Raleigh-Durham International to Paulding Northwest Atlanta Airport RDU → PUJ
325 nautical miles (374 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 251°, about 260° magnetic at the departure end (variation 9W). At 120 knots that is 2 h 51 min at the quickest height in today's winds (6,500 ft, a 6-knot headwind), arriving about 1:57 am EDT (05:57 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now RDU is VFR, wind from the southwest (230°) at 11 knots; PUJ is VFR, wind from the northwest (310°) at 5 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: 159 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 5W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 10,000 ft. Over the route from 69 to 89 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 217 to 305 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
- CRJ9 at 32,000 ft, 37 nm south, 10:00 pm EDT (02:00 UTC): moderate chop turbulence, remarks: ZTLFD-22. At the destination end, 37 nm south of the line.
as filed, and in English
ATL UA /OV ATL240035/TM 0200/FL320/TP CRJ9/TB OCNL MOD CHOP /RM ZTLFD-22
- Report
- a routine report filed through ATL
- Where
- 35 nm southwest (240°) of ATL
- Time
- 02:00 UTC
- Height
- at 32,000 ft
- Aircraft
- CRJ9
- Turbulence
- occasional moderate chop
- Remarks
- ZTLFD-22
- E170 at 33,000 ft, 23 nm southwest, 9:53 pm EDT (01:53 UTC): light chop turbulence, remarks: ZTLFD-22. At the destination end, 23 nm southwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
ATL UA /OV ATL280045/TM 0153/FL330/TP E170/TB CONS LGT CHOP /RM ZTLFD-22
- Report
- a routine report filed through ATL
- Where
- 45 nm west (280°) of ATL
- Time
- 01:53 UTC
- Height
- at 33,000 ft
- Aircraft
- E170
- Turbulence
- continuous light chop
- Remarks
- ZTLFD-22
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 3 forecast points nearest it (RDU, GSP, ATL). 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 | 310° at 24 kt | +10 kt | 110 kt | 2 h 57 min | 2:03 am EDT (06:03 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 320° at 24 kt | +6 kt | 12 °C | 114 kt | 2 h 51 min | 1:57 am EDT (05:57 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 320° at 26 kt | +7 kt | 9 °C | 113 kt | 2 h 53 min | 1:59 am EDT (05:59 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 320° at 26 kt | +10 kt | 7 °C | 110 kt | 2 h 57 min | 2:03 am EDT (06:03 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 310° at 27 kt | +14 kt | 4 °C | 106 kt | 3 h 04 min | 2:10 am EDT (06:10 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 300° at 29 kt | +18 kt | 0 °C | 102 kt | 3 h 11 min | 2:17 am EDT (06:17 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 290° at 31 kt | +22 kt | -4 °C | 98 kt | 3 h 19 min | 2:25 am EDT (06:25 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 290° at 34 kt | +26 kt | -6 °C | 94 kt | 3 h 27 min | 2:33 am EDT (06:33 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 280° at 36 kt | +31 kt | -18 °C | 89 kt | 3 h 39 min | 2:45 am EDT (06:45 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 280° at 35 kt | +31 kt | -32 °C | 89 kt | 3 h 39 min | 2:45 am EDT (06:45 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 270° at 36 kt | +32 kt | -39 °C | 88 kt | 3 h 42 min | 2:48 am EDT (06:48 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 290° at 34 kt | +24 kt | -49 °C | 96 kt | 3 h 23 min | 2:29 am EDT (06:29 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RDU | used from 0 nm out; 25 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° |
| GSP | used from 99 nm out; 55 nm from the line | 320/22 | 340/19 13° | 320/18 8° | 310/24 5° | 300/34 -7° | 300/36 -18° | 290/30 -33° | 300/32 -39° | 320/42 -49° |
| ATL | used from 246 nm out; 45 nm from the line | 320/30 | 330/37 16° | 340/44 11° | 330/35 7° | 310/33 -6° | 300/38 -18° | 330/58 -33° | 330/48 -40° | 320/34 -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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RDU Raleigh/Durham, NC | departure | VFR Sky: a broken layer at 4,300 feet | from the southwest (230°) at 11 knots | 10+ mi | 4,300 ft | 435 ft | 10:51 pm EDT (02:51 UTC) |
| SCR Siler City, NC | 39 nm out, 4 nm northeast of the line | VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 6,500 feet | from the southwest (220°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 615 ft | 02:55 UTC |
| VUJ Albemarle, NC | 69 nm out, 5 nm south of the line, tower | VFR | from the southwest (220°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 609 ft | 02:55 UTC |
| CLT Charlotte, NC | 108 nm out, 5 nm southwest of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 5,500 feet | from the west-southwest (240°) at 8 knots | 10+ mi | none | 747 ft | 02:52 UTC |
| EHO Shelby, NC | 138 nm out, 13 nm northwest of the line | VFR | from the southwest (230°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 846 ft | 02:55 UTC |
| GYH Greenville, SC | 187 nm out, 2 nm south of the line, tower | VFR | from the west-southwest (250°) at 9 knots | 10+ mi | none | 955 ft | 02:55 UTC |
| CEU Clemson, SC | 217 nm out, 5 nm northeast of the line | VFR | from the west-southwest (250°) at 11 knots | 10+ mi | none | 890 ft | 02:54 UTC |
| LZU Lawrenceville, GA | 276 nm out, 15 nm south of the line, tower | VFR | from the west (260°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,061 ft | 02:56 UTC |
| RYY Atlanta, GA | 305 nm out, 2 nm southwest of the line, tower | VFR | variable at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,040 ft | 02:50 UTC |
| PUJ Atlanta, GA | destination | VFR | from the northwest (310°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,289 ft | 10:55 pm EDT (02:55 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,289 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At PUJ when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 1:57 am EDT (05:57 UTC)
PUJ has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
The forecast for RDU, the departure
- From Sun 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the west-southwest at 12 knots, gusting to 21, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 4,000 feet, a broken layer at 6,000 feet
- From Mon 8:00 am EDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 5,000 feet
- From Mon 10:00 am EDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the northwest at 9 knots, gusting to 18, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 5,000 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 PUJ 7:09 pm EDT (23:09 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:34 pm EDT (23:34 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at PUJ is before sunrise there (7:42 am EDT (11:42 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, Paulding Northwest Atlanta Airport.