Abilene Regional to Jack Brooks Regional ABI → BPT
326 nautical miles (375 statute miles) southeast on a straight line, true course 115°, about 110° magnetic at the departure end (variation 5E). At 120 knots that is 2 h 14 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 26-knot tailwind), arriving about 8:15 am CDT (13:15 UTC). Right now ABI is VFR, wind from the south (170°) at 13 knots; BPT is VFR, wind from the south-southeast (150°) at 7 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: 2 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 2W: low-level wind shear (due to air speed loss or gain of 20 knots or more below 2,000 ft above the ground). Near the route, at the departure end.
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 ABI.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
- SF30 at 21,000 ft, 32 nm southwest, 4:35 am CDT (09:35 UTC): light rime icing, -10 °C, remarks: zhu. 267 nm along the route, 32 nm southwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
IAH UA /OV DAS02002/TM 0935/FL210/TP SF30/TA M10/IC LGT RIME/RM ZHU
- Report
- a routine report filed through IAH
- Where
- DAS02002
- Time
- 09:35 UTC
- Height
- at 21,000 ft
- Aircraft
- SF30
- Temperature
- −10 °C
- Icing
- light rime
- Remarks
- zhu
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 4 forecast points nearest it (ABI, CLL, HOU, LCH). 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 | 180° at 23 kt | +11 kt | 109 kt | 2 h 59 min | 9:00 am CDT (14:00 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 180° at 23 kt | +9 kt | 19 °C | 111 kt | 2 h 56 min | 8:57 am CDT (13:57 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 180° at 16 kt | +6 kt | 17 °C | 114 kt | 2 h 52 min | 8:53 am CDT (13:53 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 200° at 9 kt | +2 kt | 14 °C | 118 kt | 2 h 46 min | 8:47 am CDT (13:47 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 210° at 7 kt | −1 kt | 9 °C | 121 kt | 2 h 42 min | 8:43 am CDT (13:43 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 230° at 9 kt | −3 kt | 5 °C | 123 kt | 2 h 39 min | 8:40 am CDT (13:40 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 230° at 11 kt | −4 kt | 0 °C | 124 kt | 2 h 38 min | 8:39 am CDT (13:39 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 230° at 13 kt | −6 kt | -5 °C | 126 kt | 2 h 35 min | 8:36 am CDT (13:36 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 230° at 14 kt | −6 kt | -6 °C | 126 kt | 2 h 35 min | 8:36 am CDT (13:36 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 260° at 21 kt | −16 kt | -14 °C | 136 kt | 2 h 24 min | 8:25 am CDT (13:25 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 280° at 25 kt | −24 kt | -29 °C | 144 kt | 2 h 16 min | 8:17 am CDT (13:17 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 300° at 23 kt | −23 kt | -39 °C | 143 kt | 2 h 17 min | 8:18 am CDT (13:18 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 330° at 30 kt | −26 kt | -51 °C | 146 kt | 2 h 14 min | 8:15 am CDT (13:15 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABI | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 200/30 19° | 220/12 16° | 220/11 9° | 230/15 -5° | 250/26 -15° | 250/39 -28° | 270/36 -38° | 280/30 -51° | |
| CLL | used from 99 nm out; 81 nm from the line | 180/24 | 170/21 19° | 180/10 14° | 230/7 8° | 230/16 -6° | 260/20 -13° | 290/23 -29° | 320/21 -39° | 340/35 -51° |
| HOU | used from 247 nm out; 47 nm from the line | 180/22 | 180/20 16° | 170/7 15° | L/V 8° | 220/11 -6° | 260/15 -13° | 310/20 -30° | 320/20 -40° | 350/32 -51° |
| LCH | used from 296 nm out; 55 nm from the line | 170/21 | 160/23 18° | 170/13 13° | 170/6 8° | 300/12 -7° | 280/16 -14° | 320/27 -30° | 330/23 -41° | 340/38 -51° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABI Abilene, TX | departure | VFR | from the south (170°) at 13 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,790 ft | 5:52 am CDT (10:52 UTC) |
| GZN Cisco, TX | 30 nm out, 12 nm northeast of the line | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 3,200 feet, a few clouds at 3,900 feet | from the south (170°) at 12 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,711 ft | 10:55 UTC |
| MKN Comanche, TX | 59 nm out, 4 nm southeast of the line | reported, no category | calm | 10+ mi | none | 1,386 ft | 10:55 UTC |
| MNZ Hamilton, TX | 89 nm out, 6 nm south of the line | marginal VFR Sky: a broken layer at 1,500 feet | from the south-southeast (160°) at 9 knots | 10+ mi | 1,500 ft | 1,304 ft | 10:55 UTC |
| ACT Waco, TX | 128 nm out, 13 nm northeast of the line, tower | VFR | from the southeast (130°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 516 ft | 10:51 UTC |
| CLL College Station, TX | 198 nm out, 23 nm south of the line, tower | VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 2,700 feet | from the east (100°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 320 ft | 10:53 UTC |
| UTS Huntsville, TX | 227 nm out, 6 nm east of the line | VFR | from the east (090°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 362 ft | 10:53 UTC |
| CXO Houston, TX | 247 nm out, 13 nm south of the line, tower | VFR | from the east-southeast (120°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 244 ft | 10:53 UTC |
| BPT Beaumont/Port Arthur, TX | destination | VFR | from the south-southeast (150°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | none | 14 ft | 5:53 am CDT (10:53 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,790 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At BPT when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 8:15 am CDT (13:15 UTC)
Wind from the southeast at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for BPT
- From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the southeast at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 9:00 am CDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the south-southeast at 12 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 8:00 pm CDT (01:00 UTC): wind from the southeast at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
The forecast for ABI, the departure
- From Mon 2:00 am CDT (07:00 UTC): wind from the south at 12 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- At times between Mon 2:00 am CDT (07:00 UTC) and 6:00 am CDT (11:00 UTC): wind from the south at 13 knots, gusting to 20
- From Mon 8:00 am CDT (13:00 UTC): wind from the south at 15 knots, gusting to 25, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 3,500 feet
- From Mon 11:00 am CDT (16:00 UTC): wind from the south at 16 knots, gusting to 24, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 4,000 feet
- From Mon 2:00 pm CDT (19:00 UTC): wind from the south at 17 knots, gusting to 26, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 5,000 feet
- From Mon 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south-southeast at 11 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 5,000 feet
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/0543 MCGREGOR, TX 3 nm from the route, 128 nm along the route · security · ZFW
Daylight
Sunset at ABI 7:08 pm CDT (00:08 UTC), at BPT 6:48 pm CDT (23:48 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:12 pm CDT (00:12 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: Abilene Regional, Jack Brooks Regional.