Richmond International to Washington Dulles International RIC → IAD
87 nautical miles (100 statute miles) north on a straight line, true course 356°, about 006° magnetic at the departure end (variation 10W). At 120 knots that is 30 min at the quickest height in today's winds (30,000 ft, a 54-knot tailwind), arriving about 11:09 pm EDT (03:09 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: 2,773 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 7E: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 33,000 ft, moving from the west at 15 knots, until 11:55 pm EDT (03:55 UTC). Over the last 68 nm of the route.
as issued
WSUS31 KKCI 120155 MKCE WST 120155 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 7E VALID UNTIL 0355Z PA MD VA DC WV OH FROM 10NNE JST-30WNW SBY-40ENE RIC-50SW BKW-20SE APE-10NNE JST AREA TS MOV FROM 28015KT. TOPS TO FL330.
- 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 68 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 21,000 ft to 33,000 ft. Over the last 39 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 RIC.
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 1 forecast point nearest it (RIC). 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 | 270° at 22 kt | +2 kt | 118 kt | 44 min | 11:23 pm EDT (03:23 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 280° at 20 kt | +4 kt | 116 kt | 45 min | 11:24 pm EDT (03:24 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 280° at 18 kt | +3 kt | 10 °C | 117 kt | 45 min | 11:24 pm EDT (03:24 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 260° at 18 kt | 0 | 7 °C | 120 kt | 44 min | 11:23 pm EDT (03:23 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 240° at 21 kt | −8 kt | 5 °C | 128 kt | 41 min | 11:20 pm EDT (03:20 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 240° at 26 kt | −13 kt | 1 °C | 133 kt | 39 min | 11:18 pm EDT (03:18 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 230° at 32 kt | −17 kt | -2 °C | 137 kt | 38 min | 11:17 pm EDT (03:17 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 230° at 38 kt | −22 kt | -6 °C | 142 kt | 37 min | 11:16 pm EDT (03:16 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 230° at 39 kt | −23 kt | -7 °C | 143 kt | 37 min | 11:16 pm EDT (03:16 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 220° at 55 kt | −39 kt | -18 °C | 159 kt | 33 min | 11:12 pm EDT (03:12 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 220° at 75 kt | −54 kt | -30 °C | 174 kt | 30 min | 11:09 pm EDT (03:09 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 230° at 83 kt | −48 kt | -39 °C | 168 kt | 31 min | 11:10 pm EDT (03:10 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 230° at 64 kt | −37 kt | -50 °C | 157 kt | 33 min | 11:12 pm EDT (03:12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RIC | used from 0 nm out; 24 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° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RIC Richmond, VA | departure | no report just now | 167 ft | ||||
| XSA Tappahannock, VA | 19 nm out, 22 nm east of the line | no report just now | 135 ft | ||||
| EZF Fredericksburg, VA | 48 nm out, 3 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 85 ft | ||||
| IAD Washington, DC | destination | no report just now | 312 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 312 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At IAD when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 11:09 pm EDT (03:09 UTC)
IAD 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 7 nm from the route, 77 nm along the route · security · ZDC
- 6/8600 Sterling, VA, Monday, October 12, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local 4 nm from the route, at the destination end · a VIP movement · today · ZDC
Daylight
Sunset at RIC 6:36 pm EDT (22:36 UTC), at IAD 6:36 pm EDT (22:36 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:02 pm EDT (23:02 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at IAD is after sunset there (6:37 pm EDT (22:37 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: Richmond International, Washington Dulles International.