William P Hobby Airport to MC Ghee Tyson Airport HOU → TYS
679 nautical miles (781 statute miles) northeast on a straight line, true course 054°, about 051° magnetic at the departure end (variation 3E). At 120 knots that is 5 h 13 min at the quickest height in today's winds (24,000 ft, a 10-knot tailwind), arriving about 3:24 am EDT (07:24 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now HOU is VFR, wind from the southeast (140°) at 6 knots; TYS is marginal VFR, wind from the west-southwest (250°) 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: 113 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 last 60 nm of the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 3E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Near the route, 639 nm along 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
- B39M at 27,000 ft, 17 nm northwest, 7:42 pm CDT (00:42 UTC): light chop turbulence, remarks: zhu. At the departure end, 17 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, 41 nm southeast, 7:20 pm CDT (00:20 UTC): remarks: zhu. 110 nm along the route, 41 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
- B712 at 3,000 ft, 15 nm southeast, 6:13 pm CDT (23:13 UTC): scattered clouds from 3,000 ft to 3,200 ft; clear from 3,200 ft to 60,000 ft. 599 nm along the route, 15 nm southeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
CHA UA /OV CHA180005/TM 2313/FL030/TP B712/SK SCT030-TOP032/SKC
- Report
- a routine report filed through CHA
- Where
- 5 nm south (180°) of CHA
- Time
- 23:13 UTC
- Height
- at 3,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B712
- Sky
- SCT030-TOP032 C
- A320 descending, 4 nm northeast, 8:52 pm CDT (01:52 UTC): remarks: base 2,100 ft. At the destination end, 4 nm northeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
TYS UA /OV 4 NE TYS/TM 0152/FLDURD/TP A320/RM BASE 021
- Report
- a routine report filed through TYS
- Where
- 4 northeast tys
- Time
- 01:52 UTC
- Height
- during the descent
- Aircraft
- A320
- Remarks
- base 2,100 ft
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 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, JAN, BHM, HSV, TYS). 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 8 kt | −6 kt | 126 kt | 5 h 23 min | 3:34 am EDT (07:34 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 310° at 12 kt | −4 kt | 124 kt | 5 h 29 min | 3:40 am EDT (07:40 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 310° at 14 kt | −4 kt | 14 °C | 124 kt | 5 h 29 min | 3:40 am EDT (07:40 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 310° at 15 kt | −5 kt | 10 °C | 125 kt | 5 h 26 min | 3:37 am EDT (07:37 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 310° at 18 kt | −6 kt | 7 °C | 126 kt | 5 h 23 min | 3:34 am EDT (07:34 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 310° at 20 kt | −6 kt | 3 °C | 126 kt | 5 h 23 min | 3:34 am EDT (07:34 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 310° at 22 kt | −7 kt | -1 °C | 127 kt | 5 h 21 min | 3:32 am EDT (07:32 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 310° at 23 kt | −7 kt | -5 °C | 127 kt | 5 h 21 min | 3:32 am EDT (07:32 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 310° at 23 kt | −7 kt | -6 °C | 127 kt | 5 h 21 min | 3:32 am EDT (07:32 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 300° at 25 kt | −10 kt | -16 °C | 130 kt | 5 h 13 min | 3:24 am EDT (07:24 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 320° at 38 kt | −6 kt | -32 °C | 126 kt | 5 h 23 min | 3:34 am EDT (07:34 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 320° at 40 kt | −2 kt | -40 °C | 122 kt | 5 h 34 min | 3:45 am EDT (07:45 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 320° at 37 kt | −5 kt | -50 °C | 125 kt | 5 h 26 min | 3:37 am EDT (07:37 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
| 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 | 160/18 | 160/14 17° | 180/19 12° | 190/11 8° | 260/12 -4° | 260/14 -13° | 310/26 -30° | 310/30 -40° | 320/21 -52° |
| LCH | used from 50 nm out; 48 nm from the line | 190/6 | 180/8 18° | 170/13 12° | 220/12 7° | 290/10 -4° | 280/15 -14° | 320/30 -31° | 320/32 -40° | 320/39 -53° |
| JAN | used from 200 nm out; 89 nm from the line | 260/6 | 310/14 17° | 280/13 12° | 290/19 6° | 310/22 -5° | 310/28 -17° | 320/44 -32° | 330/48 -41° | 320/52 -51° |
| BHM | used from 399 nm out; 83 nm from the line | 300/16 | 330/32 16° | 320/37 11° | 330/37 6° | 310/33 -7° | 310/30 -18° | 320/40 -34° | 330/43 -41° | 330/30 -49° |
| HSV | used from 499 nm out; 9 nm from the line | 290/15 | 330/34 16° | 330/38 11° | 330/40 5° | 320/36 -7° | 320/31 -18° | 320/44 -34° | 330/53 -41° | 330/34 -48° |
| TYS | used from 599 nm out; 55 nm from the line | 290/19 | 310/22 11° | 330/25 7° | 330/34 3° | 320/37 -7° | 300/37 -18° | 300/37 -34° | 280/29 -39° | 270/29 -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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 8:53 pm CDT (01:53 UTC) |
| BPT Beaumont/Port Arthur, TX | 60 nm out, 24 nm southeast of the line, tower | VFR | from the southeast (130°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 14 ft | 01:53 UTC |
| DRI De Ridder, LA | 120 nm out, 3 nm northeast of the line | VFR | from the south (180°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | none | 201 ft | 23:35 UTC |
| AEX Alexandria, LA | 170 nm out, 4 nm northeast of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (170°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 88 ft | 01:53 UTC |
| VKS Vicksburg, MS | 270 nm out, 3 nm northeast of the line | VFR | calm | 9 mi | none | 107 ft | 23:15 UTC |
| HKS Jackson, MS | 309 nm out, 16 nm south of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 341 ft | 01:53 UTC |
| STF Starkville, MS | 399 nm out, 2 nm north of the line | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 332 ft | 23:15 UTC |
| GTR Columbus/W Point/Starkville, MS | 409 nm out, 4 nm southeast of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 264 ft | 01:56 UTC |
| HSV Huntsville, AL | 529 nm out, 10 nm northwest of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 628 ft | 01:53 UTC |
| CHA Chattanooga, TN | 609 nm out, 12 nm south of the line, tower | VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 2,300 feet, scattered clouds at 2,900 feet | from the west-southwest (240°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 682 ft | 01:53 UTC |
| MNV Madisonville, TN | 659 nm out, 6 nm south of the line | marginal VFR Sky: overcast at 1,500 feet | calm | 10+ mi | 1,500 ft | 1,031 ft | 01:55 UTC |
| TYS Knoxville, TN | destination | marginal VFR Sky: a broken layer at 1,300 feet, overcast at 2,700 feet | from the west-southwest (250°) at 12 knots | 10+ mi | 1,300 ft | 986 ft | 9:53 pm EDT (01:53 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,031 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At TYS when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 3:24 am EDT (07:24 UTC)
Wind from the southwest at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 2,500 feet marginal VFR
The whole forecast for TYS
- From Sun 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the west-southwest at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 1,000 feet, a broken layer at 1,500 feet
- From Mon 3:00 am EDT (07:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 2,500 feet
- From Mon 8:00 am EDT (12:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 3,500 feet, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
The forecast for HOU, the departure
- From Sun 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the southeast at 12 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Sun 8:00 pm CDT (01:00 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 TYS 7:04 pm EDT (23:04 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:30 pm EDT (23:30 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at TYS is before sunrise there (7:39 am EDT (11:39 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, MC Ghee Tyson Airport.