Richmond International to Southwest Florida International RIC → RSW
696 nautical miles (801 statute miles) south on a straight line, true course 200°, about 210° magnetic at the departure end (variation 10W). At 120 knots that is 5 h 54 min at the quickest height in today's winds (6,500 ft, a 2-knot headwind), arriving about 8:40 am EDT (12:40 UTC). 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: 295 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 SIERRA 3E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the first 30 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 21,000 ft to 33,000 ft. Over the first 99 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 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 9 forecast points nearest it (RIC, RDU, ILM, FLO, CHS, SAV, JAX, MLB, PIE). 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 | 280° at 16 kt | +3 kt | 117 kt | 5 h 57 min | 8:43 am EDT (12:43 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 280° at 16 kt | +2 kt | 13 °C | 118 kt | 5 h 54 min | 8:40 am EDT (12:40 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 280° at 19 kt | +3 kt | 11 °C | 117 kt | 5 h 57 min | 8:43 am EDT (12:43 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 270° at 21 kt | +6 kt | 9 °C | 114 kt | 6 h 06 min | 8:52 am EDT (12:52 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 260° at 24 kt | +10 kt | 5 °C | 110 kt | 6 h 20 min | 9:06 am EDT (13:06 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 260° at 27 kt | +14 kt | 1 °C | 106 kt | 6 h 34 min | 9:20 am EDT (13:20 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 250° at 30 kt | +18 kt | -2 °C | 102 kt | 6 h 49 min | 9:35 am EDT (13:35 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 250° at 33 kt | +21 kt | -6 °C | 99 kt | 7 h 02 min | 9:48 am EDT (13:48 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 240° at 40 kt | +28 kt | -17 °C | 92 kt | 7 h 34 min | 10:20 am EDT (14:20 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 230° at 50 kt | +44 kt | -31 °C | 76 kt | 9 h 09 min | 11:55 am EDT (15:55 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 220° at 59 kt | +55 kt | -40 °C | 65 kt | 10 h 42 min | 1:28 pm EDT (17:28 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 230° at 51 kt | +46 kt | -51 °C | 74 kt | 9 h 24 min | 12:10 pm EDT (16:10 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RIC | used from 0 nm out; 25 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° |
| RDU | used from 50 nm out; 53 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 149 nm out; 44 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° |
| FLO | used from 199 nm out; 44 nm from the line | 300/16 | 320/14 12° | 320/19 7° | 290/26 5° | 260/39 -6° | 250/45 -18° | 230/62 -32° | 230/83 -40° | 230/64 -51° |
| CHS | used from 249 nm out; 47 nm from the line | 280/21 | 270/23 12° | 280/28 11° | 260/35 6° | 250/41 -5° | 250/45 -16° | 230/59 -32° | 220/74 -40° | 230/67 -52° |
| SAV | used from 348 nm out; 76 nm from the line | 280/23 | 300/22 14° | 290/27 11° | 270/31 6° | 260/36 -5° | 260/38 -17° | 240/49 -32° | 230/68 -40° | 230/59 -51° |
| JAX | used from 398 nm out; 83 nm from the line | 290/14 | 300/16 17° | 280/22 14° | 280/24 8° | 250/32 -6° | 250/37 -17° | 230/50 -31° | 220/52 -41° | 220/51 -52° |
| MLB | used from 497 nm out; 72 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° |
| PIE | used from 646 nm out; 82 nm from the line | 350/6 | L/V 18° | 290/6 14° | 280/9 9° | 250/18 -6° | 250/23 -17° | 240/30 -31° | 220/31 -41° | 220/30 -52° |
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 | ||||
| BKT Blackstone, VA | 30 nm out, 20 nm west of the line, tower | no report just now | 437 ft | ||||
| RWI Rocky Mount, NC | 99 nm out, 8 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 157 ft | ||||
| FAY Fayetteville, NC | 169 nm out, 20 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 189 ft | ||||
| MYR Myrtle Beach, SC | 239 nm out, 5 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 25 ft | ||||
| LRO Mount Pleasant, SC | 298 nm out, 22 nm west of the line | no report just now | 11 ft | ||||
| EVB New Smyrna Beach, FL | 537 nm out, 6 nm west of the line, tower | no report just now | 10 ft | ||||
| TIX Titusville, FL | 567 nm out, 12 nm east of the line, tower | no report just now | 34 ft | ||||
| PGD Punta Gorda, FL | 676 nm out, 19 nm west of the line, tower | no report just now | 25 ft | ||||
| RSW Fort Myers, FL | destination | no report just now | 29 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 437 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At RSW when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 8:40 am EDT (12:40 UTC)
RSW has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/8508 Johnsontown, NC on the route, 179 nm along the route · security · ZDC
- 6/8298 Daytona Beach, FL, Wednesday, October 14, 2026 through Sunday, October 18, 2026 UTC 12 nm from the route, 527 nm along the route · drones kept away from a public gathering · starts Wednesday 14 October · ZJX
- 6/8900 Cape Canaveral, FL, Wednesday, October 14, 2026 Local 5 nm from the route, 547 nm along the route · a rocket launch or re-entry · starts Wednesday 14 October · ZMA
- 6/8901 Cape Canaveral, FL, Thursday, October 15, 2026 Local 5 nm from the route, 547 nm along the route · a rocket launch or re-entry · starts Thursday 15 October · ZJX
- 6/8896 Cape Canaveral, FL, Tuesday, October 13, 2026 Local 5 nm from the route, 547 nm along the route · a rocket launch or re-entry · starts tomorrow · ZJX
- 6/8897 Cape Canaveral, FL, Wednesday, October 14, 2026 Local 5 nm from the route, 547 nm along the route · a rocket launch or re-entry · starts Wednesday 14 October · ZJX
- 6/8898 Cape Canaveral, FL, Thursday, October 15, 2026 Local 5 nm from the route, 547 nm along the route · a rocket launch or re-entry · starts Thursday 15 October · ZMA
- 6/8899 Cape Canaveral, FL, Tuesday, October 13, 2026 Local 5 nm from the route, 547 nm along the route · a rocket launch or re-entry · starts tomorrow · ZMA
- 4/3634 DISNEY WORLD THEME PARK, ORLANDO, FL 22 nm from the route, 587 nm along the route · security · ZJX
Daylight
Sunset at RIC 6:36 pm EDT (22:36 UTC), at RSW 7:02 pm EDT (23:02 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:25 pm EDT (23:25 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: Richmond International, Southwest Florida International.