Piedmont Triad International to Tucson International GSO → TUS
1,553 nautical miles (1,787 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 270°, about 278° magnetic at the departure end (variation 8W). At 120 knots that is 14 h 39 min at the quickest height in today's winds (8,500 ft, a 14-knot headwind), arriving about 6:22 pm MST (01:22 UTC), after sunset at the destination. 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
- 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). Over the first 70 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 5W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) from 29,000 ft to 40,000 ft. Over the route from 30 to 129 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 6,000 ft. Over the route from 30 to 129 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, mist). Over the route from 70 to 249 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 3E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 90 to 328 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 2W: low-level wind shear (due to air speed loss or gain of 20 knots or more below 2,000 ft above the ground). Over the route from 717 to 1025 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 12,000 ft. Over the route from 1423 to 1423 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Near the route, at the destination end.
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 GSO.
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 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 14 forecast points nearest it (ROA, TRI, TYS, BNA, MEM, LIT, FSM, TUL, OKC, SPS, LBB, ROW, 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 | 250° at 15 kt | +16 kt | 16 °C | 104 kt | 14 h 56 min | 6:39 pm MST (01:39 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 260° at 14 kt | +15 kt | 15 °C | 105 kt | 14 h 47 min | 6:30 pm MST (01:30 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 260° at 13 kt | +14 kt | 12 °C | 106 kt | 14 h 39 min | 6:22 pm MST (01:22 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 250° at 14 kt | +15 kt | 9 °C | 105 kt | 14 h 47 min | 6:30 pm MST (01:30 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 250° at 15 kt | +16 kt | 5 °C | 104 kt | 14 h 56 min | 6:39 pm MST (01:39 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 250° at 18 kt | +19 kt | 1 °C | 101 kt | 15 h 23 min | 7:06 pm MST (02:06 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 250° at 21 kt | +23 kt | -3 °C | 97 kt | 16 h 01 min | 7:44 pm MST (02:44 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 250° at 23 kt | +25 kt | -6 °C | 95 kt | 16 h 21 min | 8:04 pm MST (03:04 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 260° at 32 kt | +34 kt | -17 °C | 86 kt | 18 h 03 min | 9:46 pm MST (04:46 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 270° at 41 kt | +43 kt | -29 °C | 77 kt | 20 h 10 min | 11:53 pm MST (06:53 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 280° at 44 kt | +45 kt | -39 °C | 75 kt | 20 h 42 min | 12:25 am MST (07:25 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 280° at 39 kt | +39 kt | -50 °C | 81 kt | 19 h 10 min | 10:53 pm MST (05:53 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROA | used from 0 nm out; 77 nm from the line | 310/32 | 340/32 14° | 350/25 9° | 340/24 3° | 340/42 -8° | 340/52 -20° | 350/62 -34° | 350/64 -39° | 310/44 -48° |
| TRI | used from 50 nm out; 50 nm from the line | 340/25 11° | 350/37 9° | 350/34 6° | 340/39 -7° | 340/43 -19° | 340/55 -32° | 330/58 -42° | 320/37 -50° | |
| TYS | used from 149 nm out; 27 nm from the line | 330/16 | 350/32 14° | 350/37 9° | 340/30 5° | 330/28 -6° | 340/36 -19° | 330/40 -33° | 330/51 -41° | 330/36 -51° |
| BNA | used from 249 nm out; 54 nm from the line | 300/20 | 300/14 15° | 300/14 10° | 300/13 4° | 310/22 -5° | 280/24 -18° | 310/37 -33° | 310/50 -41° | 320/49 -51° |
| MEM | used from 398 nm out; 80 nm from the line | 250/19 | 260/19 17° | 270/20 12° | 270/16 6° | 270/21 -6° | 290/27 -17° | 300/37 -30° | 300/49 -40° | 310/40 -51° |
| LIT | used from 547 nm out; 57 nm from the line | 250/22 | 250/25 18° | 240/23 12° | 240/20 7° | 250/17 -6° | 260/25 -17° | 300/45 -29° | 300/49 -40° | 310/43 -51° |
| FSM | used from 647 nm out; 32 nm from the line | 230/33 | 260/23 15° | 240/23 11° | 230/18 8° | 230/20 -8° | 250/31 -17° | 280/51 -30° | 280/52 -39° | 300/47 -51° |
| TUL | used from 747 nm out; 66 nm from the line | 230/42 | 250/23 17° | 220/16 14° | 240/10 8° | 240/20 -6° | 260/28 -17° | 270/61 -29° | 280/52 -38° | 290/46 -50° |
| OKC | used from 796 nm out; 50 nm from the line | 220/43 | 230/31 17° | 260/13 16° | 270/11 7° | 240/20 -6° | 250/32 -17° | 260/60 -28° | 280/50 -37° | 290/45 -50° |
| SPS | used from 896 nm out; 43 nm from the line | 220/35 | 220/31 18° | 230/16 14° | 230/10 8° | 250/18 -5° | 250/32 -16° | 260/51 -28° | 280/46 -38° | 300/50 -50° |
| LBB | used from 995 nm out; 71 nm from the line | 220/25 21° | 230/20 15° | 220/20 7° | 230/36 -6° | 240/50 -15° | 240/59 -28° | 260/52 -37° | 260/45 -50° | |
| ROW | used from 1145 nm out; 56 nm from the line | 230/12 | 230/17 13° | 220/30 7° | 230/41 -5° | 240/52 -17° | 230/66 -28° | 240/63 -38° | 240/60 -50° | |
| ELP | used from 1294 nm out; 84 nm from the line | 300/8 | 210/14 12° | 210/28 6° | 230/47 -6° | 230/56 -14° | 220/58 -27° | 230/60 -38° | 230/56 -50° | |
| TUS | used from 1443 nm out; 85 nm from the line | 200/12 13° | 200/34 7° | 210/41 4° | 230/53 -7° | 220/69 -19° | 220/84 -27° | 220/88 -36° | 220/83 -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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GSO Greensboro, NC | departure | no report just now | 925 ft | ||||
| HKY Hickory, NC | 70 nm out, 21 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,189 ft | ||||
| TYS Knoxville, TN | 199 nm out, 14 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 986 ft | ||||
| MQY Smyrna, TN | 319 nm out, 4 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 543 ft | ||||
| NQA Millington, TN | 488 nm out, 22 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 322 ft | ||||
| FSM Fort Smith, AR | 707 nm out, 4 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 469 ft | ||||
| LAW Lawton, OK | 906 nm out, 10 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,110 ft | ||||
| PVW Plainview, TX | 1075 nm out, 2 nm east of the line | no report just now | 3,374 ft | ||||
| ROW Roswell, NM | 1224 nm out, 20 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 3,671 ft | ||||
| SRR Ruidoso, NM | 1264 nm out, 5 nm west of the line | no report just now | 6,813 ft | ||||
| SVC Silver City, NM | 1413 nm out, 12 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 5,445 ft | ||||
| TUS Tucson, AZ | destination | no report just now | 2,643 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 6,813 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, 6:22 pm MST (01:22 UTC)
TUS has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/0708 Goodlettsville, TN, Saturday, August 1, 2026 through Sunday, August 1, 2027 UTC 24 nm from the route, 328 nm along the route · security · until 1 August · ZME
- 6/8722 ALAMOGORDO, NM, Tuesday, October 13, 2026 Local on the route, 1284 nm along the route · security · starts tomorrow · ZAB
Daylight
Sunset at GSO 6:48 pm EDT (22:48 UTC), at TUS 5:53 pm MST (00:53 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:18 pm MST (01:18 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at TUS is after sunset there (5:55 pm MST (00:55 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: Piedmont Triad International, Tucson International.