350/27 3°330/27 -7°340/39 -19°330/58 -33°330/67 -41°330/40 -49°
CVGused from 1347 nm out; 29 nm from the line320/18350/32 16°350/35 10°350/30 3°330/30 -7°340/44 -20°340/58 -35°330/72 -41°320/36 -49°
CRWused from 1446 nm out; 38 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°
EKNused from 1546 nm out; 14 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°
RICused from 1646 nm out; 87 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°

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
PHX Phoenix, AZ departure no report just now 1,134 ft
JTC Springerville, AZ 140 nm out, 8 nm southeast of the line no report just now 7,055 ft
ABQ Albuquerque, NM 289 nm out, 4 nm west of the line, tower no report just now 5,354 ft
DHT Dalhart, TX 489 nm out, 3 nm east of the line no report just now 3,991 ft
PYX Perryton, TX 579 nm out, 3 nm east of the line no report just now 2,918 ft
WLD Winfield/Arkansas City, KS 768 nm out, 3 nm northwest of the line no report just now 1,160 ft
TBN Fort Leonard Wood, MO 998 nm out, 9 nm southeast of the line, tower no report just now 1,159 ft
BLV Belleville, IL 1117 nm out, 23 nm north of the line, tower no report just now 459 ft
LOU Louisville, KY 1307 nm out, 19 nm south of the line, tower no report just now 545 ft
HTS Huntington, WV 1456 nm out, 21 nm south of the line, tower no report just now 828 ft
IAD Washington, DC 1696 nm out, 6 nm north of the line, tower no report just now 312 ft
DCA Washington, DC destination no report just now 14 ft

The highest airport on this list sits at 7,055 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, 9:34 am EDT (13:34 UTC)

DCA has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.

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

  • 6/8029 Cincinnati, OH, Friday, October 9, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local 22 nm from the route, 1357 nm along the route · a VIP movement · until 12 October · ZID
  • 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 8 nm from the route, at the destination end · a VIP movement · today · ZDC

Daylight

Sunset at PHX 5:58 pm MST (00:58 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

Radar now, the southern Rockies
Radar now, the southern Rockies · loop National Weather Service
Radar now, the southern Plains
Radar now, the southern Plains · loop National Weather Service
Radar now, the upper Mississippi valley
Radar now, the upper Mississippi valley · 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: Phoenix Sky Harbor International, Ronald Reagan Washington Ntl Airport.