The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Plan a flight · Sun 9:10 pm CDT (02:10 UTC)

William P Hobby Airport to Idaho Falls Regional HOU → IDA

1,157 nautical miles (1,331 statute miles) northwest on a straight line, true course 321°, about 318° magnetic at the departure end (variation 3E). At 120 knots that is 8 h 42 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 13-knot tailwind), arriving about 4:52 am MDT (10:52 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: 2 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 6W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 34,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 10:55 pm CDT (03:55 UTC). Over the route from 618 to 748 nm out.
    as issued
    WSUS33 KKCI 120155
    MKCW WST 120155
    CONVECTIVE SIGMET 6W
    VALID UNTIL 0355Z
    CO NM
    FROM 50SSW DEN-30NNE TBE-50SSW CME-50E SJN-20NE DVC-50SSW DEN
    AREA TS MOV FROM 23040KT. TOPS TO FL340.
  • 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). Near the route, 608 nm along the route.
  • AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the route from 608 to 1117 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 36,000 ft. Over the last 499 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). Over the route from 748 to 1087 nm out.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 748 to 828 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 5W: strong surface winds (30 knots or more) (due to sustained surface winds greater than 30 knots). Over the route from 908 to 987 nm out.
  • AIRMET ZULU 3C: moderate icing up to 22,000 ft. Over the last 239 nm of the route.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the last 239 nm of the route.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 4E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the last 80 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 HOU.

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 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 12 forecast points nearest it (HOU, CLL, DAL, SPS, AMA, TCC, PUB, DEN, GJT, RKS, LND, PIH). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

HeightAverage windHead- or tailwindTemperatureGround speedTime en routeArrival
4,500 ft190° at 21 kt−13 kt133 kt8 h 42 min4:52 am MDT (10:52 UTC)
6,500 ft200° at 21 kt−11 kt15 °C131 kt8 h 50 min5:00 am MDT (11:00 UTC)
8,500 ft200° at 25 kt−10 kt14 °C130 kt8 h 54 min5:04 am MDT (11:04 UTC)
10,500 ft210° at 28 kt−8 kt10 °C128 kt9 h 02 min5:12 am MDT (11:12 UTC)
12,500 ft210° at 30 kt−6 kt5 °C126 kt9 h 11 min5:21 am MDT (11:21 UTC)
14,500 ft220° at 32 kt−4 kt1 °C124 kt9 h 20 min5:30 am MDT (11:30 UTC)
16,500 ft220° at 33 kt−1 kt-4 °C121 kt9 h 34 min5:44 am MDT (11:44 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180230° at 35 kt0-7 °C120 kt9 h 38 min5:48 am MDT (11:48 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240230° at 37 kt+1 kt-18 °C119 kt9 h 43 min5:53 am MDT (11:53 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300240° at 44 kt+10 kt-30 °C110 kt10 h 31 min6:41 am MDT (12:41 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340250° at 50 kt+19 kt-38 °C101 kt11 h 27 min7:37 am MDT (13:37 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390250° at 47 kt+23 kt-49 °C97 kt11 h 56 min8:06 am MDT (14:06 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
PointFrom3,0006,0009,00012,00018,00024,00030,00034,00039,000
HOUused from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line160/18160/14 17°180/19 12°190/11 8°260/12 -4°260/14 -13°310/26 -30°310/30 -40°320/21 -52°
CLLused from 50 nm out; 9 nm from the line160/18190/18 16°200/19 12°220/14 7°260/18 -5°250/20 -13°290/29 -29°290/31 -40°300/22 -53°
DALused from 150 nm out; 66 nm from the line180/21190/24 15°230/20 12°220/23 8°240/22 -5°230/18 -15°280/33 -29°280/36 -39°300/33 -52°
SPSused from 249 nm out; 53 nm from the line180/26200/25 16°220/19 13°220/20 9°230/26 -5°230/34 -15°260/37 -28°270/42 -39°280/40 -51°
AMAused from 399 nm out; 49 nm from the line190/28220/26 14°230/27 7°250/24 -6°250/32 -16°240/51 -28°250/52 -38°250/51 -50°
TCCused from 549 nm out; 105 nm from the line200/26200/28 14°220/25 7°230/28 -7°240/41 -19°240/62 -28°250/61 -37°250/49 -49°
PUBused from 598 nm out; 69 nm from the line210/24 16°210/28 8°230/43 -8°240/42 -21°240/77 -30°240/72 -36°250/51 -47°
DENused from 748 nm out; 66 nm from the line190/31 16°210/32 7°240/41 -8°230/47 -21°240/56 -32°250/65 -37°250/61 -47°
GJTused from 848 nm out; 91 nm from the line210/40 11°210/46 3°210/61 -10°210/68 -22°220/57 -29°230/59 -36°240/66 -46°
RKSused from 898 nm out; 58 nm from the line190/43210/65 3°210/57 -9°210/56 -21°210/47 -33°230/63 -37°240/77 -46°
LNDused from 1047 nm out; 84 nm from the line180/33 10°190/50 3°210/59 -9°200/50 -21°190/41 -34°230/55 -39°240/65 -47°
PIHused from 1097 nm out; 51 nm from the line270/10270/13 1°210/16 -2°200/56 -11°200/51 -23°200/68 -33°220/77 -37°230/73 -44°

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
HOU Houston, TX departure no report just now 46 ft
DWH Houston, TX 30 nm out, 5 nm east of the line, tower no report just now 152 ft
ACT Waco, TX 160 nm out, 5 nm south of the line, tower no report just now 516 ft
ONY Olney, TX 289 nm out, 6 nm east of the line no report just now 1,275 ft
CDS Childress, TX 389 nm out, 8 nm south of the line no report just now 1,953 ft
BGD Borger, TX 479 nm out, 6 nm northeast of the line no report just now 3,055 ft
PUB Pueblo, CO 688 nm out, 6 nm north of the line, tower no report just now 4,729 ft
COS Colorado Springs, CO 718 nm out, 20 nm northeast of the line, tower no report just now 6,187 ft
EGE Eagle, CO 828 nm out, 17 nm southwest of the line, tower no report just now 6,547 ft
RKS Rock Springs, WY 977 nm out, 4 nm north of the line no report just now 6,764 ft
AFO Afton, WY 1087 nm out, 4 nm southwest of the line no report just now 6,220 ft
IDA Idaho Falls, ID destination no report just now 4,743 ft

The highest airport on this list sits at 6,764 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At IDA when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 4:52 am MDT (10:52 UTC)

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

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

  • 6/0543 MCGREGOR, TX 18 nm from the route, 150 nm along the route · security · ZFW
  • 6/8770 COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, Saturday, October 10, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 UTC 16 nm from the route, 738 nm along the route · a hazard on the ground (fire-fighting, a chemical spill, rescue work) · until 12 October · ZDV
  • 6/8784 LAKE GEORGE, CO, Sunday, October 11, 2026 through Tuesday, October 13, 2026 UTC 1 nm from the route, 748 nm along the route · a hazard on the ground (fire-fighting, a chemical spill, rescue work) · until 13 October · ZDV

Daylight

Sunset at HOU 6:54 pm CDT (23:54 UTC), at IDA 6:50 pm MDT (00:50 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:19 pm MDT (01:19 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at IDA is before sunrise there (7:38 am MDT (13:38 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
Radar now, the southern Plains · loop National Weather Service
Radar now, the southern Rockies
Radar now, the southern Rockies · loop National Weather Service
Radar now, the northern Rockies
Radar now, the northern 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: William P Hobby Airport, Idaho Falls Regional.