The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Plan a flight · Mon 2:41 am CDT (07:41 UTC)

Hector International to Albuquerque International Sunport FAR → ABQ

839 nautical miles (965 statute miles) southwest on a straight line, true course 215°, about 211° magnetic at the departure end (variation 4E). At 120 knots that is 8 h 04 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 16-knot headwind), arriving about 9:45 am MDT (15:45 UTC). 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 return flight

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

  • SIGMET C12C: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 25,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 3:55 am CDT (08:55 UTC). Over the route from 639 to 729 nm out.
    as issued
    WSUS32 KKCI 120655
    MKCC WST 120655
    CONVECTIVE SIGMET 12C
    VALID UNTIL 0855Z
    CO NM
    FROM 40W PUB-30SSE PUB-30W CIM-50WSW ALS-40W PUB
    DMSHG AREA TS MOV FROM 22040KT. TOPS TO FL250.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 4E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist), from 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC). Over the first 329 nm of the route.
  • AIRMET TANGO 3W: low-level wind shear (due to air speed loss or gain of 20 knots or more below 2,000 ft above the ground), from 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC). Over the route from 290 to 489 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 38,000 ft, from 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC). Over the route from 439 to 629 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft, from 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC). Over the last 329 nm of the route.
  • AIRMET TANGO 1W: low-level wind shear (due to air speed loss or gain of 20 knots or more below 2,000 ft above the ground), from 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC). Over the route from 619 to 679 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 35,000 ft to 45,000 ft, from 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC). Over the last 190 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 FAR.

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

Not fetched just now.

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 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 10 forecast points nearest it (GFK, ABR, PIR, ONL, BFF, GLD, DEN, PUB, ALS, ABQ). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

HeightAverage windHead- or tailwindTemperatureGround speedTime en routeArrival
4,500 ft190° at 18 kt+16 kt19 °C104 kt8 h 04 min9:45 am MDT (15:45 UTC)
6,500 ft200° at 20 kt+19 kt16 °C101 kt8 h 18 min9:59 am MDT (15:59 UTC)
8,500 ft220° at 23 kt+23 kt12 °C97 kt8 h 39 min10:20 am MDT (16:20 UTC)
10,500 ft230° at 28 kt+27 kt9 °C93 kt9 h 01 min10:42 am MDT (16:42 UTC)
12,500 ft230° at 30 kt+29 kt5 °C91 kt9 h 13 min10:54 am MDT (16:54 UTC)
14,500 ft230° at 32 kt+31 kt0 °C89 kt9 h 26 min11:07 am MDT (17:07 UTC)
16,500 ft230° at 34 kt+32 kt-5 °C88 kt9 h 32 min11:13 am MDT (17:13 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180230° at 35 kt+33 kt-9 °C87 kt9 h 39 min11:20 am MDT (17:20 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240240° at 43 kt+39 kt-21 °C81 kt10 h 21 min12:02 pm MDT (18:02 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300240° at 52 kt+45 kt-32 °C75 kt11 h 11 min12:52 pm MDT (18:52 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340250° at 55 kt+45 kt-37 °C75 kt11 h 11 min12:52 pm MDT (18:52 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390250° at 54 kt+43 kt-47 °C77 kt10 h 54 min12:35 pm MDT (18:35 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
PointFrom3,0006,0009,00012,00018,00024,00030,00034,00039,000
GFKused from 0 nm out; 82 nm from the line070/18100/10 9°250/11 6°250/27 1°250/34 -10°260/43 -21°260/39 -36°260/36 -46°260/59 -53°
ABRused from 50 nm out; 36 nm from the line070/14250/10 17°270/16 11°260/28 5°260/36 -10°260/41 -22°270/33 -37°260/42 -42°260/50 -48°
PIRused from 150 nm out; 49 nm from the line170/22 19°190/25 13°210/32 6°240/23 -9°250/32 -21°250/38 -36°260/44 -40°260/52 -47°
ONLused from 300 nm out; 104 nm from the line210/31 20°230/27 13°230/18 7°220/19 -8°240/26 -20°250/44 -35°270/52 -39°260/57 -47°
BFFused from 349 nm out; 88 nm from the line180/28220/33 15°210/31 7°230/32 -9°220/41 -21°220/40 -33°240/47 -36°250/54 -46°
GLDused from 449 nm out; 75 nm from the line230/49230/42 15°220/26 8°240/18 -7°230/27 -21°240/62 -30°240/61 -35°250/57 -47°
DENused from 499 nm out; 64 nm from the line240/21 14°250/44 6°220/49 -8°220/49 -21°230/54 -30°240/57 -35°240/49 -45°
PUBused from 549 nm out; 45 nm from the line230/25 13°230/32 6°220/44 -8°230/49 -21°240/70 -28°240/67 -34°240/58 -46°
ALSused from 649 nm out; 44 nm from the line230/37 4°220/54 -9°230/62 -22°240/77 -26°240/74 -33°230/59 -45°
ABQused from 749 nm out; 65 nm from the line220/27 11°210/35 5°220/46 -9°230/62 -20°240/78 -25°240/80 -35°240/56 -47°

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

AirportWhereConditionsWindVisibilityCeilingElevationReported
FAR Fargo, ND departure no report just now 901 ft
GWR Gwinner, ND 50 nm out, 6 nm west of the line no report just now 1,265 ft
ABR Aberdeen, SD 110 nm out, 5 nm northwest of the line no report just now 1,301 ft
MKA Miller, SD 170 nm out, 7 nm southeast of the line no report just now 1,569 ft
VTN Valentine, NE 290 nm out, 5 nm southeast of the line no report just now 2,595 ft
OGA Ogallala, NE 409 nm out, 14 nm southeast of the line no report just now 3,279 ft
HEQ Holyoke, CO 449 nm out, 12 nm southeast of the line no report just now 3,729 ft
LIC Limon, CO 549 nm out, 4 nm northwest of the line no report just now 5,374 ft
PUB Pueblo, CO 619 nm out, 7 nm northwest of the line, tower no report just now 4,729 ft
SKX Taos, NM 739 nm out, 4 nm southwest of the line no report just now 7,094 ft
SAF Santa Fe, NM 799 nm out, 6 nm east of the line, tower no report just now 6,348 ft
ABQ Albuquerque, NM destination no report just now 5,354 ft

The highest airport on this list sits at 7,094 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At ABQ when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 9:45 am MDT (15:45 UTC)

ABQ has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.

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 FAR 6:45 pm CDT (23:45 UTC), at ABQ 6:34 pm MDT (00:34 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:59 pm MDT (00:59 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 northern Rockies
Radar now, the northern Rockies · loop National Weather Service
Radar now, the southern Rockies
Radar now, the southern Rockies · loop National Weather Service
Radar, the whole country
Radar, the whole country · loop National Weather Service
Surface analysis now
Surface analysis now Weather Prediction Center
Forecast chart, 12 hours ahead
Forecast chart, 12 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center
Forecast chart, 24 hours ahead
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: Hector International, Albuquerque International Sunport.