Tampa International to Southwest Florida International TPA → RSW
96 nautical miles (110 statute miles) southeast on a straight line, true course 154°, about 159° magnetic at the departure end (variation 5W). At 120 knots that is 46 min at the quickest height in today's winds (3,500 ft, a 6-knot tailwind), arriving about 10:43 pm EDT (02:43 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now TPA is VFR, wind variable at 4 knots; RSW is VFR, wind calm. 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: 92 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
No SIGMET or AIRMET covers any part of this route right now.
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 TPA.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
- MD11 at 35,000 ft, 4 nm south, 7:18 pm EDT (23:18 UTC): no turbulence. 29 nm along the route, 4 nm south of the line.
as filed, and in English
SRQ UA /OV SRQ080015/TM 2318/FL350/TP MD11/TB NEG
- Report
- a routine report filed through SRQ
- Where
- 15 nm east (080°) of SRQ
- Time
- 23:18 UTC
- Height
- at 35,000 ft
- Aircraft
- MD11
- Turbulence
- none
- PAY1 at 12,000 ft, 27 nm northeast, 6:59 pm EDT (22:59 UTC): no turbulence. 77 nm along the route, 27 nm northeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
RSW UA /OV RSW030035/TM 2259/FL120/TP PAY1/TB NEG
- Report
- a routine report filed through RSW
- Where
- 35 nm northeast (030°) of RSW
- Time
- 22:59 UTC
- Height
- at 12,000 ft
- Aircraft
- PAY1
- Turbulence
- none
- GLF6 at 17,000 ft, 25 nm east, 7:00 pm EDT (23:00 UTC): no turbulence, clear from 17,000 ft to 60,000 ft. 86 nm along the route, 25 nm east of the line.
as filed, and in English
RSW UA /OV LBV180002/TM 2300/FL170/TP GLF6/SK SKC/TB NEG
- Report
- a routine report filed through RSW
- Where
- 2 nm south (180°) of LBV
- Time
- 23:00 UTC
- Height
- at 17,000 ft
- Aircraft
- GLF6
- Sky
- clear
- Turbulence
- none
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 1 forecast point nearest it (PIE). 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 | −6 kt | 126 kt | 46 min | 10:43 pm EDT (02:43 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 270° at 11 kt | −5 kt | 125 kt | 46 min | 10:43 pm EDT (02:43 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 270° at 13 kt | −6 kt | 15 °C | 126 kt | 46 min | 10:43 pm EDT (02:43 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 270° at 14 kt | −6 kt | 12 °C | 126 kt | 46 min | 10:43 pm EDT (02:43 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 260° at 14 kt | −4 kt | 9 °C | 124 kt | 46 min | 10:43 pm EDT (02:43 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 250° at 16 kt | −2 kt | 5 °C | 122 kt | 47 min | 10:44 pm EDT (02:44 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 250° at 18 kt | −1 kt | 0 °C | 121 kt | 48 min | 10:45 pm EDT (02:45 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 240° at 21 kt | +1 kt | -4 °C | 119 kt | 48 min | 10:45 pm EDT (02:45 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 240° at 22 kt | +2 kt | -5 °C | 118 kt | 49 min | 10:46 pm EDT (02:46 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 230° at 24 kt | +6 kt | -16 °C | 114 kt | 51 min | 10:48 pm EDT (02:48 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 220° at 26 kt | +11 kt | -31 °C | 109 kt | 53 min | 10:50 pm EDT (02:50 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 200° at 31 kt | +22 kt | -41 °C | 98 kt | 59 min | 10:56 pm EDT (02:56 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 180° at 33 kt | +30 kt | -53 °C | 90 kt | 1 h 04 min | 11:01 pm EDT (03:01 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PIE | used from 0 nm out; 26 nm from the line | 310/7 | 270/12 17° | 270/14 13° | 260/14 8° | 240/22 -5° | 230/24 -16° | 220/26 -31° | 200/31 -41° | 180/33 -53° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TPA Tampa, FL | departure | VFR | variable at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 26 ft | 9:53 pm EDT (01:53 UTC) |
| SRQ Sarasota/Bradenton, FL | 29 nm out, 16 nm southwest of the line, tower | VFR | from the north (360°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 29 ft | 01:53 UTC |
| PGD Punta Gorda, FL | 67 nm out, 3 nm south of the line, tower | VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 8,500 feet | from the north-northeast (030°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 25 ft | 01:53 UTC |
| RSW Fort Myers, FL | destination | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 29 ft | 9:53 pm EDT (01:53 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 29 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At RSW when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 10:43 pm EDT (02:43 UTC)
Wind from the east-northeast at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 3,000 feet, a broken layer at 25,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for RSW
- From Sun 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the east-northeast at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 3,000 feet, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 1:00 am EDT (05:00 UTC): wind from the north-northeast at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 9:00 am EDT (13:00 UTC): wind from the north-northeast at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
The forecast for TPA, the departure
- From Sun 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the north at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 3,000 feet, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
- From Sun 11:00 pm EDT (03:00 UTC): wind from the north at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 10:00 am EDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the north at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
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 TPA 7:04 pm EDT (23:04 UTC), at RSW 7:02 pm EDT (23:02 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:25 pm EDT (23:25 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at RSW is after sunset there (7:03 pm EDT (23:03 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: Tampa International, Southwest Florida International.