Plan a flight · Sun 9:00 pm CDT (02:00 UTC)

Rick Husband Amarillo International to Tucson International AMA → TUS

497 nautical miles (572 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 251°, about 243° magnetic at the departure end (variation 8E). At 120 knots that is 4 h 41 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 14-knot headwind), arriving about 11:41 pm MST (06:41 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now AMA is VFR, wind from the south (170°) at 19 knots, gusting to 27; TUS is VFR, wind from the west-southwest (240°) at 5 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: 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 TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 35,000 ft to 45,000 ft. Over the route from 139 to 478 nm out.
AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the route from 149 to 348 nm out.
AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 298 to 458 nm out.

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 AMA.

Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first

GLF4 at 45,000 ft, 10 nm south, 6:01 pm CDT (23:01 UTC): light to moderate turbulence from 40,000 ft to 45,000 ft, remarks: south zab fdcs. 298 nm along the route, 10 nm south of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
TCS UA /OV TCS/TM 2301/FL450/TP GLF4/TB OCNL LGT-MOD 450-400/RM S - ZAB FDCS
```
Report
a routine report filed through TCS
Where
over TCS
Time
23:01 UTC
Height
at 45,000 ft
Aircraft
GLF4
Turbulence
occasional light to moderate from 45,000 ft to 40,000 ft
Remarks
south zab fdcs
A321 descending, 2 nm southeast, 7:26 pm CDT (00:26 UTC): light chop turbulence. At the destination end, 2 nm southeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
TUS UA /OV FINAL RWY 12/TM 0026/FLDURD/TP A321/TB LIGHT CHOP ON FINAL
```
Report
a routine report filed through TUS
Where
final runway 12
Time
00:26 UTC
Height
during the descent
Aircraft
A321
Turbulence
light chop on final

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 westbound cruising heights for this course (VFR: even thousands plus 500 ft; above 18,000 ft the forecast levels), with the wind averaged along the line from the 6 forecast points nearest it (AMA, TCC, ROW, ABQ, ELP, TUS). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

Height	Average wind	Head- or tailwind	Temperature	Ground speed	Time en route	Arrival
4,500 ft	200° at 21 kt	+14 kt	15 °C	106 kt	4 h 41 min	11:41 pm MST (06:41 UTC)
6,500 ft	200° at 22 kt	+15 kt	14 °C	105 kt	4 h 44 min	11:44 pm MST (06:44 UTC)
8,500 ft	200° at 26 kt	+19 kt	10 °C	101 kt	4 h 55 min	11:55 pm MST (06:55 UTC)
10,500 ft	210° at 29 kt	+22 kt	9 °C	98 kt	5 h 04 min	12:04 am MST (07:04 UTC)
12,500 ft	210° at 31 kt	+26 kt	5 °C	94 kt	5 h 17 min	12:17 am MST (07:17 UTC)
14,500 ft	220° at 34 kt	+28 kt	1 °C	92 kt	5 h 24 min	12:24 am MST (07:24 UTC)
16,500 ft	220° at 36 kt	+31 kt	-4 °C	89 kt	5 h 35 min	12:35 am MST (07:35 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180	220° at 38 kt	+33 kt	-7 °C	87 kt	5 h 43 min	12:43 am MST (07:43 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240	230° at 50 kt	+48 kt	-18 °C	72 kt	6 h 54 min	1:54 am MST (08:54 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300	230° at 70 kt	+67 kt	-27 °C	53 kt	9 h 23 min	4:23 am MST (11:23 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340	240° at 68 kt	+68 kt	-37 °C	52 kt	9 h 33 min	4:33 am MST (11:33 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390	240° at 59 kt	+59 kt	-48 °C	61 kt	8 h 09 min	3:09 am MST (10:09 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	6,000	9,000	12,000	18,000	24,000	30,000	34,000	39,000
AMA	used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line	190/28	220/26 14°	230/27 7°	250/24 -6°	250/32 -16°	240/51 -28°	250/52 -38°	250/51 -50°
TCC	used from 50 nm out; 33 nm from the line	200/26	200/28 14°	220/25 7°	230/28 -7°	240/41 -19°	240/62 -28°	250/61 -37°	250/49 -49°
ROW	used from 149 nm out; 60 nm from the line	180/23	190/24 15°	210/27 7°	230/35 -6°	240/53 -17°	240/62 -27°	250/64 -38°	260/60 -50°
ABQ	used from 199 nm out; 75 nm from the line		200/28 13°	210/28 5°	210/44 -7°	230/46 -20°	230/80 -28°	240/74 -35°	240/58 -47°
ELP	used from 298 nm out; 114 nm from the line	200/15	200/16 15°	200/17 6°	220/40 -6°	240/53 -16°	230/62 -27°	240/63 -38°	250/59 -49°
TUS	used from 348 nm out; 124 nm from the line	220/17 15°	210/32 7°	210/43 5°	210/49 -7°	220/64 -18°	220/83 -26°	230/81 -36°	230/72 -48°

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
AMA Amarillo, TX	departure	VFR	from the south (170°) at 19 knots, gusting to 27	10+ mi	none	3,606 ft	8:53 pm CDT (01:53 UTC)
HRX Hereford, TX	40 nm out, 11 nm southeast of the line	reported, no category	from the south (190°) at 15 knots, gusting to 20	10+ mi	none	3,787 ft	01:30 UTC
CVN Clovis, NM	80 nm out, 22 nm south of the line	VFR	from the south (180°) at 14 knots	10+ mi	none	4,215 ft	01:56 UTC
FSU Fort Sumner, NM	129 nm out, 2 nm west of the line	no report just now				4,164 ft
TCS Truth Or Consequences, NM	298 nm out, 13 nm south of the line	VFR Sky: a broken layer at 10,000 feet	from the east-southeast (120°) at 7 knots	10+ mi	10,000 ft	4,861 ft	01:53 UTC
CFT Clifton/Morenci, AZ	398 nm out, 10 nm north of the line	no report just now				3,797 ft
TUS Tucson, AZ	destination	VFR	from the west-southwest (240°) at 5 knots	10+ mi	none	2,643 ft	6:53 pm MST (01:53 UTC)

The highest airport on this list sits at 4,861 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At TUS when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 11:41 pm MST (06:41 UTC)

Wind from the southwest at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 6,000 feet VFR

The whole forecast for TUS

From Sun 6:00 pm MST (01:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 12 knots, gusting to 20, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 6,000 feet
From Sun 7:00 pm MST (02:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 6,000 feet
From Mon 12:00 am MST (07:00 UTC): wind from the south-southeast at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 5,000 feet
From Mon 7:00 am MST (14:00 UTC): wind from the east-southeast at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, showers nearby, scattered clouds at 5,000 feet
From Mon 10:00 am MST (17:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 14 knots, gusting to 22, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 6,000 feet, scattered clouds at 8,000 feet

The forecast for AMA, the departure

From Sun 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south at 15 knots, gusting to 26, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
From Mon 3:00 am CDT (08:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 17 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
From Mon 12:00 pm CDT (17:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 14 knots, gusting to 23, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
From Mon 3:00 pm CDT (20:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 14 knots, gusting to 26, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet

Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it

6/8722 ALAMOGORDO, NM, Tuesday, October 13, 2026 Local on the route, 209 nm along the route · security · starts tomorrow · ZAB

Daylight

Sunset at AMA 7:15 pm CDT (00:15 UTC), at TUS 5:55 pm MST (00:55 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:19 pm MST (01:19 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at TUS is before sunrise there (6:25 am MST (13:25 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

Radar now, the southern Plains · loop National Weather Service

Radar now, the southern Rockies · loop National Weather Service

Radar, the whole country · loop National Weather Service

Surface analysis now Weather Prediction Center

Forecast chart, 12 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center

Forecast chart, 24 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center

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: Rick Husband Amarillo International, Tucson International.