Raleigh-Durham International to Syracuse Hancock International RDU → SYR
452 nautical miles (520 statute miles) north on a straight line, true course 015°, about 024° magnetic at the departure end (variation 9W). At 120 knots that is 2 h 45 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 44-knot tailwind), arriving about 4:04 am EDT (08:04 UTC), after sunset at the destination. 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: 312 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
- SIGMET E19E: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 43,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 20 knots, until 2:55 am EDT (06:55 UTC). Over the route from 108 to 275 nm out.
as issued
WSUS31 KKCI 120455 MKCE WST 120455 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 19E VALID UNTIL 0655Z CT NY NJ PA DE MD VA DC WV AND DE NJ NY MD CT VA CSTL WTRS FROM 20NNW HTO-70SSE HTO-90SE SIE-20WNW LYH-40ESE AIR-20NNW HTO AREA EMBD TS MOV FROM 24020KT. TOPS TO FL430.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 21,000 ft to 33,000 ft. Over the last 432 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 5W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 10,000 ft. Over the route from 20 to 20 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 last 363 nm of the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the last 206 nm of the route.
- AIRMET ZULU 1C: moderate icing up to 22,000 ft. Near the route, at the destination end.
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 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 5 forecast points nearest it (RDU, RIC, PSB, AVP, SYR). 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 | 280° at 18 kt | −3 kt | 123 kt | 3 h 40 min | 4:59 am EDT (08:59 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 310° at 13 kt | +6 kt | 13 °C | 114 kt | 3 h 58 min | 5:17 am EDT (09:17 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 310° at 14 kt | +5 kt | 10 °C | 115 kt | 3 h 56 min | 5:15 am EDT (09:15 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 290° at 15 kt | +2 kt | 6 °C | 118 kt | 3 h 50 min | 5:09 am EDT (09:09 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 270° at 15 kt | −3 kt | 4 °C | 123 kt | 3 h 40 min | 4:59 am EDT (08:59 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 260° at 18 kt | −7 kt | 0 °C | 127 kt | 3 h 34 min | 4:53 am EDT (08:53 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 260° at 20 kt | −10 kt | -4 °C | 130 kt | 3 h 29 min | 4:48 am EDT (08:48 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 250° at 23 kt | −13 kt | -8 °C | 133 kt | 3 h 24 min | 4:43 am EDT (08:43 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 250° at 24 kt | −14 kt | -9 °C | 134 kt | 3 h 22 min | 4:41 am EDT (08:41 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 230° at 36 kt | −29 kt | -21 °C | 149 kt | 3 h 02 min | 4:21 am EDT (08:21 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 240° at 46 kt | −35 kt | -34 °C | 155 kt | 2 h 55 min | 4:14 am EDT (08:14 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 240° at 58 kt | −44 kt | -40 °C | 164 kt | 2 h 45 min | 4:04 am EDT (08:04 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 240° at 54 kt | −39 kt | -49 °C | 159 kt | 2 h 51 min | 4:10 am EDT (08:10 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° |
| RIC | used from 49 nm out; 57 nm from the line | 270/23 | 280/19 11° | 270/18 8° | 240/22 4° | 230/39 -7° | 220/55 -18° | 220/75 -30° | 230/83 -39° | 230/64 -50° |
| PSB | used from 196 nm out; 91 nm from the line | 360/13 13° | 330/14 7° | 300/11 3° | 290/12 -11° | 240/23 -23° | 270/25 -36° | 250/34 -40° | 250/45 -48° | |
| AVP | used from 344 nm out; 49 nm from the line | 150/5 | 350/13 12° | 270/20 8° | 260/17 4° | 260/25 -11° | 240/31 -22° | 240/54 -35° | 230/61 -41° | 240/55 -49° |
| SYR | used from 393 nm out; 34 nm from the line | 280/13 | 350/18 10° | 340/10 6° | 300/15 1° | 280/17 -12° | 270/16 -23° | 280/25 -38° | 250/40 -42° | 240/53 -50° |
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 | ||||
| HNZ Oxford, NC | 29 nm out, 5 nm east of the line | no report just now | 526 ft | ||||
| BKT Blackstone, VA | 79 nm out, 20 nm east of the line, tower | no report just now | 437 ft | ||||
| HEF Washington, DC | 177 nm out, 14 nm east of the line, tower | no report just now | 192 ft | ||||
| JYO Leesburg, VA | 196 nm out, 7 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 389 ft | ||||
| FDK Frederick, MD | 226 nm out, 8 nm southeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 308 ft | ||||
| CXY Harrisburg, PA | 275 nm out, 18 nm east of the line, tower | no report just now | 346 ft | ||||
| IPT Williamsport, PA | 334 nm out, 3 nm west of the line, tower | no report just now | 528 ft | ||||
| ELM Elmira/Corning, NY | 383 nm out, 17 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 955 ft | ||||
| ITH Ithaca, NY | 412 nm out, 4 nm west of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,099 ft | ||||
| SYR Syracuse, NY | destination | no report just now | 421 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,099 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At SYR when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 4:04 am EDT (08:04 UTC)
SYR has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 4/9383 WASHINGTON, DC., USA 18 nm from the route, 196 nm along the route · security · ZDC
- 6/8600 Sterling, VA, Monday, October 12, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local 11 nm from the route, 206 nm along the route · a VIP movement · today · ZDC
Daylight
Sunset at RDU 6:43 pm EDT (22:43 UTC), at SYR 6:27 pm EDT (22:27 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:55 pm EDT (22:55 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at SYR is before sunrise there (7:14 am EDT (11:14 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, Syracuse Hancock International.