Albuquerque International Sunport to Lubbock Preston Smith International ABQ → LBB
251 nautical miles (289 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 108°, about 097° magnetic at the departure end (variation 11E). At 120 knots that is 1 h 30 min at the quickest height in today's winds (30,000 ft, a 48-knot tailwind), arriving about 3:36 am CDT (08:36 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now ABQ is VFR, wind from the south (170°) at 6 knots; LBB is VFR, wind from the south (180°) at 12 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: 112 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: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 35,000 ft to 45,000 ft. Over the first 19 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the first 106 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 ABQ.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
- PC12 at 14,000 ft, 11 nm northeast, 12:06 am MDT (06:06 UTC): moderate turbulence, remarks: zab fdcs. 126 nm along the route, 11 nm northeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
CVN UA /OV TXO260060/TM 0606/FL140/TP PC12/TB MOD/RM ZAB FDCS
- Report
- a routine report filed through CVN
- Where
- 60 nm west (260°) of TXO
- Time
- 06:06 UTC
- Height
- at 14,000 ft
- Aircraft
- PC12
- Turbulence
- moderate
- Remarks
- zab fdcs
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 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 3 forecast points nearest it (ABQ, TCC, LBB). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.
| Height | Average wind | Head- or tailwind | Temperature | Ground speed | Time en route | Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5,500 ft | 210° at 40 kt | −5 kt | 18 °C | 125 kt | 2 h | 4:06 am CDT (09:06 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 220° at 31 kt | −9 kt | 13 °C | 129 kt | 1 h 57 min | 4:03 am CDT (09:03 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 220° at 28 kt | −12 kt | 12 °C | 132 kt | 1 h 54 min | 4:00 am CDT (09:00 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 220° at 29 kt | −12 kt | 7 °C | 132 kt | 1 h 54 min | 4:00 am CDT (09:00 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 220° at 31 kt | −13 kt | 3 °C | 133 kt | 1 h 53 min | 3:59 am CDT (08:59 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 220° at 34 kt | −13 kt | -1 °C | 133 kt | 1 h 53 min | 3:59 am CDT (08:59 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 220° at 36 kt | −14 kt | -6 °C | 134 kt | 1 h 52 min | 3:58 am CDT (08:58 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 220° at 37 kt | −14 kt | -7 °C | 134 kt | 1 h 52 min | 3:58 am CDT (08:58 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 230° at 51 kt | −28 kt | -19 °C | 148 kt | 1 h 42 min | 3:48 am CDT (08:48 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 240° at 71 kt | −48 kt | -26 °C | 168 kt | 1 h 30 min | 3:36 am CDT (08:36 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 250° at 66 kt | −48 kt | -36 °C | 168 kt | 1 h 30 min | 3:36 am CDT (08:36 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 250° at 51 kt | −40 kt | -48 °C | 160 kt | 1 h 34 min | 3:40 am CDT (08:40 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABQ | used from 0 nm out; 24 nm from the line | 220/27 11° | 210/35 5° | 220/46 -9° | 230/62 -20° | 240/78 -25° | 240/80 -35° | 240/56 -47° | ||
| TCC | used from 97 nm out; 58 nm from the line | 210/42 | 230/33 14° | 230/32 6° | 220/35 -6° | 230/49 -19° | 240/72 -27° | 250/62 -36° | 250/52 -48° | |
| LBB | used from 193 nm out; 34 nm from the line | 200/36 18° | 220/19 15° | 240/20 8° | 230/24 -4° | 240/37 -16° | 250/57 -28° | 250/51 -38° | 270/47 -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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABQ Albuquerque, NM | departure | VFR Sky: a broken layer at 11,000 feet | from the south (170°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | 11,000 ft | 5,354 ft | 12:52 am MDT (06:52 UTC) |
| SXU Santa Rosa, NM | 97 nm out, 25 nm north of the line | VFR Sky: a broken layer at 8,000 feet, overcast at 9,500 feet | from the south (190°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | 8,000 ft | 4,791 ft | 06:55 UTC |
| PRZ Portales, NM | 164 nm out, 3 nm east of the line | no report just now | 4,077 ft | ||||
| CVN Clovis, NM | 174 nm out, 22 nm northeast of the line | VFR Sky: a broken layer at 8,000 feet, overcast at 11,000 feet | from the southwest (220°) at 12 knots | 10+ mi | 8,000 ft | 4,215 ft | 06:56 UTC |
| LIU Littlefield, TX | 222 nm out, 6 nm north of the line | no report just now | 3,615 ft | ||||
| LBB Lubbock, TX | destination | VFR | from the south (180°) at 12 knots | 10+ mi | none | 3,282 ft | 1:53 am CDT (06:53 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 5,354 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At LBB when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 3:36 am CDT (08:36 UTC)
Wind from the south at 15 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies VFR
The whole forecast for LBB
- From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south at 15 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
The forecast for ABQ, the departure
- From Mon 12:00 am MDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 10,000 feet
- From Mon 10:00 am MDT (16:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 10,000 feet
- From Mon 1:00 pm MDT (19:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 14 knots, gusting to 24, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 6,000 feet, scattered clouds at 10,000 feet
- From Mon 7:00 pm MDT (01:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 10,000 feet
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 ABQ 6:34 pm MDT (00:34 UTC), at LBB 7:16 pm CDT (00:16 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:41 pm CDT (00:41 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at LBB is before sunrise there (7:49 am CDT (12:49 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: Albuquerque International Sunport, Lubbock Preston Smith International.