William P Hobby Airport to Lubbock Preston Smith International HOU → LBB
412 nautical miles (474 statute miles) northwest on a straight line, true course 307°, about 304° magnetic at the departure end (variation 3E). At 120 knots that is 3 h 06 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 13-knot tailwind), arriving about 5:50 am CDT (10:50 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now HOU is VFR, wind from the southeast (130°) at 4 knots; LBB is VFR, wind from the south (180°) at 12 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: 401 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 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 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 4 forecast points nearest it (HOU, CLL, ABI, LBB). 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 27 kt | −13 kt | 17 °C | 133 kt | 3 h 06 min | 5:50 am CDT (10:50 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 190° at 26 kt | −12 kt | 17 °C | 132 kt | 3 h 07 min | 5:51 am CDT (10:51 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 200° at 19 kt | −5 kt | 15 °C | 125 kt | 3 h 18 min | 6:02 am CDT (11:02 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 220° at 15 kt | +1 kt | 12 °C | 119 kt | 3 h 28 min | 6:12 am CDT (11:12 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 240° at 14 kt | +6 kt | 7 °C | 114 kt | 3 h 37 min | 6:21 am CDT (11:21 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 240° at 15 kt | +6 kt | 3 °C | 114 kt | 3 h 37 min | 6:21 am CDT (11:21 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 240° at 15 kt | +7 kt | -1 °C | 113 kt | 3 h 39 min | 6:23 am CDT (11:23 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 240° at 15 kt | +7 kt | -4 °C | 113 kt | 3 h 39 min | 6:23 am CDT (11:23 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 250° at 22 kt | +13 kt | -14 °C | 107 kt | 3 h 51 min | 6:35 am CDT (11:35 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 270° at 32 kt | +25 kt | -28 °C | 95 kt | 4 h 20 min | 7:04 am CDT (12:04 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 270° at 30 kt | +26 kt | -39 °C | 94 kt | 4 h 23 min | 7:07 am CDT (12:07 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 300° at 33 kt | +33 kt | -51 °C | 87 kt | 4 h 44 min | 7:28 am CDT (12:28 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
| Point | From | 3,000 | 6,000 | 9,000 | 12,000 | 18,000 | 24,000 | 30,000 | 34,000 | 39,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HOU | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 160/22 | 150/27 19° | 180/16 14° | 250/7 9° | 270/10 -5° | 270/16 -13° | 310/23 -29° | 310/26 -40° | 330/20 -52° |
| CLL | used from 49 nm out; 12 nm from the line | 170/22 | 170/26 18° | 200/15 14° | 240/13 8° | 240/15 -5° | 260/17 -13° | 290/27 -29° | 290/22 -40° | 320/30 -51° |
| ABI | used from 196 nm out; 60 nm from the line | 200/31 17° | 210/21 15° | 240/15 9° | 250/14 -4° | 250/24 -14° | 250/36 -28° | 270/35 -38° | 290/41 -50° | |
| LBB | used from 343 nm out; 44 nm from the line | 200/36 18° | 220/19 15° | 240/20 8° | 230/24 -4° | 240/37 -16° | 250/57 -28° | 250/51 -38° | 270/47 -50° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HOU Houston, TX | departure | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 3,300 feet, a broken layer at 23,000 feet | from the southeast (130°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | 23,000 ft | 46 ft | 1:53 am CDT (06:53 UTC) |
| DWH Houston, TX | 29 nm out, 11 nm northeast of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 152 ft | 06:53 UTC |
| CLL College Station, TX | 79 nm out, 11 nm northeast of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southeast (150°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 320 ft | 06:53 UTC |
| RWV Caldwell, TX | 88 nm out, 4 nm west of the line | VFR | from the southeast (140°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 390 ft | 07:35 UTC |
| GRK Fort Hood (Killeen), TX | 157 nm out, 11 nm southwest of the line, tower | marginal VFR Sky: a broken layer at 1,700 feet | from the south-southeast (150°) at 9 knots | 9 mi | 1,700 ft | 1,015 ft | 07:20 UTC |
| GOP Gatesville, TX | 167 nm out, 7 nm northeast of the line | VFR | from the south-southeast (160°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | none | 905 ft | 07:35 UTC |
| MKN Comanche, TX | 216 nm out, 8 nm north of the line | reported, no category | calm | 10+ mi | none | 1,386 ft | 07:35 UTC |
| ABI Abilene, TX | 285 nm out, 4 nm southeast of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (170°) at 12 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,790 ft | 06:52 UTC |
| SWW Sweetwater, TX | 314 nm out, 21 nm southwest of the line | reported, no category | from the south (180°) at 14 knots | 10+ mi | none | 2,379 ft | 07:35 UTC |
| SNK Snyder, TX | 343 nm out, 23 nm southwest of the line | VFR | from the south (180°) at 10 knots | 10+ mi | none | 2,430 ft | 07:35 UTC |
| LBB Lubbock, TX | destination | VFR | from the south (180°) at 12 knots | 10+ mi | none | 3,282 ft | 1:53 am CDT (06:53 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 3,282 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At LBB when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 5:50 am CDT (10:50 UTC)
Wind from the south at 15 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies VFR
The whole forecast for LBB
- From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south at 15 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
The forecast for HOU, the departure
- From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the southeast at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 4:00 am CDT (09:00 UTC): wind from the east-southeast at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 2,500 feet, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 11:00 am CDT (16:00 UTC): wind from the southeast at 11 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 3,500 feet, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
- 30% chance between Mon 11:00 am CDT (16:00 UTC) and 1:00 pm CDT (18:00 UTC): light rain showers
- From Mon 5:00 pm CDT (22:00 UTC): wind from the southeast at 13 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 5,000 feet
- From Mon 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the southeast at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 5,000 feet
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/0543 MCGREGOR, TX 15 nm from the route, 157 nm along the route · security · ZFW
Daylight
Sunset at HOU 6:54 pm CDT (23:54 UTC), at LBB 7:16 pm CDT (00:16 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:41 pm CDT (00:41 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at LBB is before sunrise there (7:49 am CDT (12:49 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: William P Hobby Airport, Lubbock Preston Smith International.