The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Plan a flight · Mon 4:09 am EDT (08:09 UTC)

Raleigh-Durham International to Baton Rouge Metro, Ryan Field RDU → BTR

698 nautical miles (804 statute miles) southwest on a straight line, true course 246°, about 255° magnetic at the departure end (variation 9W). At 120 knots that is 5 h 52 min at the quickest height in today's winds (6,500 ft, a 1-knot headwind), arriving about 9:01 am CDT (14:01 UTC). Right now RDU is VFR, wind from the west-southwest (240°) at 7 knots; BTR 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: 2 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

  • AIRMET TANGO 5W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 10,000 ft. Over the first 299 nm of the route.
  • AIRMET TANGO 5W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) from 29,000 ft to 40,000 ft. Over the route from 229 to 279 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 RDU.

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 9 forecast points nearest it (RDU, FLO, GSP, ATL, CSG, MGM, MOB, JAN, MSY). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

HeightAverage windHead- or tailwindTemperatureGround speedTime en routeArrival
4,500 ft320° at 17 kt+4 kt116 kt6 h 01 min9:10 am CDT (14:10 UTC)
6,500 ft330° at 19 kt+1 kt15 °C119 kt5 h 52 min9:01 am CDT (14:01 UTC)
8,500 ft330° at 20 kt+1 kt11 °C119 kt5 h 52 min9:01 am CDT (14:01 UTC)
10,500 ft320° at 20 kt+4 kt8 °C116 kt6 h 01 min9:10 am CDT (14:10 UTC)
12,500 ft310° at 20 kt+7 kt5 °C113 kt6 h 11 min9:20 am CDT (14:20 UTC)
14,500 ft310° at 22 kt+10 kt1 °C110 kt6 h 21 min9:30 am CDT (14:30 UTC)
16,500 ft300° at 24 kt+13 kt-3 °C107 kt6 h 31 min9:40 am CDT (14:40 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180300° at 26 kt+15 kt-6 °C105 kt6 h 39 min9:48 am CDT (14:48 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240290° at 30 kt+20 kt-17 °C100 kt6 h 59 min10:08 am CDT (15:08 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300310° at 35 kt+13 kt-32 °C107 kt6 h 31 min9:40 am CDT (14:40 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340310° at 37 kt+14 kt-40 °C106 kt6 h 35 min9:44 am CDT (14:44 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390320° at 35 kt+9 kt-50 °C111 kt6 h 17 min9:26 am CDT (14:26 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
RDUused from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line280/33300/23 11°300/28 8°290/28 4°260/41 -6°240/52 -18°230/66 -31°230/76 -39°240/52 -49°
FLOused from 50 nm out; 74 nm from the line300/16320/14 12°320/19 7°290/26 5°260/39 -6°250/45 -18°230/62 -32°230/83 -40°230/64 -51°
GSPused from 100 nm out; 55 nm from the line320/22340/19 13°320/18 8°310/24 5°300/34 -7°300/36 -18°290/30 -33°300/32 -39°320/42 -49°
ATLused from 249 nm out; 35 nm from the line320/30330/37 16°340/44 11°330/35 7°310/33 -6°300/38 -18°330/58 -33°330/48 -40°320/34 -49°
CSGused from 349 nm out; 51 nm from the line310/24340/35 17°340/37 12°330/22 8°310/30 -7°290/30 -18°340/57 -32°340/55 -41°320/33 -49°
MGMused from 399 nm out; 29 nm from the line310/19340/24 17°340/28 11°330/16 7°300/23 -7°320/32 -16°330/46 -33°330/55 -42°330/41 -50°
MOBused from 499 nm out; 77 nm from the line330/5330/6 19°340/6 11°330/10 7°320/16 -5°310/26 -16°340/40 -32°340/47 -42°350/51 -52°
JANused from 599 nm out; 70 nm from the line230/10270/13 18°270/11 12°310/11 6°300/15 -4°300/22 -16°310/33 -31°320/37 -41°330/41 -52°
MSYused from 648 nm out; 51 nm from the line110/5150/6 19°L/V 12°310/5 7°310/13 -4°290/20 -16°330/36 -31°330/37 -41°350/43 -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

AirportWhereConditionsWindVisibilityCeilingElevationReported
RDU Raleigh/Durham, NC departure VFR Sky: a few clouds at 3,500 feet, a few clouds at 7,000 feet from the west-southwest (240°) at 7 knots 10+ mi none 435 ft 3:51 am EDT (07:51 UTC)
SCR Siler City, NC 40 nm out, 6 nm north of the line VFR from the south-southwest (210°) at 3 knots 10+ mi none 615 ft 07:55 UTC
VUJ Albemarle, NC 70 nm out, 3 nm west of the line, tower VFR from the west-southwest (240°) at 4 knots 10+ mi none 609 ft 07:55 UTC
GYH Greenville, SC 190 nm out, 13 nm north of the line, tower VFR from the north-northwest (330°) at 3 knots 10+ mi none 955 ft 07:55 UTC
LZU Lawrenceville, GA 279 nm out, 6 nm northwest of the line, tower VFR from the west-northwest (290°) at 8 knots 10+ mi none 1,061 ft 07:56 UTC
ATL Atlanta, GA 309 nm out, 2 nm southeast of the line, tower VFR from the northwest (310°) at 6 knots 10+ mi none 1,026 ft 07:52 UTC
ALX Alexander City, AL 399 nm out, 5 nm southeast of the line reported, no category from the northwest (310°) at 2 knots 10+ mi none 685 ft 07:55 UTC
SEM Selma, AL 459 nm out, 11 nm southeast of the line, tower reported, no category from the east (080°) at 27 knots, gusting to 37 3,300 ft 166 ft 01:30 UTC
DYA Demopolis, AL 499 nm out, 19 nm northwest of the line low IFR Sky: sky obscured at 500 feet Weather: fog calm 0.5 mi 500 ft 111 ft 07:55 UTC
PIB Hattiesburg-Laurel, MS 589 nm out, 2 nm northwest of the line VFR calm 10+ mi none 297 ft 07:56 UTC
HDC Hammond, LA 668 nm out, 20 nm southeast of the line, tower VFR calm 10+ mi none 46 ft 07:55 UTC
BTR Baton Rouge, LA destination VFR from the north-northeast (030°) at 3 knots 10+ mi none 69 ft 2:53 am CDT (07:53 UTC)

The highest airport on this list sits at 1,061 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At BTR when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 9:01 am CDT (14:01 UTC)

Wind from the south-southeast at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies VFR

The whole forecast for BTR
  • From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south-southeast at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
The forecast for RDU, the departure
  • From Mon 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the west-southwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 2,500 feet, a broken layer at 4,000 feet and more above
  • From Mon 10:00 am EDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the northwest at 11 knots, gusting to 19, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 3,000 feet, a broken layer at 4,500 feet
  • At times between Mon 10:00 am EDT (14:00 UTC) and 1:00 pm EDT (17:00 UTC): wind from the northwest at 12 knots, gusting to 22, a broken layer at 3,000 feet
  • From Mon 5:30 pm EDT (21:30 UTC): wind from the northwest at 3 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 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 RDU 6:43 pm EDT (22:43 UTC), at BTR 6:36 pm CDT (23:36 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:01 pm CDT (00:01 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 Southeast
Radar now, the Southeast · loop National Weather Service
Radar now, the lower Mississippi valley
Radar now, the lower 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: Raleigh-Durham International, Baton Rouge Metro, Ryan Field.