William P Hobby Airport to Southwest Florida International HOU → RSW
740 nautical miles (851 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 101°, about 098° magnetic at the departure end (variation 3E). At 120 knots that is 5 h 10 min at the quickest height in today's winds (30,000 ft, a 23-knot tailwind), arriving about 8:10 am EDT (12:10 UTC). Right now HOU is VFR, wind from the southeast (130°) at 4 knots; RSW is low IFR, wind calm. 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: 37 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 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 6 forecast points nearest it (HOU, LCH, MSY, MOB, TLH, PIE). 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 | 150° at 4 kt | +2 kt | 118 kt | 6 h 16 min | 9:16 am EDT (13:16 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 150° at 4 kt | +3 kt | 117 kt | 6 h 19 min | 9:19 am EDT (13:19 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 180° at 3 kt | 0 | 16 °C | 120 kt | 6 h 10 min | 9:10 am EDT (13:10 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 260° at 3 kt | −3 kt | 12 °C | 123 kt | 6 h 01 min | 9:01 am EDT (13:01 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 280° at 6 kt | −6 kt | 9 °C | 126 kt | 5 h 52 min | 8:52 am EDT (12:52 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 280° at 8 kt | −8 kt | 5 °C | 128 kt | 5 h 47 min | 8:47 am EDT (12:47 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 280° at 10 kt | −10 kt | 0 °C | 130 kt | 5 h 42 min | 8:42 am EDT (12:42 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 280° at 13 kt | −12 kt | -4 °C | 132 kt | 5 h 36 min | 8:36 am EDT (12:36 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 280° at 13 kt | −13 kt | -5 °C | 133 kt | 5 h 34 min | 8:34 am EDT (12:34 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 270° at 19 kt | −18 kt | -16 °C | 138 kt | 5 h 22 min | 8:22 am EDT (12:22 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 300° at 24 kt | −23 kt | -31 °C | 143 kt | 5 h 10 min | 8:10 am EDT (12:10 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 300° at 22 kt | −21 kt | -41 °C | 141 kt | 5 h 15 min | 8:15 am EDT (12:15 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 320° at 21 kt | −17 kt | -52 °C | 137 kt | 5 h 24 min | 8:24 am EDT (12:24 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; 56 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° |
| MSY | used from 200 nm out; 81 nm from the line | 110/5 | 150/6 19° | L/V 12° | 310/5 7° | 310/13 -4° | 290/20 -16° | 330/36 -31° | 330/37 -41° | 350/43 -52° |
| MOB | used from 400 nm out; 166 nm from the line | 330/5 | 330/6 19° | 340/6 11° | 330/10 7° | 320/16 -5° | 310/26 -16° | 340/40 -32° | 340/47 -42° | 350/51 -52° |
| TLH | used from 450 nm out; 193 nm from the line | 320/18 | 350/31 18° | 340/24 13° | 310/17 8° | 280/22 -7° | 300/25 -17° | 320/28 -33° | 320/24 -41° | 320/25 -50° |
| PIE | used from 500 nm out; 156 nm from the line | 350/6 | L/V 18° | 290/6 14° | 280/9 9° | 250/18 -6° | 250/23 -17° | 240/30 -31° | 220/31 -41° | 220/30 -52° |
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) |
| GLS Galveston, TX | 30 nm out, 19 nm southwest of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 2,400 feet | from the southeast (130°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | none | 5 ft | 12:46 UTC |
| PGD Punta Gorda, FL | 720 nm out, 18 nm north of the line, tower | marginal VFR Sky: a few clouds at 300 feet, a few clouds at 900 feet, a broken layer at 1,400 feet | from the north (010°) at 5 knots | 9 mi | 1,400 ft | 25 ft | 06:53 UTC |
| RSW Fort Myers, FL | destination | low IFR Sky: sky obscured at 200 feet Weather: fog | calm | 0.25 mi | 200 ft | 29 ft | 2:53 am EDT (06:53 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 46 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At RSW when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 8:10 am EDT (12:10 UTC)
Wind from the north at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for RSW
- From Mon 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility 4 miles, mist, scattered clouds at 200 feet, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
- At times between Mon 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC) and 6:00 am EDT (10:00 UTC): visibility 1 mile, mist, a broken layer at 200 feet
- From Mon 7:00 am EDT (11:00 UTC): wind from the north at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 10:00 am EDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the north-northeast at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 3:00 pm EDT (19:00 UTC): wind from the north at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 9:00 pm EDT (01:00 UTC): wind from the north-northeast at 5 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
No temporary flight restriction on or near this route right now.
Daylight
Sunset at HOU 6:54 pm CDT (23:54 UTC), at RSW 7:02 pm EDT (23:02 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:25 pm EDT (23:25 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, Southwest Florida International.