Raleigh-Durham International to Luis Munoz Marin International RDU → SJU
1,247 nautical miles (1,435 statute miles) southeast on a straight line, true course 144°, about 153° magnetic at the departure end (variation 9W). At 120 knots that is 10 h 03 min at the quickest height in today's winds (9,500 ft, a 4-knot tailwind), arriving about 2:12 pm AST (18:12 UTC). Right now RDU is VFR, wind from the west-southwest (240°) at 7 knots; SJU is VFR, wind from the east-southeast (110°) 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: 921 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 first 30 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) from 30,000 ft to 41,000 ft. Over the route from 10 to 100 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: strong surface winds (30 knots or more) (due to sustained surface winds greater than 30 knots). Near the route, 220 nm along 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
No pilot reports within 50 nautical miles of the line in the last three hours.
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 4 forecast points nearest it (RDU, ILM, MLB, MIA). 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 | 250° at 8 kt | −2 kt | 122 kt | 10 h 13 min | 2:22 pm AST (18:22 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 250° at 8 kt | −3 kt | 123 kt | 10 h 08 min | 2:17 pm AST (18:17 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 250° at 11 kt | −3 kt | 13 °C | 123 kt | 10 h 08 min | 2:17 pm AST (18:17 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 250° at 15 kt | −4 kt | 11 °C | 124 kt | 10 h 03 min | 2:12 pm AST (18:12 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 240° at 16 kt | −2 kt | 9 °C | 122 kt | 10 h 13 min | 2:22 pm AST (18:22 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 240° at 19 kt | −2 kt | 5 °C | 122 kt | 10 h 13 min | 2:22 pm AST (18:22 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 240° at 21 kt | −2 kt | 0 °C | 122 kt | 10 h 13 min | 2:22 pm AST (18:22 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 240° at 24 kt | −2 kt | -4 °C | 122 kt | 10 h 13 min | 2:22 pm AST (18:22 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 240° at 25 kt | −2 kt | -5 °C | 122 kt | 10 h 13 min | 2:22 pm AST (18:22 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 240° at 30 kt | −2 kt | -17 °C | 122 kt | 10 h 13 min | 2:22 pm AST (18:22 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 220° at 32 kt | +9 kt | -31 °C | 111 kt | 11 h 14 min | 3:23 pm AST (19:23 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 200° at 40 kt | +23 kt | -41 °C | 97 kt | 12 h 51 min | 5:00 pm AST (21:00 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 210° at 42 kt | +17 kt | -51 °C | 103 kt | 12 h 06 min | 4:15 pm AST (20:15 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° |
| ILM | used from 50 nm out; 36 nm from the line | 270/22 | 270/23 11° | 260/35 10° | 240/41 6° | 240/49 -5° | 240/61 -16° | 230/74 -30° | 220/79 -40° | 230/71 -51° |
| MLB | used from 499 nm out; 410 nm from the line | 230/6 | 230/12 17° | 240/13 12° | 240/14 7° | 240/20 -5° | 240/24 -16° | 210/21 -32° | 190/33 -41° | 200/36 -52° |
| MIA | used from 599 nm out; 460 nm from the line | 150/7 | 140/5 17° | 160/5 14° | L/V 9° | 230/8 -5° | 230/8 -17° | 150/11 -32° | 150/25 -41° | 180/29 -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 | 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) |
| OAJ Jacksonville, NC | 80 nm out, 11 nm east of the line, tower | VFR Sky: overcast at 4,100 feet | from the west-southwest (240°) at 8 knots | 10+ mi | 4,100 ft | 92 ft | 01:56 UTC |
| SJU San Juan, PR | destination | VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 3,400 feet | from the east-southeast (110°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 9 ft | 3:56 am AST (07:56 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 435 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At SJU when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 2:12 pm AST (18:12 UTC)
Wind from the east at 13 knots, gusting to 20, visibility more than 6 miles, light rain showers, thunderstorms nearby, scattered clouds at 2,500 feet (thunderheads), a broken layer at 5,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for SJU
- From Mon 3:00 am AST (07:00 UTC): wind from the east-southeast at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, light rain showers, thunderstorms nearby, scattered clouds at 2,500 feet (thunderheads), scattered clouds at 5,000 feet
- From Mon 10:00 am AST (14:00 UTC): wind from the east at 11 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, showers nearby, a few clouds at 2,500 feet, scattered clouds at 4,000 feet
- From Mon 1:00 pm AST (17:00 UTC): wind from the east at 13 knots, gusting to 20, visibility more than 6 miles, light rain showers, thunderstorms nearby, scattered clouds at 2,500 feet (thunderheads), a broken layer at 5,000 feet
- From Mon 7:00 pm AST (23:00 UTC): wind from the east-southeast at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, showers nearby, scattered clouds at 3,000 feet, scattered clouds at 6,000 feet
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
- 6/4508 CEIBA, PR 24 nm from the route, at the destination end · security · ZSU
Daylight
Sunset at RDU 6:43 pm EDT (22:43 UTC), at SJU 6:03 pm AST (22:03 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:25 pm AST (22:25 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, Luis Munoz Marin International.