Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport to Raleigh-Durham International SPI → RDU
568 nautical miles (654 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 111°, about 112° magnetic at the departure end (variation 1W). At 120 knots that is 3 h 23 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 48-knot tailwind), arriving about 12:33 pm EDT (16:33 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: 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). Over the route from 140 to 448 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, mist). Over the route from 319 to 468 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 6,000 ft. Over the route from 409 to 488 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 5W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) from 29,000 ft to 40,000 ft. Over the route from 428 to 488 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: low-level wind shear (due to air speed loss or gain of 20 knots or more below 2,000 ft above the ground). Over the route from 468 to 548 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 30,000 ft to 41,000 ft. Over the last 20 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 08:00–15:00 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, LOU, CVG, TRI, 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 | 300° at 21 kt | −22 kt | 142 kt | 4 h | 1:10 pm EDT (17:10 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 310° at 20 kt | −19 kt | 11 °C | 139 kt | 4 h 05 min | 1:15 pm EDT (17:15 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 320° at 20 kt | −18 kt | 11 °C | 138 kt | 4 h 07 min | 1:17 pm EDT (17:17 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 330° at 20 kt | −18 kt | 8 °C | 138 kt | 4 h 07 min | 1:17 pm EDT (17:17 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 320° at 20 kt | −19 kt | 5 °C | 139 kt | 4 h 05 min | 1:15 pm EDT (17:15 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 320° at 23 kt | −21 kt | 2 °C | 141 kt | 4 h 02 min | 1:12 pm EDT (17:12 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 320° at 26 kt | −24 kt | -2 °C | 144 kt | 3 h 57 min | 1:07 pm EDT (17:07 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 320° at 29 kt | −27 kt | -6 °C | 147 kt | 3 h 52 min | 1:02 pm EDT (17:02 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 320° at 30 kt | −28 kt | -7 °C | 148 kt | 3 h 50 min | 1:00 pm EDT (17:00 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 310° at 33 kt | −33 kt | -19 °C | 153 kt | 3 h 43 min | 12:53 pm EDT (16:53 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 310° at 38 kt | −37 kt | -33 °C | 157 kt | 3 h 37 min | 12:47 pm EDT (16:47 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 310° at 50 kt | −47 kt | -41 °C | 167 kt | 3 h 24 min | 12:34 pm EDT (16:34 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 310° at 50 kt | −48 kt | -50 °C | 168 kt | 3 h 23 min | 12:33 pm EDT (16:33 UTC) |
Based on data from the 12th at 06:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 12:00 UTC for use 08:00 to 15:00 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 | 260/28 | 250/22 15° | 250/14 9° | 260/20 6° | 280/27 -7° | 280/34 -19° | 280/48 -32° | 280/59 -41° | 300/60 -49° |
| IND | used from 100 nm out; 57 nm from the line | 270/22 | 290/19 15° | 270/19 8° | 270/18 4° | 290/28 -7° | 280/35 -20° | 270/37 -34° | 300/51 -42° | 300/61 -51° |
| LOU | used from 149 nm out; 40 nm from the line | 300/16 | 310/19 15° | 310/17 9° | 300/15 4° | 300/26 -6° | 280/34 -19° | 290/30 -34° | 310/49 -42° | 310/58 -51° |
| CVG | used from 249 nm out; 62 nm from the line | 300/19 | 310/23 15° | 320/20 9° | 310/18 3° | 300/26 -6° | 290/36 -19° | 310/32 -34° | 310/53 -43° | 310/61 -51° |
| TRI | used from 299 nm out; 86 nm from the line | 340/25 11° | 350/37 9° | 350/34 6° | 340/39 -7° | 340/43 -19° | 340/55 -32° | 330/58 -42° | 320/37 -50° | |
| ROA | used from 448 nm out; 51 nm from the line | 310/32 | 340/32 14° | 350/25 9° | 340/24 3° | 340/42 -8° | 340/52 -20° | 350/62 -34° | 350/64 -39° | 310/44 -48° |
| RDU | used from 498 nm out; 45 nm from the line | 330/30 | 340/24 12° | 330/26 7° | 320/30 3° | 330/39 -8° | 310/30 -20° | 300/33 -33° | 310/34 -39° | 310/41 -47° |
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, 14 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 681 ft | ||||
| HUF Terre Haute, IN | 110 nm out, 19 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 589 ft | ||||
| BMG Bloomington, IN | 149 nm out, 15 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 845 ft | ||||
| LOU Louisville, KY | 209 nm out, 18 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 545 ft | ||||
| LEX Lexington, KY | 259 nm out, 8 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 979 ft | ||||
| JKL Jackson, KY | 329 nm out, 6 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 1,380 ft | ||||
| PBX Pikeville, KY | 359 nm out, 8 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 1,464 ft | ||||
| MKJ Marion/Wytheville, VA | 428 nm out, 3 nm south of the line | no report just now | 2,558 ft | ||||
| GSO Greensboro, NC | 508 nm out, 15 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 925 ft | ||||
| BUY Burlington, NC | 538 nm out, 8 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 616 ft | ||||
| RDU Raleigh/Durham, NC | destination | no report just now | 435 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 2,558 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At RDU when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 12:33 pm EDT (16:33 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 SPI 6:24 pm CDT (23:24 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: Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport, Raleigh-Durham International.