Phoenix Sky Harbor International to Raleigh-Durham International PHX → RDU
1,640 nautical miles (1,887 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 075°, about 063° magnetic at the departure end (variation 12E). At 120 knots that is 9 h 35 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 51-knot tailwind), arriving about 9:15 am EDT (13:15 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: 1,651 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 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 320 to 380 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.
- 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 2W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 35,000 ft to 45,000 ft. Over the route from 40 to 360 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the route from 110 to 390 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 route from 1260 to 1480 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 1350 to 1500 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 5W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 10,000 ft. Over the route from 1450 to 1590 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 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 15 forecast points nearest it (PHX, ABQ, TCC, AMA, GAG, OKC, TUL, FSM, LIT, MEM, CGI, BNA, TYS, TRI, RDU). 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 | 240° at 16 kt | −15 kt | 135 kt | 12 h 09 min | 11:49 am EDT (15:49 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 240° at 17 kt | −17 kt | 14 °C | 137 kt | 11 h 58 min | 11:38 am EDT (15:38 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 250° at 17 kt | −18 kt | 12 °C | 138 kt | 11 h 53 min | 11:33 am EDT (15:33 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 260° at 17 kt | −18 kt | 10 °C | 138 kt | 11 h 53 min | 11:33 am EDT (15:33 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 260° at 16 kt | −18 kt | 7 °C | 138 kt | 11 h 53 min | 11:33 am EDT (15:33 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 260° at 18 kt | −19 kt | 3 °C | 139 kt | 11 h 48 min | 11:28 am EDT (15:28 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 250° at 20 kt | −21 kt | -1 °C | 141 kt | 11 h 38 min | 11:18 am EDT (15:18 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 250° at 22 kt | −24 kt | -6 °C | 144 kt | 11 h 23 min | 11:03 am EDT (15:03 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 250° at 23 kt | −24 kt | -7 °C | 144 kt | 11 h 23 min | 11:03 am EDT (15:03 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 250° at 32 kt | −33 kt | -18 °C | 153 kt | 10 h 43 min | 10:23 am EDT (14:23 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 260° at 46 kt | −48 kt | -30 °C | 168 kt | 9 h 46 min | 9:26 am EDT (13:26 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 270° at 49 kt | −51 kt | -38 °C | 171 kt | 9 h 35 min | 9:15 am EDT (13:15 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 270° at 40 kt | −41 kt | -49 °C | 161 kt | 10 h 11 min | 9:51 am EDT (13:51 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
| Point | From | 3,000 | 6,000 | 9,000 | 12,000 | 18,000 | 24,000 | 30,000 | 34,000 | 39,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PHX | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 150/5 | 200/21 12° | 200/27 6° | 200/35 3° | 220/58 -8° | 220/69 -19° | 220/87 -26° | 230/93 -35° | 230/79 -47° |
| ABQ | used from 150 nm out; 113 nm from the line | 220/27 11° | 210/35 5° | 220/46 -9° | 230/62 -20° | 240/78 -25° | 240/80 -35° | 240/56 -47° | ||
| TCC | used from 350 nm out; 57 nm from the line | 210/42 | 230/33 14° | 230/32 6° | 220/35 -6° | 230/49 -19° | 240/72 -27° | 250/62 -36° | 250/52 -48° | |
| AMA | used from 450 nm out; 47 nm from the line | 210/38 | 230/29 14° | 240/29 7° | 220/27 -5° | 240/37 -18° | 240/66 -28° | 250/59 -37° | 260/47 -49° | |
| GAG | used from 600 nm out; 52 nm from the line | 220/40 19° | 230/28 14° | 240/23 8° | 230/21 -6° | 240/31 -19° | 250/66 -29° | 260/58 -38° | 260/47 -49° | |
| OKC | used from 650 nm out; 50 nm from the line | 200/44 | 230/32 18° | 240/13 15° | 240/10 9° | 240/20 -5° | 250/27 -16° | 260/47 -28° | 270/48 -39° | 270/45 -50° |
| TUL | used from 750 nm out; 43 nm from the line | 210/37 | 240/29 17° | 260/15 14° | 260/11 7° | 240/22 -6° | 250/29 -16° | 270/45 -29° | 270/47 -40° | 280/44 -50° |
| FSM | used from 850 nm out; 34 nm from the line | 210/27 | 250/23 16° | 250/20 13° | 240/17 8° | 250/18 -6° | 260/31 -16° | 280/42 -30° | 280/44 -40° | 290/38 -51° |
| LIT | used from 950 nm out; 77 nm from the line | 220/21 | 230/17 16° | 250/24 12° | 260/15 7° | 260/13 -5° | 280/25 -16° | 290/35 -30° | 300/42 -40° | 300/40 -52° |
| MEM | used from 1050 nm out; 66 nm from the line | 230/19 | 260/16 15° | 270/17 12° | 300/13 6° | 300/15 -5° | 300/26 -18° | 300/34 -32° | 300/41 -40° | 310/46 -52° |
| CGI | used from 1100 nm out; 68 nm from the line | 240/20 | 270/15 15° | 280/15 11° | 300/13 6° | 290/20 -6° | 280/24 -18° | 300/34 -32° | 300/47 -41° | 310/49 -51° |
| BNA | used from 1150 nm out; 81 nm from the line | 310/20 | 340/20 17° | 330/24 10° | 340/22 5° | 330/26 -6° | 340/29 -18° | 330/52 -33° | 320/62 -41° | 340/45 -50° |
| TYS | used from 1300 nm out; 65 nm from the line | 320/20 | 340/18 11° | 340/32 9° | 340/36 4° | 330/37 -7° | 330/38 -19° | 330/50 -34° | 330/53 -38° | 330/44 -48° |
| TRI | used from 1450 nm out; 28 nm from the line | 330/22 11° | 330/29 7° | 330/32 3° | 330/36 -8° | 320/34 -19° | 320/36 -34° | 320/43 -39° | 320/46 -47° | |
| RDU | used from 1550 nm out; 65 nm from the line | 280/33 | 300/23 11° | 300/28 8° | 290/28 4° | 260/41 -6° | 240/52 -18° | 230/66 -31° | 230/76 -39° | 240/52 -49° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PHX Phoenix, AZ | departure | no report just now | 1,134 ft | ||||
| IWA Phoenix, AZ | 20 nm out, 13 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,384 ft | ||||
| BRG Belen, NM | 270 nm out, 13 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 5,199 ft | ||||
| SXU Santa Rosa, NM | 380 nm out, 9 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 4,791 ft | ||||
| AMA Amarillo, TX | 520 nm out, 2 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 3,606 ft | ||||
| PWA Oklahoma City, OK | 720 nm out, 7 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,299 ft | ||||
| FYV Fayetteville, AR | 890 nm out, 6 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,252 ft | ||||
| PGR Paragould, AR | 1070 nm out, 1 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 290 ft | ||||
| BNA Nashville, TN | 1260 nm out, 4 nm west of the line, tower | no report just now | 599 ft | ||||
| TYS Knoxville, TN | 1390 nm out, 18 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 986 ft | ||||
| GSO Greensboro, NC | 1580 nm out, 10 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 925 ft | ||||
| RDU Raleigh/Durham, NC | destination | no report just now | 435 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 5,199 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At RDU when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 9:15 am EDT (13:15 UTC)
RDU has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/8722 ALAMOGORDO, NM, Tuesday, October 13, 2026 Local 22 nm from the route, 300 nm along the route · security · starts tomorrow · ZAB
- 6/0708 Goodlettsville, TN, Saturday, August 1, 2026 through Sunday, August 1, 2027 UTC 13 nm from the route, 1260 nm along the route · security · until 1 August · ZME
Daylight
Sunset at PHX 5:58 pm MST (00:58 UTC), at RDU 6:43 pm EDT (22:43 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:09 pm EDT (23:09 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: Phoenix Sky Harbor International, Raleigh-Durham International.