The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Plan a flight · Mon 7:30 am EDT (11:30 UTC)

Raleigh-Durham International to Spokane International RDU → GEG

1,850 nautical miles (2,129 statute miles) northwest on a straight line, true course 305°, about 314° magnetic at the departure end (variation 9W). At 120 knots that is 17 h 08 min at the quickest height in today's winds (8,500 ft, a 12-knot headwind), arriving about 9:38 pm PDT (04:38 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now RDU is VFR, wind from the west-southwest (250°) at 5 knots; GEG is VFR, wind from the northeast (040°) at 6 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: 1 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 C17C: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 36,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 8:55 am EDT (12:55 UTC). Over the route from 1130 to 1180 nm out.
    as issued
    WSUS32 KKCI 121055
    MKCC WST 121055
    CONVECTIVE SIGMET 17C
    VALID UNTIL 1255Z
    SD ND
    FROM 20NW BIS-60E BIS-20WNW PIR-20SW DPR-20NW BIS
    AREA TS MOV FROM 22040KT. TOPS TO FL360.
  • AIRMET TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 30,000 ft to 41,000 ft. Over the first 20 nm of the route.
  • 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 20 to 100 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 6,000 ft. Over the route from 70 to 160 nm out.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, mist). Over the route from 100 to 240 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 110 to 430 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 110 to 130 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 2W: 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 660 to 890 nm out.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 4E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 960 to 1680 nm out.
  • AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Over the route from 1320 to 1410 nm out.
  • AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 18,000 ft. Over the last 420 nm of the route.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 1460 to 1810 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 39,000 ft. Over the last 170 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 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 17 forecast points nearest it (RDU, ROA, CRW, CVG, IND, JOT, BRL, DBQ, MCW, FSD, PIR, RAP, MLS, BIL, GTF, GPI, GEG). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

HeightAverage windHead- or tailwindTemperatureGround speedTime en routeArrival
4,500 ft270° at 14 kt+13 kt6 °C107 kt17 h 17 min9:47 pm PDT (04:47 UTC)
6,500 ft280° at 13 kt+13 kt12 °C107 kt17 h 17 min9:47 pm PDT (04:47 UTC)
8,500 ft270° at 13 kt+12 kt9 °C108 kt17 h 08 min9:38 pm PDT (04:38 UTC)
10,500 ft260° at 15 kt+13 kt4 °C107 kt17 h 17 min9:47 pm PDT (04:47 UTC)
12,500 ft260° at 16 kt+15 kt1 °C105 kt17 h 37 min10:07 pm PDT (05:07 UTC)
14,500 ft260° at 17 kt+15 kt-4 °C105 kt17 h 37 min10:07 pm PDT (05:07 UTC)
16,500 ft260° at 17 kt+16 kt-7 °C104 kt17 h 47 min10:17 pm PDT (05:17 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180260° at 17 kt+16 kt-10 °C104 kt17 h 47 min10:17 pm PDT (05:17 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240250° at 25 kt+21 kt-23 °C99 kt18 h 41 min11:11 pm PDT (06:11 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300260° at 29 kt+27 kt-35 °C93 kt19 h 54 min12:24 am PDT (07:24 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340270° at 36 kt+36 kt-39 °C84 kt22 h 01 min2:31 am PDT (09:31 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390270° at 46 kt+44 kt-47 °C76 kt24 h 21 min4:51 am PDT (11:51 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
PointFrom3,0006,0009,00012,00018,00024,00030,00034,00039,000
RDUused from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line330/30340/24 12°330/26 7°320/30 3°330/39 -8°310/30 -20°300/33 -33°310/34 -39°310/41 -47°
ROAused from 50 nm out; 45 nm from the line310/32340/32 14°350/25 9°340/24 3°340/42 -8°340/52 -20°350/62 -34°350/64 -39°310/44 -48°
CRWused from 150 nm out; 54 nm from the line320/17340/23 12°340/32 8°340/35 4°330/40 -7°340/45 -20°340/57 -34°340/64 -42°320/38 -50°
CVGused from 250 nm out; 64 nm from the line300/19310/23 15°320/20 9°310/18 3°300/26 -6°290/36 -19°310/32 -34°310/53 -43°310/61 -51°
INDused from 400 nm out; 5 nm from the line270/22290/19 15°270/19 8°270/18 4°290/28 -7°280/35 -20°270/37 -34°300/51 -42°300/61 -51°
JOTused from 500 nm out; 63 nm from the line250/25260/22 14°250/17 9°270/21 5°280/28 -8°280/36 -20°270/41 -35°280/57 -42°290/65 -50°
BRLused from 600 nm out; 50 nm from the line250/32250/19 17°260/15 11°270/16 3°290/23 -7°260/42 -20°270/52 -34°280/63 -39°290/64 -48°
DBQused from 650 nm out; 51 nm from the line250/27260/23 17°240/26 10°260/30 4°280/26 -9°280/36 -21°270/41 -36°280/52 -41°290/67 -48°
MCWused from 750 nm out; 48 nm from the line250/36250/24 19°240/26 11°250/30 5°270/22 -9°260/30 -21°260/31 -36°280/53 -38°280/66 -48°
FSDused from 850 nm out; 72 nm from the line210/20230/23 21°220/25 14°230/30 5°230/26 -9°240/30 -21°270/33 -36°260/47 -37°270/58 -47°
PIRused from 1050 nm out; 33 nm from the line230/15 15°220/22 14°220/24 6°200/32 -10°210/48 -22°240/45 -33°240/43 -37°250/55 -46°
RAPused from 1200 nm out; 69 nm from the line250/28 16°260/31 10°240/25 4°210/35 -10°200/45 -23°230/47 -31°230/47 -36°230/51 -46°
MLSused from 1300 nm out; 55 nm from the line290/17 -1°250/18 0°230/25 0°220/31 -11°220/32 -24°220/50 -32°220/60 -38°230/71 -46°
BILused from 1400 nm out; 53 nm from the line300/14270/19 -2°260/26 -2°220/28 -13°210/51 -25°220/56 -33°220/61 -39°220/72 -45°
GTFused from 1550 nm out; 46 nm from the lineL/VL/V -7°240/8 -8°240/30 -14°240/40 -28°210/52 -38°210/76 -38°220/72 -43°
GPIused from 1650 nm out; 81 nm from the line090/8 -4°140/7 -7°090/10 -8°110/10 -19°210/25 -30°200/24 -40°210/31 -39°210/35 -42°
GEGused from 1750 nm out; 75 nm from the line060/7 -2°070/12 -6°050/8 -8°120/11 -21°110/18 -33°030/22 -37°040/6 -38°240/7 -41°

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 7,000 feet from the west-southwest (250°) at 5 knots 10+ mi none 435 ft 6:51 am EDT (10:51 UTC)
GSO Greensboro, NC 50 nm out, 21 nm southwest of the line, tower VFR Sky: a few clouds at 3,400 feet, a few clouds at 12,000 feet from the west-southwest (250°) at 8 knots 10+ mi none 925 ft 10:54 UTC
CVG Covington, KY 340 nm out, 8 nm northeast of the line, tower low IFR Sky: sky obscured at 100 feet Weather: fog from the south (190°) at 4 knots 0.06 mi 100 ft 896 ft 11:17 UTC
IND Indianapolis, IN 420 nm out, 6 nm north of the line, tower VFR Sky: a few clouds at 4,000 feet from the south (170°) at 4 knots 10+ mi none 796 ft 10:54 UTC
CID Cedar Rapids, IA 700 nm out, 4 nm north of the line, tower VFR from the south (190°) at 10 knots 10+ mi none 869 ft 10:52 UTC
SHL Sheldon, IA 900 nm out, 2 nm southwest of the line VFR from the east (100°) at 4 knots 10+ mi none 1,419 ft 11:15 UTC
FSD Sioux Falls, SD 950 nm out, 4 nm east of the line, tower VFR Sky: a few clouds at 10,000 feet, a few clouds at 25,000 feet from the north-northeast (030°) at 3 knots 10+ mi none 1,430 ft 10:56 UTC
PIR Pierre, SD 1110 nm out, 10 nm south of the line low IFR Sky: overcast at 400 feet Weather: mist from the northeast (040°) at 6 knots 4 mi 400 ft 1,744 ft 10:53 UTC
HLN Helena, MT 1620 nm out, 20 nm south of the line, tower marginal VFR Sky: a broken layer at 2,300 feet, a broken layer at 2,900 feet, overcast at 4,400 feet from the west (270°) at 8 knots 10+ mi 2,300 ft 3,877 ft 10:53 UTC
MSO Missoula, MT 1700 nm out, 19 nm southwest of the line, tower VFR Sky: a broken layer at 6,500 feet, overcast at 11,000 feet from the east (090°) at 7 knots 10+ mi 6,500 ft 3,205 ft 10:53 UTC
GEG Spokane, WA destination VFR Sky: a few clouds at 5,000 feet, scattered clouds at 8,500 feet, a broken layer at 10,000 feet from the northeast (040°) at 6 knots 10+ mi 10,000 ft 2,385 ft 3:53 am PDT (10:53 UTC)

The highest airport on this list sits at 3,877 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At GEG when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 9:38 pm PDT (04:38 UTC)

Wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 10,000 feet VFR

The whole forecast for GEG
  • From Mon 5:00 am PDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the northeast at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 7,000 feet, overcast at 11,000 feet
  • From Mon 1:00 pm PDT (20:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 10,000 feet
  • From Tue 3:00 am PDT (10:00 UTC): wind light and variable, 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

  • 6/8029 Cincinnati, OH, Friday, October 9, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local 3 nm from the route, 340 nm along the route · a VIP movement · until 12 October · ZID
  • 6/8927 Kalispell, MT, Wednesday, October 14, 2026 through Wednesday, October 14, 2026 Local on the route, 1690 nm along the route · a VIP movement · starts Wednesday 14 October · ZSE
  • 6/8923 Kalispell, MT, Wednesday, October 14, 2026 through Wednesday, October 14, 2026 Local on the route, 1690 nm along the route · a VIP movement · starts Wednesday 14 October · ZLC

Daylight

Sunset at RDU 6:43 pm EDT (22:43 UTC), at GEG 6:06 pm PDT (01:06 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:37 pm PDT (01:37 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at GEG is after sunset there (6:08 pm PDT (01:08 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 central Great Lakes
Radar now, the central Great Lakes · 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: Raleigh-Durham International, Spokane International.