William P Hobby Airport to Norfolk International HOU → ORF
1,049 nautical miles (1,208 statute miles) northeast on a straight line, true course 060°, about 057° magnetic at the departure end (variation 3E). At 120 knots that is 7 h 14 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 25-knot tailwind), arriving about 6:25 am EDT (10:25 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now HOU is VFR, wind from the southeast (140°) at 6 knots; ORF is marginal VFR, wind from the west-southwest (240°) at 13 knots, gusting to 20. 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 SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 610 to 650 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 5W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 10,000 ft. Over the route from 700 to 860 nm out.
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
- CRJ9 at 32,000 ft, 42 nm south, 9:00 pm CDT (02:00 UTC): moderate chop turbulence, remarks: ZTLFD-22. 570 nm along the route, 42 nm south of the line.
as filed, and in English
ATL UA /OV ATL240035/TM 0200/FL320/TP CRJ9/TB OCNL MOD CHOP /RM ZTLFD-22
- Report
- a routine report filed through ATL
- Where
- 35 nm southwest (240°) of ATL
- Time
- 02:00 UTC
- Height
- at 32,000 ft
- Aircraft
- CRJ9
- Turbulence
- occasional moderate chop
- Remarks
- ZTLFD-22
- B39M at 27,000 ft, 18 nm northwest, 7:42 pm CDT (00:42 UTC): light chop turbulence, remarks: zhu. At the departure end, 18 nm northwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
IAH UA /OV IH340035/TM 0042/FL270/TP B39M/TB LT CHOP DURC/RM ZHU
- Report
- a routine report filed through IAH
- Where
- IH340035
- Time
- 00:42 UTC
- Height
- at 27,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B39M
- Turbulence
- lt chop during the climb
- Remarks
- zhu
- E75L at 27,000 ft, 29 nm southeast, 7:20 pm CDT (00:20 UTC): remarks: zhu. 110 nm along the route, 29 nm southeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
LCH UA /OV LCH08510/TM 0020/FL270/TP E75L/TB CONS CHOP/RM ZHU
- Report
- a routine report filed through LCH
- Where
- LCH08510
- Time
- 00:20 UTC
- Height
- at 27,000 ft
- Aircraft
- E75L
- Turbulence
- continuous chop
- Remarks
- zhu
- C510 at 41,000 ft, 6 nm northwest, 9:18 pm CDT (02:18 UTC): no turbulence, clear from 41,000 ft to 60,000 ft. 240 nm along the route, 6 nm northwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
HEZ UA /OV HEZ /TM 0218 /FL410 /TP C510 /SK SKC /TB NEG
- Report
- a routine report filed through HEZ
- Where
- over HEZ
- Time
- 02:18 UTC
- Height
- at 41,000 ft
- Aircraft
- C510
- Sky
- clear
- Turbulence
- none
- E170 at 33,000 ft, 14 nm southeast, 8:53 pm CDT (01:53 UTC): light chop turbulence, remarks: ZTLFD-22. 560 nm along the route, 14 nm southeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
ATL UA /OV ATL280045/TM 0153/FL330/TP E170/TB CONS LGT CHOP /RM ZTLFD-22
- Report
- a routine report filed through ATL
- Where
- 45 nm west (280°) of ATL
- Time
- 01:53 UTC
- Height
- at 33,000 ft
- Aircraft
- E170
- Turbulence
- continuous light chop
- Remarks
- ZTLFD-22
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 eastbound cruising heights for this course (VFR: odd thousands plus 500 ft; above 18,000 ft the forecast levels), with the wind averaged along the line from the 9 forecast points nearest it (HOU, LCH, JAN, BHM, ATL, GSP, RDU, RIC, ORF). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.
| Height | Average wind | Head- or tailwind | Temperature | Ground speed | Time en route | Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3,500 ft | 280° at 13 kt | −11 kt | 131 kt | 8 h | 7:11 am EDT (11:11 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 290° at 11 kt | −8 kt | 128 kt | 8 h 12 min | 7:23 am EDT (11:23 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 300° at 13 kt | −8 kt | 13 °C | 128 kt | 8 h 12 min | 7:23 am EDT (11:23 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 300° at 15 kt | −9 kt | 10 °C | 129 kt | 8 h 08 min | 7:19 am EDT (11:19 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 300° at 16 kt | −9 kt | 7 °C | 129 kt | 8 h 08 min | 7:19 am EDT (11:19 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 290° at 17 kt | −11 kt | 3 °C | 131 kt | 8 h | 7:11 am EDT (11:11 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 290° at 20 kt | −14 kt | -1 °C | 134 kt | 7 h 50 min | 7:01 am EDT (11:01 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 280° at 22 kt | −18 kt | -5 °C | 138 kt | 7 h 36 min | 6:47 am EDT (10:47 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 280° at 23 kt | −18 kt | -6 °C | 138 kt | 7 h 36 min | 6:47 am EDT (10:47 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 280° at 27 kt | −23 kt | -17 °C | 143 kt | 7 h 20 min | 6:31 am EDT (10:31 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 280° at 32 kt | −24 kt | -31 °C | 144 kt | 7 h 17 min | 6:28 am EDT (10:28 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 290° at 34 kt | −25 kt | -40 °C | 145 kt | 7 h 14 min | 6:25 am EDT (10:25 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 300° at 31 kt | −17 kt | -51 °C | 137 kt | 7 h 39 min | 6:50 am EDT (10:50 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° |
| LCH | used from 50 nm out; 42 nm from the line | 160/21 | 160/18 18° | 180/13 12° | 230/6 8° | 280/10 -4° | 260/13 -14° | 310/29 -30° | 320/32 -40° | 330/33 -53° |
| JAN | used from 200 nm out; 88 nm from the line | 230/10 | 270/13 18° | 270/11 12° | 310/11 6° | 300/15 -4° | 300/22 -16° | 310/33 -31° | 320/37 -41° | 330/41 -52° |
| BHM | used from 400 nm out; 71 nm from the line | 310/19 | 330/20 17° | 320/28 11° | 340/21 6° | 310/22 -7° | 330/33 -17° | 330/50 -32° | 330/57 -41° | 330/41 -50° |
| ATL | used from 550 nm out; 45 nm from the line | 320/30 | 330/37 16° | 340/44 11° | 330/35 7° | 310/33 -6° | 300/38 -18° | 330/58 -33° | 330/48 -40° | 320/34 -49° |
| GSP | used from 650 nm out; 59 nm from the line | 320/22 | 340/19 13° | 320/18 8° | 310/24 5° | 300/34 -7° | 300/36 -18° | 290/30 -33° | 300/32 -39° | 320/42 -49° |
| RDU | used from 800 nm out; 88 nm from the line | 280/33 | 300/23 11° | 300/28 8° | 290/28 4° | 260/41 -6° | 240/52 -18° | 230/66 -31° | 230/76 -39° | 240/52 -49° |
| RIC | used from 949 nm out; 64 nm from the line | 270/23 | 280/19 11° | 270/18 8° | 240/22 4° | 230/39 -7° | 220/55 -18° | 220/75 -30° | 230/83 -39° | 230/64 -50° |
| ORF | used from 999 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 250/24 | 230/32 11° | 220/37 10° | 220/37 6° | 230/47 -5° | 230/62 -17° | 220/89 -30° | 220/93 -40° | 230/77 -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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HOU Houston, TX | departure | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 25,000 feet | from the southeast (140°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 46 ft | 9:53 pm CDT (02:53 UTC) |
| BPT Beaumont/Port Arthur, TX | 70 nm out, 16 nm south of the line, tower | VFR | from the southeast (130°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | none | 14 ft | 02:53 UTC |
| AEX Alexandria, LA | 170 nm out, 21 nm north of the line, tower | VFR | from the southeast (140°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 88 ft | 02:53 UTC |
| JAN Jackson, MS | 310 nm out, 15 nm north of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 346 ft | 02:54 UTC |
| MEI Meridian, MS | 370 nm out, 14 nm southeast of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 297 ft | 02:58 UTC |
| TCL Tuscaloosa, AL | 450 nm out, 9 nm northwest of the line, tower | VFR | from the north-northeast (030°) at 3 knots | 8 mi | none | 169 ft | 02:53 UTC |
| RYY Atlanta, GA | 600 nm out, 12 nm southeast of the line, tower | VFR | variable at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,040 ft | 02:50 UTC |
| GMU Greenville, SC | 730 nm out, 9 nm south of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 1,048 ft | 02:53 UTC |
| JQF Concord, NC | 810 nm out, 10 nm southeast of the line, tower | VFR | from the southwest (230°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 704 ft | 02:55 UTC |
| RDU Raleigh/Durham, NC | 910 nm out, 15 nm southeast of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a broken layer at 4,300 feet | from the southwest (230°) at 11 knots | 10+ mi | 4,300 ft | 435 ft | 02:51 UTC |
| FKN Franklin, VA | 1009 nm out, 4 nm east of the line | VFR Sky: overcast at 6,500 feet | calm | 10+ mi | 6,500 ft | 40 ft | 02:55 UTC |
| ORF Norfolk, VA | destination | marginal VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 2,400 feet, a broken layer at 3,000 feet, overcast at 6,500 feet | from the west-southwest (240°) at 13 knots, gusting to 20 | 10+ mi | 3,000 ft | 26 ft | 10:51 pm EDT (02:51 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,048 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At ORF when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 6:25 am EDT (10:25 UTC)
Wind from the west at 11 knots, gusting to 17, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 1,200 feet marginal VFR
The whole forecast for ORF
- From Sun 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south at 12 knots, gusting to 19, visibility more than 6 miles, showers nearby, a broken layer at 2,000 feet
- From Sun 11:00 pm EDT (03:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 11 knots, gusting to 17, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 6,000 feet
- From Mon 4:00 am EDT (08:00 UTC): wind from the west at 11 knots, gusting to 17, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 1,200 feet
- From Mon 11:00 am EDT (15:00 UTC): wind from the northwest at 13 knots, gusting to 20, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 1,200 feet
- From Mon 2:00 pm EDT (18:00 UTC): wind from the north-northwest at 13 knots, gusting to 21, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 2,000 feet
- From Mon 6:00 pm EDT (22:00 UTC): wind from the north at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 6,000 feet
The forecast for HOU, the departure
- From Sun 10:00 pm CDT (03:00 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
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 HOU 6:54 pm CDT (23:54 UTC), at ORF 6:32 pm EDT (22:32 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:58 pm EDT (22:58 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at ORF is before sunrise there (7:09 am EDT (11:09 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, Norfolk International.