Salisbury-Ocean City Wicomico Regional to Washington Dulles International SBY → IAD
98 nautical miles (113 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 292°, about 304° magnetic at the departure end (variation 12W). At 120 knots that is 55 min at the quickest height in today's winds (12,500 ft, a 14-knot headwind), arriving about 4:57 am EDT (08:57 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: 1 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, fog). Over the whole route.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 21,000 ft to 33,000 ft. Over the first 59 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) from 30,000 ft to 41,000 ft. Near the route, 59 nm along the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 5W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 10,000 ft. Over the last 30 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 SBY.
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 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4,500 ft | 270° at 21 kt | +20 kt | 100 kt | 59 min | 5:01 am EDT (09:01 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 280° at 19 kt | +18 kt | 10 °C | 102 kt | 58 min | 5:00 am EDT (09:00 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 270° at 18 kt | +17 kt | 8 °C | 103 kt | 57 min | 4:59 am EDT (08:59 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 250° at 19 kt | +15 kt | 6 °C | 105 kt | 56 min | 4:58 am EDT (08:58 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 240° at 23 kt | +14 kt | 3 °C | 106 kt | 55 min | 4:57 am EDT (08:57 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 230° at 29 kt | +16 kt | -1 °C | 104 kt | 57 min | 4:59 am EDT (08:59 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 230° at 35 kt | +17 kt | -4 °C | 103 kt | 57 min | 4:59 am EDT (08:59 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 230° at 39 kt | +18 kt | -7 °C | 102 kt | 58 min | 5:00 am EDT (09:00 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 220° at 55 kt | +17 kt | -18 °C | 103 kt | 57 min | 4:59 am EDT (08:59 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 220° at 75 kt | +23 kt | -30 °C | 97 kt | 1 h 01 min | 5:03 am EDT (09:03 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 230° at 83 kt | +39 kt | -39 °C | 81 kt | 1 h 13 min | 5:15 am EDT (09:15 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 230° at 64 kt | +30 kt | -50 °C | 90 kt | 1 h 05 min | 5:07 am EDT (09:07 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; 86 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SBY Salisbury, MD | departure | no report just now | 52 ft | ||||
| ESN Easton, MD | 39 nm out, 17 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 72 ft | ||||
| DCA Washington, DC | 79 nm out, 2 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 14 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, 4:57 am EDT (08:57 UTC)
IAD has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/8719 Greenwood, DE, Friday, October 16, 2026 through Saturday, October 17, 2026 UTC 22 nm from the route, 20 nm along the route · air shows/sports · starts Friday 16 October · ZDC
- 6/8886 Greenwood, DE, Sunday, October 18, 2026 UTC 22 nm from the route, 20 nm along the route · air shows/sports · starts Sunday 18 October · ZDC
- 4/9383 WASHINGTON, DC., USA on the route, 69 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 SBY 6:28 pm EDT (22:28 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 before sunrise there (7:16 am EDT (11:16 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: Salisbury-Ocean City Wicomico Regional, Washington Dulles International.