Baton Rouge Metro, Ryan Field to William P Hobby Airport BTR → HOU
221 nautical miles (254 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 257°, about 257° magnetic at the departure end (variation 0E). At 120 knots that is 1 h 50 min at the quickest height in today's winds (6,500 ft, no wind along the track), arriving about 8:50 am CDT (13:50 UTC). Right now BTR is VFR, wind calm; HOU is VFR, wind from the southeast (130°) at 6 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 SIERRA 1E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, mist, fog). Over the first 77 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 BTR.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
- A21N at 34,000 ft, 0 nm southwest, 6:37 am CDT (11:37 UTC): no turbulence, remarks: zhu. At the departure end, 0 nm southwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
BTR UA /OV KBTR/TM 1137/FL340/TP A21N/TB NEG/RM ZHU
- Report
- a routine report filed through BTR
- Where
- over KBTR
- Time
- 11:37 UTC
- Height
- at 34,000 ft
- Aircraft
- A21N
- Turbulence
- none
- Remarks
- zhu
- SF30 at 21,000 ft, 19 nm north, 4:35 am CDT (09:35 UTC): light rime icing, -10 °C, remarks: zhu. At the destination end, 19 nm north 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 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 3 forecast points nearest it (MSY, LCH, HOU). 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 | 170° at 18 kt | +1 kt | 119 kt | 1 h 51 min | 8:51 am CDT (13:51 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 170° at 17 kt | 0 | 17 °C | 120 kt | 1 h 50 min | 8:50 am CDT (13:50 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 170° at 10 kt | 0 | 14 °C | 120 kt | 1 h 50 min | 8:50 am CDT (13:50 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 170° at 5 kt | 0 | 11 °C | 120 kt | 1 h 50 min | 8:50 am CDT (13:50 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 190° at 2 kt | +1 kt | 7 °C | 119 kt | 1 h 51 min | 8:51 am CDT (13:51 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 260° at 4 kt | +4 kt | 2 °C | 116 kt | 1 h 54 min | 8:54 am CDT (13:54 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 280° at 7 kt | +6 kt | -2 °C | 114 kt | 1 h 56 min | 8:56 am CDT (13:56 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 280° at 9 kt | +8 kt | -6 °C | 112 kt | 1 h 58 min | 8:58 am CDT (13:58 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 280° at 15 kt | +14 kt | -14 °C | 106 kt | 2 h 05 min | 9:05 am CDT (14:05 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 320° at 26 kt | +12 kt | -30 °C | 108 kt | 2 h 03 min | 9:03 am CDT (14:03 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 330° at 24 kt | +7 kt | -40 °C | 113 kt | 1 h 57 min | 8:57 am CDT (13:57 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 350° at 35 kt | +1 kt | -51 °C | 119 kt | 1 h 51 min | 8:51 am CDT (13:51 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSY | used from 0 nm out; 75 nm from the line | 150/9 | 140/8 18° | L/V 13° | L/V 6° | 320/15 -5° | 310/16 -16° | 320/32 -31° | 340/35 -40° | 350/34 -52° |
| LCH | used from 48 nm out; 38 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° |
| HOU | used from 144 nm out; 53 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° |
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 | calm | 9 mi | none | 69 ft | 6:53 am CDT (11:53 UTC) |
| LFT Lafayette, LA | 48 nm out, 9 nm south of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 40 ft | 11:53 UTC |
| LCH Lake Charles, LA | 106 nm out, 5 nm west of the line, tower | VFR | from the east-southeast (110°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 14 ft | 11:53 UTC |
| BPT Beaumont/Port Arthur, TX | 154 nm out, 1 nm north of the line, tower | VFR | from the southeast (130°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | none | 14 ft | 11:53 UTC |
| HPY Baytown, TX | 202 nm out, 4 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 33 ft | ||||
| HOU Houston, TX | destination | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 3,000 feet, a broken layer at 23,000 feet | from the southeast (130°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | 23,000 ft | 46 ft | 6:53 am CDT (11:53 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 69 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At HOU when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 8:50 am CDT (13:50 UTC)
Wind from the southeast at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 2,500 feet, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for HOU
- From Mon 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the southeast at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 2,500 feet, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 10:00 am CDT (15:00 UTC): wind from the southeast at 13 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 3,500 feet, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
- 30% chance between Mon 12:00 pm CDT (17:00 UTC) and 3:00 pm CDT (20:00 UTC): light rain showers
- From Mon 3:00 pm CDT (20:00 UTC): wind from the southeast at 13 knots, gusting to 21, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 10,000 feet
- From Mon 9:00 pm CDT (02:00 UTC): wind from the south-southeast at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 5,000 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
No temporary flight restriction on or near this route right now.
Daylight
Sunset at BTR 6:36 pm CDT (23:36 UTC), at HOU 6:54 pm CDT (23:54 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:18 pm CDT (00:18 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: Baton Rouge Metro, Ryan Field, William P Hobby Airport.