Roanoke/Blacksburg Regional (Woodrum Field) to Raleigh-Durham International ROA → RDU
104 nautical miles (120 statute miles) southeast on a straight line, true course 146°, about 154° magnetic at the departure end (variation 8W). At 120 knots that is 39 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 39-knot tailwind), arriving about 10:49 am EDT (14:49 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: 16 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). Near the route, at the departure end.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 6,000 ft. Over the first 47 nm of the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, mist). Near the route, at the departure 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 ROA.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
- E145 at 4,000 ft, 11 nm west, 8:06 am EDT (12:06 UTC): a broken layer above 4,000 ft, remarks: during the descent 20SW roa bases 4,000 ft. 19 nm along the route, 11 nm west of the line.
as filed, and in English
ROA UA /OV ROA170020/TM 1206/FL040/TP E145/SK BKN040/RM DURD 20SW ROA BASES 040
- Report
- a routine report filed through ROA
- Where
- 20 nm south (170°) of ROA
- Time
- 12:06 UTC
- Height
- at 4,000 ft
- Aircraft
- E145
- Sky
- a broken layer from 4,000 ft
- Remarks
- during the descent 20SW roa bases 4,000 ft
- B739 at 33,000 ft, 43 nm southwest, 9:00 am EDT (13:00 UTC): light turbulence, remarks: ztlfd 33. 66 nm along the route, 43 nm southwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
ATL UA /OV GSO/TM 1300/FL330/TP B739/TB LGT/RM ZTLFD 33
- Report
- a routine report filed through ATL
- Where
- over GSO
- Time
- 13:00 UTC
- Height
- at 33,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B739
- Turbulence
- light
- Remarks
- ztlfd 33
- B752 at 30,000 ft, 30 nm east, 7:31 am EDT (11:31 UTC): light chop turbulence above 30,000 ft. At the destination end, 30 nm east of the line.
as filed, and in English
RDU UA /OV RDU090030/TM 1131/FLF300/TP B752/TB CONS LGT CHOP 300
- Report
- a routine report filed through RDU
- Where
- 30 nm east (090°) of RDU
- Time
- 11:31 UTC
- Height
- at F300
- Aircraft
- B752
- Turbulence
- continuous light chop at 30,000 ft
Winds aloft along the route, and the time en route the forecast for use 14:00–21:00 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 2 forecast points nearest it (ROA, RDU). 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 | 330° at 15 kt | −15 kt | 135 kt | 46 min | 10:56 am EDT (14:56 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 340° at 18 kt | −18 kt | 138 kt | 45 min | 10:55 am EDT (14:55 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 340° at 19 kt | −19 kt | 12 °C | 139 kt | 45 min | 10:55 am EDT (14:55 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 330° at 21 kt | −20 kt | 9 °C | 140 kt | 45 min | 10:55 am EDT (14:55 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 330° at 24 kt | −23 kt | 7 °C | 143 kt | 44 min | 10:54 am EDT (14:54 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 330° at 26 kt | −26 kt | 3 °C | 146 kt | 43 min | 10:53 am EDT (14:53 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 330° at 29 kt | −29 kt | -1 °C | 149 kt | 42 min | 10:52 am EDT (14:52 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 330° at 32 kt | −31 kt | -5 °C | 151 kt | 41 min | 10:51 am EDT (14:51 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 330° at 32 kt | −32 kt | -6 °C | 152 kt | 41 min | 10:51 am EDT (14:51 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 330° at 35 kt | −35 kt | -19 °C | 155 kt | 40 min | 10:50 am EDT (14:50 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 320° at 37 kt | −37 kt | -33 °C | 157 kt | 40 min | 10:50 am EDT (14:50 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 320° at 39 kt | −39 kt | -42 °C | 159 kt | 39 min | 10:49 am EDT (14:49 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 310° at 35 kt | −33 kt | -50 °C | 153 kt | 41 min | 10:51 am EDT (14:51 UTC) |
Based on data from the 12th at 12:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 18:00 UTC for use 14:00 to 21:00 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROA | used from 0 nm out; 24 nm from the line | 310/18 | 350/22 15° | 350/21 9° | 340/24 6° | 320/31 -6° | 310/34 -19° | 310/39 -35° | 310/46 -42° | 310/33 -49° |
| RDU | used from 47 nm out; 33 nm from the line | 340/12 | 330/17 14° | 320/20 10° | 330/25 6° | 340/34 -6° | 340/38 -19° | 330/37 -32° | 330/35 -42° | 310/36 -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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROA Roanoke, VA | departure | no report just now | 1,175 ft | ||||
| SIF Reidsville, NC | 47 nm out, 25 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 693 ft | ||||
| DAN Danville, VA | 57 nm out, 2 nm north of the line | no report just now | 571 ft | ||||
| RDU Raleigh/Durham, NC | destination | no report just now | 435 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,175 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At RDU when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 10:49 am EDT (14:49 UTC)
RDU has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
No temporary flight restriction on or near this route right now.
Daylight
Sunset at ROA 6:47 pm EDT (22:47 UTC), at RDU 6:43 pm EDT (22:43 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:09 pm EDT (23:09 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: Roanoke/Blacksburg Regional (Woodrum Field), Raleigh-Durham International.