Raleigh-Durham International to Fort Worth Meacham International RDU → FTW
937 nautical miles (1,079 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 264°, about 273° magnetic at the departure end (variation 9W). At 120 knots that is 8 h 41 min at the quickest height in today's winds (6,500 ft, a 12-knot headwind), arriving about 1:27 pm CDT (18:27 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: 4 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 TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 6,000 ft. Over the route from 100 to 259 nm out.
- 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 120 to 249 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, mist). Over the route from 179 to 299 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, fog). Over the route from 189 to 409 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 08:00–15:00 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 (RDU, GSP, TYS, HSV, MEM, LIT, SHV, DAL). 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 | 290° at 13 kt | +13 kt | 107 kt | 8 h 45 min | 1:31 pm CDT (18:31 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 290° at 13 kt | +12 kt | 15 °C | 108 kt | 8 h 41 min | 1:27 pm CDT (18:27 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 300° at 15 kt | +13 kt | 11 °C | 107 kt | 8 h 45 min | 1:31 pm CDT (18:31 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 300° at 16 kt | +13 kt | 8 °C | 107 kt | 8 h 45 min | 1:31 pm CDT (18:31 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 300° at 16 kt | +13 kt | 5 °C | 107 kt | 8 h 45 min | 1:31 pm CDT (18:31 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 300° at 18 kt | +14 kt | 1 °C | 106 kt | 8 h 50 min | 1:36 pm CDT (18:36 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 300° at 19 kt | +14 kt | -3 °C | 106 kt | 8 h 50 min | 1:36 pm CDT (18:36 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 300° at 20 kt | +15 kt | -6 °C | 105 kt | 8 h 55 min | 1:41 pm CDT (18:41 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 300° at 21 kt | +16 kt | -17 °C | 104 kt | 9 h 01 min | 1:47 pm CDT (18:47 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 310° at 38 kt | +23 kt | -31 °C | 97 kt | 9 h 40 min | 2:26 pm CDT (19:26 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 320° at 43 kt | +24 kt | -40 °C | 96 kt | 9 h 46 min | 2:32 pm CDT (19:32 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 320° at 38 kt | +20 kt | -50 °C | 100 kt | 9 h 22 min | 2:08 pm CDT (19:08 UTC) |
Based on data from the 12th at 06:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 12:00 UTC for use 08:00 to 15:00 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RDU | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 330/30 | 340/24 12° | 330/26 7° | 320/30 3° | 330/39 -8° | 310/30 -20° | 300/33 -33° | 310/34 -39° | 310/41 -47° |
| GSP | used from 100 nm out; 62 nm from the line | 340/30 | 360/24 13° | 350/29 10° | 340/33 6° | 340/40 -7° | 350/44 -19° | 340/59 -31° | 350/55 -41° | 300/29 -50° |
| TYS | used from 199 nm out; 40 nm from the line | 330/16 | 350/32 14° | 350/37 9° | 340/30 5° | 330/28 -6° | 340/36 -19° | 330/40 -33° | 330/51 -41° | 330/36 -51° |
| HSV | used from 299 nm out; 76 nm from the line | 300/20 | 310/14 16° | 310/18 10° | 310/15 4° | 320/19 -5° | 290/16 -18° | 320/36 -32° | 320/47 -41° | 330/42 -50° |
| MEM | used from 499 nm out; 45 nm from the line | 250/19 | 260/19 17° | 270/20 12° | 270/16 6° | 270/21 -6° | 290/27 -17° | 300/37 -30° | 300/49 -40° | 310/40 -51° |
| LIT | used from 598 nm out; 58 nm from the line | 250/22 | 250/25 18° | 240/23 12° | 240/20 7° | 250/17 -6° | 260/25 -17° | 300/45 -29° | 300/49 -40° | 310/43 -51° |
| SHV | used from 748 nm out; 69 nm from the line | 210/20 | 210/20 18° | 230/20 11° | 240/16 7° | 270/17 -7° | 250/11 -15° | 300/34 -30° | 310/34 -40° | 320/36 -51° |
| DAL | used from 848 nm out; 40 nm from the line | 190/30 | 200/28 18° | 220/18 13° | 250/13 8° | 240/24 -6° | 270/20 -14° | 270/35 -29° | 290/34 -39° | 310/41 -51° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RDU Raleigh/Durham, NC | departure | no report just now | 435 ft | ||||
| VUJ Albemarle, NC | 70 nm out, 20 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 609 ft | ||||
| HKY Hickory, NC | 130 nm out, 7 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,189 ft | ||||
| AVL Asheville, NC | 189 nm out, 6 nm southeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 2,163 ft | ||||
| CHA Chattanooga, TN | 319 nm out, 8 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 682 ft | ||||
| HSV Huntsville, AL | 399 nm out, 18 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 628 ft | ||||
| TUP Tupelo, MS | 499 nm out, 20 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 346 ft | ||||
| CKM Clarksdale, MS | 588 nm out, 5 nm east of the line | no report just now | 173 ft | ||||
| PBF Pine Bluff, AR | 658 nm out, 9 nm north of the line | no report just now | 205 ft | ||||
| TXK Texarkana, AR | 768 nm out, 10 nm southeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 389 ft | ||||
| ADS Dallas, TX | 907 nm out, 2 nm west of the line, tower | no report just now | 644 ft | ||||
| FTW Fort Worth, TX | destination | no report just now | 710 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 2,163 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At FTW when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 1:27 pm CDT (18:27 UTC)
FTW has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 9/2934 DALLAS, TX 3 nm from the route, at the destination end · a VIP movement · ZFW
- 6/8646 Arlington, TX, Thursday, October 15, 2026 through Friday, October 16, 2026 UTC 7 nm from the route, at the destination end · drones kept away from a public gathering · starts Thursday 15 October · ZFW
Daylight
Sunset at RDU 6:43 pm EDT (22:43 UTC), at FTW 6:59 pm CDT (23:59 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:23 pm CDT (00:23 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: Raleigh-Durham International, Fort Worth Meacham International.