Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport to Ronald Reagan Washington Ntl Airport SPI → DCA
589 nautical miles (678 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 092°, about 093° magnetic at the departure end (variation 1W). At 120 knots that is 3 h 51 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 33-knot tailwind), arriving about 1:36 am EDT (05:36 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: 6 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 3E: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 31,000 ft, moving from the west at 15 knots, until 9:55 pm CDT (02:55 UTC). Over the route from 340 to 569 nm out.
as issued
WSUS31 KKCI 120055 MKCE WST 120055 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 3E VALID UNTIL 0255Z PA MD VA NC WV OH KY FROM 20NE APE-30SE JST-30SSE DCA-40SW ECG-70NNW HMV-20NE APE AREA TS MOV FROM 28015KT. TOPS TO FL310.
- 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 330 nm of the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 390 to 539 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 21,000 ft to 33,000 ft. Over the last 130 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 SPI.
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 20:00–03:00 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 7 forecast points nearest it (SPI, IND, CVG, CMH, CRW, EKN, 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 | 300° at 7 kt | −7 kt | 127 kt | 4 h 38 min | 2:23 am EDT (06:23 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 300° at 12 kt | −11 kt | 13 °C | 131 kt | 4 h 30 min | 2:15 am EDT (06:15 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 310° at 12 kt | −10 kt | 11 °C | 130 kt | 4 h 32 min | 2:17 am EDT (06:17 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 320° at 11 kt | −8 kt | 8 °C | 128 kt | 4 h 36 min | 2:21 am EDT (06:21 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 320° at 10 kt | −6 kt | 4 °C | 126 kt | 4 h 40 min | 2:25 am EDT (06:25 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 320° at 11 kt | −7 kt | 0 °C | 127 kt | 4 h 38 min | 2:23 am EDT (06:23 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 320° at 12 kt | −9 kt | -4 °C | 129 kt | 4 h 34 min | 2:19 am EDT (06:19 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 310° at 14 kt | −11 kt | -8 °C | 131 kt | 4 h 30 min | 2:15 am EDT (06:15 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 310° at 15 kt | −11 kt | -9 °C | 131 kt | 4 h 30 min | 2:15 am EDT (06:15 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 290° at 19 kt | −17 kt | -20 °C | 137 kt | 4 h 18 min | 2:03 am EDT (06:03 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 280° at 26 kt | −24 kt | -34 °C | 144 kt | 4 h 05 min | 1:50 am EDT (05:50 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 270° at 33 kt | −32 kt | -40 °C | 152 kt | 3 h 52 min | 1:37 am EDT (05:37 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 270° at 35 kt | −33 kt | -48 °C | 153 kt | 3 h 51 min | 1:36 am EDT (05:36 UTC) |
Based on data from the 11th at 18:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 00:00 UTC for use 20:00 to 03:00 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SPI | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 210/13 | 260/11 17° | 270/18 10° | 290/21 4° | 310/20 -8° | 330/25 -19° | 320/49 -34° | 320/60 -44° | 320/59 -50° |
| IND | used from 100 nm out; 31 nm from the line | 320/10 | 350/30 16° | 350/32 10° | 350/30 4° | 340/31 -10° | 340/42 -21° | 340/49 -37° | 320/46 -41° | 320/47 -47° |
| CVG | used from 200 nm out; 35 nm from the line | 350/13 | 340/20 13° | 340/22 8° | 350/30 3° | 340/30 -9° | 340/38 -21° | 330/37 -35° | 320/38 -40° | 310/35 -47° |
| CMH | used from 250 nm out; 47 nm from the line | 340/14 | 320/13 12° | 350/12 8° | 360/10 2° | 350/27 -10° | 340/20 -22° | 320/31 -35° | 270/25 -39° | 260/32 -48° |
| CRW | used from 350 nm out; 60 nm from the line | 320/16 | 310/16 12° | 320/12 7° | 320/12 2° | 330/15 -11° | 280/11 -22° | 230/26 -30° | 240/33 -37° | 240/37 -47° |
| EKN | used from 400 nm out; 39 nm from the line | 270/18 13° | 310/5 7° | 140/7 3° | 210/16 -9° | 220/41 -20° | 210/57 -32° | 220/57 -38° | 230/49 -47° | |
| RIC | used from 549 nm out; 84 nm from the line | 190/33 | 200/29 14° | 210/31 12° | 210/38 6° | 230/42 -7° | 230/68 -16° | 220/84 -29° | 220/86 -40° | 220/81 -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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SPI Springfield, IL | departure | no report just now | 597 ft | ||||
| DEC Decatur, IL | 40 nm out, 3 nm west of the line, tower | no report just now | 681 ft | ||||
| CMI Champaign/Urbana, IL | 60 nm out, 15 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 754 ft | ||||
| IND Indianapolis, IN | 160 nm out, 4 nm west of the line, tower | no report just now | 796 ft | ||||
| CEV Connersville, IN | 210 nm out, 3 nm north of the line | no report just now | 866 ft | ||||
| ILN Wilmington, OH | 270 nm out, 8 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,076 ft | ||||
| LCK Columbus, OH | 310 nm out, 19 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 743 ft | ||||
| PKB Parkersburg, WV | 380 nm out, 3 nm east of the line, tower | no report just now | 858 ft | ||||
| CKB Clarksburg, WV | 440 nm out, 4 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,223 ft | ||||
| FRR Front Royal, VA | 529 nm out, 6 nm south of the line | no report just now | 703 ft | ||||
| IAD Washington, DC | 569 nm out, 2 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 312 ft | ||||
| DCA Washington, DC | destination | no report just now | 14 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,223 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At DCA when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 1:36 am EDT (05:36 UTC)
DCA has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/8029 Cincinnati, OH, Friday, October 9, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local 24 nm from the route, 240 nm along the route · a VIP movement · until 12 October · ZID
- 6/8600 Sterling, VA, Monday, October 12, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local 6 nm from the route, at the destination end · a VIP movement · today · ZDC
- 4/9383 WASHINGTON, DC., USA on the route, at the destination end · security · ZDC
Daylight
Sunset at SPI 6:24 pm CDT (23:24 UTC), at DCA 6:34 pm EDT (22:34 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:01 pm EDT (23:01 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at DCA is before sunrise there (7:14 am EDT (11:14 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: Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport, Ronald Reagan Washington Ntl Airport.