George Bush Intcntl/Houston Airport to Abilene Regional IAH → ABI
266 nautical miles (306 statute miles) northwest on a straight line, true course 304°, about 301° magnetic at the departure end (variation 3E). At 120 knots that is 2 h 01 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 12-knot tailwind), arriving about 8:50 pm CDT (01:50 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now IAH is VFR, wind from the southeast (130°) at 14 knots; ABI is VFR, wind from the south (170°) at 17 knots, gusting to 27. 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: 273 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 IAH.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
- GLF5 at 10,000 ft, 46 nm southwest, 5:06 pm CDT (22:06 UTC): moderate turbulence. 217 nm along the route, 46 nm southwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
TEB UA /OV MUGSY/TM 2206/FL100/TP GLF5/TB MODERATE FROM 100 TO 50
- Report
- a routine report filed through TEB
- Where
- mugsy
- Time
- 22:06 UTC
- Height
- at 10,000 ft
- Aircraft
- GLF5
- Turbulence
- moderate from 10,000 ft to 50
- A320 at 24,000 ft, 2 nm south, 5:07 pm CDT (22:07 UTC): light chop turbulence, remarks: during the climb zhu. At the departure end, 2 nm south of the line.
as filed, and in English
IAH UA /OV IAH/TM 2207/FL240/TP A320/TB OCNL LGT CHOP /RM DURC. ZHU
- Report
- a routine report filed through IAH
- Where
- over IAH
- Time
- 22:07 UTC
- Height
- at 24,000 ft
- Aircraft
- A320
- Turbulence
- occasional light chop
- Remarks
- during the climb zhu
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 2 forecast points nearest it (CLL, ABI). 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 | 180° at 21 kt | −12 kt | 17 °C | 132 kt | 2 h 01 min | 8:50 pm CDT (01:50 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 190° at 21 kt | −9 kt | 15 °C | 129 kt | 2 h 04 min | 8:53 pm CDT (01:53 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 200° at 19 kt | −3 kt | 13 °C | 123 kt | 2 h 10 min | 8:59 pm CDT (01:59 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 220° at 18 kt | +1 kt | 10 °C | 119 kt | 2 h 14 min | 9:03 pm CDT (02:03 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 230° at 19 kt | +5 kt | 6 °C | 115 kt | 2 h 19 min | 9:08 pm CDT (02:08 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 230° at 20 kt | +7 kt | 2 °C | 113 kt | 2 h 21 min | 9:10 pm CDT (02:10 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 240° at 21 kt | +9 kt | -2 °C | 111 kt | 2 h 24 min | 9:13 pm CDT (02:13 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 240° at 22 kt | +11 kt | -5 °C | 109 kt | 2 h 26 min | 9:15 pm CDT (02:15 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 240° at 24 kt | +12 kt | -13 °C | 108 kt | 2 h 28 min | 9:17 pm CDT (02:17 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 270° at 30 kt | +25 kt | -29 °C | 95 kt | 2 h 48 min | 9:37 pm CDT (02:37 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 280° at 33 kt | +31 kt | -40 °C | 89 kt | 2 h 59 min | 9:48 pm CDT (02:48 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 290° at 28 kt | +27 kt | -52 °C | 93 kt | 2 h 52 min | 9:41 pm CDT (02:41 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CLL | used from 0 nm out; 39 nm from the line | 160/18 | 190/18 16° | 200/19 12° | 220/14 7° | 260/18 -5° | 250/20 -13° | 290/29 -29° | 290/31 -40° | 300/22 -53° |
| ABI | used from 148 nm out; 94 nm from the line | 180/26 17° | 220/18 12° | 230/25 8° | 230/28 -5° | 240/29 -14° | 250/35 -28° | 270/37 -39° | 280/37 -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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IAH Houston, TX | departure | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 6,000 feet, a broken layer at 25,000 feet | from the southeast (130°) at 14 knots | 10+ mi | 25,000 ft | 95 ft | 5:53 pm CDT (22:53 UTC) |
| CXO Houston, TX | 20 nm out, 17 nm northeast of the line, tower | VFR | from the southeast (140°) at 9 knots | 10+ mi | none | 244 ft | 22:53 UTC |
| CLL College Station, TX | 69 nm out, 5 nm southeast of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southeast (150°) at 10 knots | 10+ mi | none | 320 ft | 22:53 UTC |
| TPL Temple, TX | 128 nm out, 1 nm south of the line | VFR | from the south-southeast (160°) at 13 knots, gusting to 22 | 10+ mi | none | 682 ft | 22:51 UTC |
| GRK Fort Hood (Killeen), TX | 148 nm out, 18 nm south of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a broken layer at 19,000 feet | from the south-southeast (150°) at 11 knots, gusting to 18 | 10+ mi | 19,000 ft | 1,015 ft | 22:55 UTC |
| MNZ Hamilton, TX | 178 nm out, 4 nm northeast of the line | VFR | from the south (170°) at 8 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,304 ft | 23:35 UTC |
| GZN Cisco, TX | 237 nm out, 15 nm northeast of the line | VFR | from the south (170°) at 13 knots, gusting to 22 | 10+ mi | none | 1,711 ft | 23:35 UTC |
| ABI Abilene, TX | destination | VFR | from the south (170°) at 17 knots, gusting to 27 | 10+ mi | none | 1,790 ft | 5:52 pm CDT (22:52 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,790 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At ABI when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 8:50 pm CDT (01:50 UTC)
Wind from the south at 11 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies VFR
The whole forecast for ABI
- From Sun 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south at 20 knots, gusting to 29, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 5,000 feet
- From Sun 8:00 pm CDT (01:00 UTC): wind from the south at 11 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 12:00 am CDT (05:00 UTC): wind from the south at 15 knots, gusting to 22, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 10:00 am CDT (15:00 UTC): wind from the south at 15 knots, gusting to 25, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 2,500 feet
- From Mon 2:00 pm CDT (19:00 UTC): wind from the south at 15 knots, gusting to 25, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 5,000 feet
The forecast for IAH, the departure
- From Sun 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south-southeast at 12 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Sun 9:00 pm CDT (02:00 UTC): wind from the south-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 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 2,500 feet, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 12:00 pm CDT (17:00 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 1:00 pm CDT (18:00 UTC) and 5:00 pm CDT (22:00 UTC): light rain showers
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/0543 MCGREGOR, TX 9 nm from the route, 138 nm along the route · security · ZFW
Daylight
Sunset at IAH 6:55 pm CDT (23:55 UTC), at ABI 7:09 pm CDT (00:09 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:34 pm CDT (00:34 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at ABI is after sunset there (7:11 pm CDT (00:11 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: George Bush Intcntl/Houston Airport, Abilene Regional.