Plan a flight · Mon 9:52 am CDT (14:52 UTC)

Baton Rouge Metro, Ryan Field to Waco Regional BTR → ACT

319 nautical miles (367 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 283°, about 283° magnetic at the departure end (variation 0E). At 120 knots that is 2 h 37 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 2-knot tailwind), arriving about 12:29 pm CDT (17:29 UTC). Right now BTR is VFR, wind from the east-northeast (070°) at 3 knots; ACT is marginal VFR, wind from the south-southeast (160°) 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: 4 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 BTR.

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

B737 at 23,000 ft, 0 nm southwest, 7:30 am CDT (12:30 UTC): no turbulence up to 23,000 ft, remarks: zhu. At the departure end, 0 nm southwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
BTR UA /OV KLSU945005/TM 1230/FL230/TP B737/TB NEG 000-230/RM ZHU
```
Report
a routine report filed through BTR
Where
5 nm southwest (945°) of KLSU
Time
12:30 UTC
Height
at 23,000 ft
Aircraft
B737
Turbulence
no from 0 ft to 23,000 ft
Remarks
zhu
PC12 at 20,000 ft, 22 nm north, 8:49 am CDT (13:49 UTC): light chop turbulence, remarks: zhu. 90 nm along the route, 22 nm north of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
AEX UA /OV AEX250010/TM 1349/FL200/TP PC12/TB LGT CHOP/RM ZHU
```
Report
a routine report filed through AEX
Where
10 nm west (250°) of AEX
Time
13:49 UTC
Height
at 20,000 ft
Aircraft
PC12
Turbulence
light chop
Remarks
zhu
A321 at 32,000 ft, 41 nm north, 7:53 am CDT (12:53 UTC): light chop turbulence, remarks: ZFW89. 190 nm along the route, 41 nm north of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
GGG UA /OV GGG155035/TM 1253/FL320/TP A321/TB CONS LGT CHOP/RM ZFW89
```
Report
a routine report filed through GGG
Where
35 nm southeast (155°) of GGG
Time
12:53 UTC
Height
at 32,000 ft
Aircraft
A321
Turbulence
continuous light chop
Remarks
ZFW89
B36M at 18,000 ft, 44 nm south, 7:24 am CDT (12:24 UTC): light clear-air turbulence, remarks: zhu. 210 nm along the route, 44 nm south of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
IAH UA /OV KIAH355035/TM 1224/FL180/TP B36M/TB LGT CAT/RM ZHU
```
Report
a routine report filed through IAH
Where
35 nm north (355°) of KIAH
Time
12:24 UTC
Height
at 18,000 ft
Aircraft
B36M
Turbulence
light clear-air turbulence
Remarks
zhu
F2TH at 18,000 ft, 36 nm south, 7:20 am CDT (12:20 UTC): no turbulence from 17,300 ft to 29,000 ft, remarks: zhu. 229 nm along the route, 36 nm south of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
UTS UA /OV KLOA30035-KLOA190020/TM 1220/FL180/TP F2TH/TB NEG 290-173/RM ZHU
```
Report
a routine report filed through UTS
Where
KLOA30035-KLOA190020
Time
12:20 UTC
Height
at 18,000 ft
Aircraft
F2TH
Turbulence
no from 29,000 ft to 17,300 ft
Remarks
zhu
B738 at 18,000 ft, 36 nm south, 6:59 am CDT (11:59 UTC): light turbulence, remarks: zhu. 229 nm along the route, 36 nm south of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
UTS UA /OV KLOA155020/TM 1159/FL180/TP B738/TB LGT CHOPN 180-230/RM ZHU
```
Report
a routine report filed through UTS
Where
20 nm southeast (155°) of KLOA
Time
11:59 UTC
Height
at 18,000 ft
Aircraft
B738
Turbulence
light chopn from 18,000 ft to 23,000 ft
Remarks
zhu
TBM8 at 30,000 ft, 23 nm north, 8:43 am CDT (13:43 UTC): no turbulence, remarks: ZFW62. At the destination end, 23 nm north of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
ACT UA /OV ACT340020/TM 1343/FL300/TP TBM8/TB NEG/RM ZFW62
```
Report
a routine report filed through ACT
Where
20 nm north (340°) of ACT
Time
13:43 UTC
Height
at 30,000 ft
Aircraft
TBM8
Turbulence
none
Remarks
ZFW62

Winds aloft along the route, and the time en route the forecast for use 14:00–21:00 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 4 forecast points nearest it (MSY, LCH, SHV, CLL). 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	190° at 18 kt	−2 kt		122 kt	2 h 37 min	12:29 pm CDT (17:29 UTC)
6,500 ft	190° at 19 kt	−1 kt	17 °C	121 kt	2 h 38 min	12:30 pm CDT (17:30 UTC)
8,500 ft	190° at 14 kt	0	14 °C	120 kt	2 h 40 min	12:32 pm CDT (17:32 UTC)
10,500 ft	200° at 9 kt	+1 kt	10 °C	119 kt	2 h 41 min	12:33 pm CDT (17:33 UTC)
12,500 ft	220° at 6 kt	+3 kt	7 °C	117 kt	2 h 44 min	12:36 pm CDT (17:36 UTC)
14,500 ft	250° at 9 kt	+8 kt	2 °C	112 kt	2 h 51 min	12:43 pm CDT (17:43 UTC)
16,500 ft	260° at 14 kt	+13 kt	-2 °C	107 kt	2 h 59 min	12:51 pm CDT (17:51 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180	270° at 17 kt	+16 kt	-6 °C	104 kt	3 h 04 min	12:56 pm CDT (17:56 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240	260° at 18 kt	+17 kt	-13 °C	103 kt	3 h 06 min	12:58 pm CDT (17:58 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300	300° at 19 kt	+18 kt	-29 °C	102 kt	3 h 08 min	1:00 pm CDT (18:00 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340	330° at 22 kt	+15 kt	-39 °C	105 kt	3 h 02 min	12:54 pm CDT (17:54 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390	360° at 27 kt	+7 kt	-51 °C	113 kt	2 h 49 min	12:41 pm CDT (17:41 UTC)

Based on data from the 12th at 12:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 18:00 UTC for use 14:00 to 21:00 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
MSY	used from 0 nm out; 80 nm from the line	170/11	160/13 18°	150/8 12°	L/V 6°	310/12 -5°	290/11 -15°	340/27 -30°	350/32 -40°	360/30 -52°
LCH	used from 50 nm out; 53 nm from the line	170/9	180/18 18°	190/13 13°	190/6 8°	270/11 -6°	290/20 -13°	320/21 -30°	350/23 -40°	360/25 -51°
SHV	used from 150 nm out; 84 nm from the line	200/17	190/28 18°	200/15 13°	250/12 7°	260/28 -7°	280/22 -14°	290/29 -29°	310/33 -39°	340/27 -50°
CLL	used from 200 nm out; 66 nm from the line	180/21	200/24 17°	200/15 13°	200/7 8°	260/21 -5°	230/25 -13°	260/18 -29°	310/16 -39°	360/27 -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
BTR Baton Rouge, LA	departure	VFR	from the east-northeast (070°) at 3 knots	10+ mi	none	69 ft	8:53 am CDT (13:53 UTC)
HZR New Roads, LA	20 nm out, 7 nm north of the line	marginal VFR Weather: mist	calm	4 mi	none	39 ft	08:15 UTC
ACP Oakdale, LA	80 nm out, 5 nm south of the line	VFR	from the southeast (130°) at 4 knots	10+ mi	none	107 ft	14:35 UTC
DRI De Ridder, LA	110 nm out, 9 nm southwest of the line	VFR	from the east-southeast (110°) at 4 knots	10+ mi	none	201 ft	14:35 UTC
JAS Jasper, TX	150 nm out, 12 nm south of the line	VFR	variable at 4 knots	10+ mi	none	212 ft	14:35 UTC
LFK Lufkin, TX	190 nm out, 2 nm north of the line	VFR	from the southeast (130°) at 8 knots	10+ mi	none	295 ft	13:53 UTC
PSN Palestine, TX	249 nm out, 25 nm north of the line	marginal VFR Sky: a broken layer at 2,500 feet, a broken layer at 3,400 feet	from the south-southeast (150°) at 7 knots	8 mi	2,500 ft	422 ft	14:35 UTC
LXY Mexia, TX	279 nm out, 9 nm north of the line	VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 3,500 feet	from the south-southeast (150°) at 6 knots	10+ mi	none	544 ft	14:35 UTC
ACT Waco, TX	destination	marginal VFR Sky: overcast at 2,800 feet	from the south-southeast (160°) at 7 knots	10+ mi	2,800 ft	516 ft	8:51 am CDT (13:51 UTC)

The highest airport on this list sits at 544 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At ACT when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 12:29 pm CDT (17:29 UTC)

Wind from the south at 10 knots, gusting to 20, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 15,000 feet VFR

The whole forecast for ACT

From Mon 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the south at 11 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 2,500 feet
At times between Mon 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC) and 11:00 am CDT (16:00 UTC): a broken layer at 2,000 feet
From Mon 12:00 pm CDT (17:00 UTC): wind from the south at 10 knots, gusting to 20, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 15,000 feet
From Mon 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 6,000 feet
From Tue 3:00 am CDT (08:00 UTC): wind from the south at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 2,000 feet

The forecast for BTR, the departure

From Mon 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the south-southeast at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
From Tue 5:00 am CDT (10:00 UTC): wind calm, visibility 6 miles, mist, a few clouds at 100 feet, a few clouds at 14,000 feet

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

6/0543 MCGREGOR, TX 16 nm from the route, at the destination end · security · ZFW

Daylight

Sunset at BTR 6:36 pm CDT (23:36 UTC), at ACT 6:59 pm CDT (23:59 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:23 pm CDT (00:23 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 lower Mississippi valley · loop National Weather Service

Radar now, the southern Plains · 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: Baton Rouge Metro, Ryan Field, Waco Regional.