The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Plan a flight · Mon 5:41 am EDT (09:41 UTC)

Richmond International to Waco Regional RIC → ACT

1,044 nautical miles (1,201 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 256°, about 266° magnetic at the departure end (variation 10W). At 120 knots that is 9 h 24 min at the quickest height in today's winds (10,500 ft, a 9-knot headwind), arriving about 2:05 pm CDT (19:05 UTC). Right now RIC is IFR, wind from the west-northwest (300°) at 7 knots; ACT is VFR, wind from the south (170°) at 7 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 E31E: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 30,000 ft, until 6:55 am EDT (10:55 UTC). Over the first 0 nm of the route.
    as issued
    WSUS31 KKCI 120855
    MKCE WST 120855
    CONVECTIVE SIGMET 31E
    VALID UNTIL 1055Z
    MD VA DC
    FROM 20NNE DCA-30WSW SBY-RIC-CSN-20NNE DCA
    AREA TS MOV LTL. TOPS TO FL300.
  • 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 first 497 nm of the route.
  • AIRMET TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 28,000 ft to 41,000 ft. Over the first 0 nm of the route.
  • AIRMET TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 6,000 ft. Over the route from 60 to 288 nm out.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, mist). Over the route from 159 to 378 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 199 to 258 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 RIC.

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 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 10 forecast points nearest it (RIC, ROA, TRI, TYS, BNA, HSV, MEM, LIT, SHV, DAL). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

HeightAverage windHead- or tailwindTemperatureGround speedTime en routeArrival
4,500 ft290° at 14 kt+12 kt11 °C108 kt9 h 40 min2:21 pm CDT (19:21 UTC)
6,500 ft300° at 14 kt+10 kt15 °C110 kt9 h 29 min2:10 pm CDT (19:10 UTC)
8,500 ft310° at 15 kt+10 kt11 °C110 kt9 h 29 min2:10 pm CDT (19:10 UTC)
10,500 ft310° at 15 kt+9 kt8 °C111 kt9 h 24 min2:05 pm CDT (19:05 UTC)
12,500 ft310° at 16 kt+9 kt4 °C111 kt9 h 24 min2:05 pm CDT (19:05 UTC)
14,500 ft310° at 18 kt+10 kt0 °C110 kt9 h 29 min2:10 pm CDT (19:10 UTC)
16,500 ft310° at 20 kt+12 kt-4 °C108 kt9 h 40 min2:21 pm CDT (19:21 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180310° at 21 kt+12 kt-7 °C108 kt9 h 40 min2:21 pm CDT (19:21 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240310° at 24 kt+12 kt-18 °C108 kt9 h 40 min2:21 pm CDT (19:21 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300320° at 39 kt+16 kt-31 °C104 kt10 h 02 min2:43 pm CDT (19:43 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340320° at 45 kt+18 kt-40 °C102 kt10 h 14 min2:55 pm CDT (19:55 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390320° at 40 kt+17 kt-50 °C103 kt10 h 08 min2:49 pm CDT (19:49 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
RICused from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line350/34340/27 12°340/36 8°330/31 3°310/32 -9°320/34 -21°300/37 -34°290/37 -39°290/42 -46°
ROAused from 50 nm out; 55 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°
TRIused from 199 nm out; 28 nm from the line340/25 11°350/37 9°350/34 6°340/39 -7°340/43 -19°340/55 -32°330/58 -42°320/37 -50°
TYSused from 298 nm out; 17 nm from the line330/16350/32 14°350/37 9°340/30 5°330/28 -6°340/36 -19°330/40 -33°330/51 -41°330/36 -51°
BNAused from 398 nm out; 59 nm from the line300/20300/14 15°300/14 10°300/13 4°310/22 -5°280/24 -18°310/37 -33°310/50 -41°320/49 -51°
HSVused from 447 nm out; 37 nm from the line300/20310/14 16°310/18 10°310/15 4°320/19 -5°290/16 -18°320/36 -32°320/47 -41°330/42 -50°
MEMused from 547 nm out; 72 nm from the line250/19260/19 17°270/20 12°270/16 6°270/21 -6°290/27 -17°300/37 -30°300/49 -40°310/40 -51°
LITused from 696 nm out; 71 nm from the line250/22250/25 18°240/23 12°240/20 7°250/17 -6°260/25 -17°300/45 -29°300/49 -40°310/43 -51°
SHVused from 795 nm out; 52 nm from the line210/20210/20 18°230/20 11°240/16 7°270/17 -7°250/11 -15°300/34 -30°310/34 -40°320/36 -51°
DALused from 944 nm out; 64 nm from the line190/30200/28 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

AirportWhereConditionsWindVisibilityCeilingElevationReported
RIC Richmond, VA departure IFR Sky: a broken layer at 700 feet, a broken layer at 1,500 feet, overcast at 2,000 feet Weather: light rain, mist from the west-northwest (300°) at 7 knots 5 mi 700 ft 167 ft 4:54 am EDT (08:54 UTC)
LYH Lynchburg, VA 89 nm out, 12 nm north of the line, tower marginal VFR Weather: mist calm 4 mi none 938 ft 09:19 UTC
ROA Roanoke, VA 129 nm out, 22 nm north of the line, tower VFR Sky: a broken layer at 3,300 feet from the west (280°) at 12 knots, gusting to 22 10+ mi 3,300 ft 1,175 ft 08:54 UTC
TRI Bristol/Johnson/Kingsport, TN 248 nm out, 6 nm northwest of the line, tower IFR Sky: a broken layer at 800 feet, overcast at 1,600 feet Weather: mist from the west (260°) at 5 knots 5 mi 800 ft 1,518 ft 09:34 UTC
TYS Knoxville, TN 338 nm out, 10 nm southeast of the line, tower VFR Sky: a few clouds at 3,300 feet from the south-southwest (210°) at 6 knots 10+ mi none 986 ft 08:53 UTC
THA Tullahoma, TN 447 nm out, 2 nm west of the line low IFR Sky: a broken layer at 200 feet Weather: mist calm 0.5 mi 200 ft 1,084 ft 09:15 UTC
TUP Tupelo, MS 586 nm out, 20 nm south of the line, tower marginal VFR Weather: mist calm 5 mi none 346 ft 08:53 UTC
GLH Greenville, MS 706 nm out, 24 nm south of the line, tower VFR from the southwest (230°) at 11 knots 10+ mi none 130 ft 08:53 UTC
LLQ Monticello, AR 745 nm out, 4 nm east of the line VFR from the west-southwest (240°) at 7 knots 10+ mi none 267 ft 08:53 UTC
GGG Longview, TX 904 nm out, 12 nm south of the line, tower VFR from the south-southwest (200°) at 6 knots 10+ mi none 365 ft 08:53 UTC
TYR Tyler, TX 944 nm out, 4 nm northeast of the line, tower VFR from the south (180°) at 7 knots 10+ mi none 543 ft 08:53 UTC
ACT Waco, TX destination VFR from the south (170°) at 7 knots 10+ mi none 516 ft 3:51 am CDT (08:51 UTC)

The highest airport on this list sits at 1,518 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At ACT when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 2:05 pm CDT (19:05 UTC)

Wind from the south at 10 knots, gusting to 20, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 17,000 feet VFR

The whole forecast for ACT
  • From Mon 4:00 am CDT (09:00 UTC): wind from the south at 11 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 2,500 feet
  • At times between Mon 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC) and 11:00 am CDT (16:00 UTC): a broken layer at 2,000 feet
  • From Mon 12:00 pm CDT (17:00 UTC): wind from the south at 10 knots, gusting to 20, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 17,000 feet
  • From Mon 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
The forecast for RIC, the departure
  • From Mon 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the west at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 600 feet, a broken layer at 3,000 feet
  • At times between Mon 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC) and 6:00 am EDT (10:00 UTC): visibility 5 miles, light rain showers, mist, a broken layer at 900 feet
  • From Mon 6:00 am EDT (10:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 10 knots, gusting to 17, visibility more than 6 miles, showers nearby, a broken layer at 1,000 feet
  • From Mon 8:00 am EDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the northwest at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 1,500 feet
  • From Mon 7:00 pm EDT (23:00 UTC): wind from the north at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet

Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it

  • 6/0543 MCGREGOR, TX 16 nm from the route, at the destination end · security · ZFW

Daylight

Sunset at RIC 6:36 pm EDT (22:36 UTC), at ACT 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

Radar now, the Southeast
Radar now, the Southeast · loop National Weather Service
Radar now, the lower Mississippi valley
Radar now, the lower Mississippi valley · loop National Weather Service
Radar now, the southern Plains
Radar now, the southern Plains · 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: Richmond International, Waco Regional.