Frederick Douglass/Greater Rochester International to Albany International ROC → ALB
172 nautical miles (197 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 096°, about 108° magnetic at the departure end (variation 12W). At 120 knots that is 1 h 03 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 44-knot tailwind), arriving about 2:16 am EDT (06:16 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now ROC is VFR, wind from the southwest (230°) at 3 knots; ALB is IFR, wind from the north (360°) at 5 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: 5 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 TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 21,000 ft to 33,000 ft. Over the last 162 nm of the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the last 114 nm of the route.
- 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 105 nm of the route.
- AIRMET ZULU 1C: moderate icing up to 22,000 ft. Over the last 48 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 ROC.
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 2 forecast points nearest it (SYR, ALB). 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 | 290° at 9 kt | −9 kt | 129 kt | 1 h 20 min | 2:33 am EDT (06:33 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 340° at 13 kt | −6 kt | 126 kt | 1 h 22 min | 2:35 am EDT (06:35 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 340° at 12 kt | −5 kt | 8 °C | 125 kt | 1 h 23 min | 2:36 am EDT (06:36 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 330° at 9 kt | −5 kt | 5 °C | 125 kt | 1 h 23 min | 2:36 am EDT (06:36 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 300° at 12 kt | −11 kt | 2 °C | 131 kt | 1 h 19 min | 2:32 am EDT (06:32 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 290° at 15 kt | −15 kt | -2 °C | 135 kt | 1 h 16 min | 2:29 am EDT (06:29 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 280° at 17 kt | −17 kt | -7 °C | 137 kt | 1 h 15 min | 2:28 am EDT (06:28 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 280° at 19 kt | −19 kt | -11 °C | 139 kt | 1 h 14 min | 2:27 am EDT (06:27 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 270° at 20 kt | −20 kt | -12 °C | 140 kt | 1 h 14 min | 2:27 am EDT (06:27 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 260° at 20 kt | −19 kt | -23 °C | 139 kt | 1 h 14 min | 2:27 am EDT (06:27 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 270° at 29 kt | −28 kt | -38 °C | 148 kt | 1 h 10 min | 2:23 am EDT (06:23 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 250° at 45 kt | −39 kt | -42 °C | 159 kt | 1 h 05 min | 2:18 am EDT (06:18 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 240° at 55 kt | −44 kt | -50 °C | 164 kt | 1 h 03 min | 2:16 am EDT (06:16 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SYR | used from 0 nm out; 45 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° |
| ALB | used from 143 nm out; 14 nm from the line | 120/9 | 270/8 10° | L/V 5° | 260/9 1° | 260/34 -10° | 250/42 -22° | 240/57 -35° | 240/70 -42° | 240/65 -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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROC Rochester, NY | departure | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 1,000 feet, overcast at 6,500 feet | from the southwest (230°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | 6,500 ft | 558 ft | 12:54 am EDT (04:54 UTC) |
| SDC Williamson/Sodus, NY | 19 nm out, 10 nm northeast of the line | low IFR Sky: a broken layer at 300 feet, a broken layer at 700 feet, overcast at 6,000 feet | from the east-southeast (120°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | 300 ft | 424 ft | 02:35 UTC |
| SYR Syracuse, NY | 67 nm out, 8 nm north of the line, tower | low IFR Sky: a broken layer at 400 feet, overcast at 4,200 feet Weather: light rain | from the east (100°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | 400 ft | 421 ft | 04:54 UTC |
| RME Rome, NY | 95 nm out, 19 nm north of the line, tower | VFR Sky: overcast at 3,700 feet | calm | 10+ mi | 3,700 ft | 504 ft | 04:53 UTC |
| ALB Albany, NY | destination | IFR Sky: a broken layer at 600 feet, overcast at 1,400 feet Weather: light drizzle, mist | from the north (360°) at 5 knots | 6 mi | 600 ft | 284 ft | 12:51 am EDT (04:51 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 558 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At ALB when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 2:16 am EDT (06:16 UTC)
Wind from the north at 4 knots, visibility 1½ miles, light drizzle, mist, scattered clouds at 400 feet, overcast at 800 feet IFR
The whole forecast for ALB
- From Sun 10:00 pm EDT (02:00 UTC): wind from the north-northwest at 4 knots, visibility 4 miles, light rain, mist, scattered clouds at 400 feet, overcast at 2,000 feet
- At times between Sun 10:00 pm EDT (02:00 UTC) and 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC): visibility 2 miles, light rain, mist, a broken layer at 400 feet
- From Mon 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the north at 4 knots, visibility 1½ miles, light drizzle, mist, scattered clouds at 400 feet, overcast at 800 feet
- From Mon 7:00 am EDT (11:00 UTC): wind from the northwest at 5 knots, visibility 5 miles, mist, a broken layer at 800 feet, overcast at 1,500 feet
- From Mon 11:00 am EDT (15:00 UTC): wind from the northwest at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 1,500 feet, overcast at 3,000 feet
- From Mon 2:00 pm EDT (18:00 UTC): wind from the northwest at 10 knots, gusting to 17, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 4,000 feet
The forecast for ROC, the departure
- From Sun 10:00 pm EDT (02:00 UTC): wind from the southeast at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 5,000 feet
- 30% chance between Sun 10:00 pm EDT (02:00 UTC) and 12:00 am EDT (04:00 UTC): visibility 6 miles, light rain, overcast at 2,500 feet
- From Mon 1:00 am EDT (05:00 UTC): wind calm, visibility 6 miles, mist, a broken layer at 1,500 feet
- From Mon 3:00 am EDT (07:00 UTC): wind calm, visibility 4 miles, mist, overcast at 700 feet
- From Mon 10:00 am EDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the west at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 1,500 feet
- From Mon 2:00 pm EDT (18:00 UTC): wind from the west at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 2,000 feet
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 ROC 6:33 pm EDT (22:33 UTC), at ALB 6:18 pm EDT (22:18 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:46 pm EDT (22:46 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at ALB is before sunrise there (7:04 am EDT (11:04 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: Frederick Douglass/Greater Rochester International, Albany International.