George Bush Intcntl/Houston Airport to Bismarck Municipal IAH → BIS
1,039 nautical miles (1,196 statute miles) north on a straight line, true course 347°, about 344° magnetic at the departure end (variation 3E). At 120 knots that is 7 h 16 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 23-knot tailwind), arriving about 8:01 am CDT (13:01 UTC). Right now IAH is VFR, wind calm; BIS is IFR, wind from the east-northeast (060°) 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: 1 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 TANGO 3W: low-level wind shear (due to air speed loss or gain of 20 knots or more below 2,000 ft above the ground). Over the route from 310 to 769 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the last 160 nm of 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 IAH.
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 10 forecast points nearest it (HOU, CLL, DAL, OKC, ICT, SLN, GRI, ONL, PIR, DIK). 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 | 200° at 30 kt | −23 kt | 19 °C | 143 kt | 7 h 16 min | 8:01 am CDT (13:01 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 210° at 26 kt | −18 kt | 18 °C | 138 kt | 7 h 32 min | 8:17 am CDT (13:17 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 220° at 22 kt | −13 kt | 14 °C | 133 kt | 7 h 49 min | 8:34 am CDT (13:34 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 220° at 20 kt | −10 kt | 10 °C | 130 kt | 8 h | 8:45 am CDT (13:45 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 230° at 19 kt | −9 kt | 6 °C | 129 kt | 8 h 03 min | 8:48 am CDT (13:48 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 230° at 20 kt | −8 kt | 2 °C | 128 kt | 8 h 07 min | 8:52 am CDT (13:52 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 230° at 21 kt | −8 kt | -3 °C | 128 kt | 8 h 07 min | 8:52 am CDT (13:52 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 240° at 21 kt | −7 kt | -7 °C | 127 kt | 8 h 11 min | 8:56 am CDT (13:56 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 240° at 28 kt | −5 kt | -18 °C | 125 kt | 8 h 19 min | 9:04 am CDT (14:04 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 260° at 43 kt | 0 | -32 °C | 120 kt | 8 h 40 min | 9:25 am CDT (14:25 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 270° at 46 kt | +8 kt | -39 °C | 112 kt | 9 h 17 min | 10:02 am CDT (15:02 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 270° at 46 kt | +10 kt | -49 °C | 110 kt | 9 h 27 min | 10:12 am CDT (15:12 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; 46 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 50 nm out; 52 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° |
| DAL | used from 100 nm out; 70 nm from the line | 190/29 | 220/23 17° | 220/17 13° | 250/18 8° | 230/18 -5° | 240/18 -15° | 270/34 -29° | 280/33 -39° | 300/36 -51° |
| OKC | used from 250 nm out; 77 nm from the line | 200/44 | 230/32 18° | 240/13 15° | 240/10 9° | 240/20 -5° | 250/27 -16° | 260/47 -28° | 270/48 -39° | 270/45 -50° |
| ICT | used from 400 nm out; 47 nm from the line | 200/48 | 230/39 19° | 240/24 14° | 240/20 8° | 240/22 -6° | 250/31 -18° | 250/61 -29° | 260/58 -38° | 270/54 -49° |
| SLN | used from 499 nm out; 19 nm from the line | 210/53 | 230/41 20° | 240/26 14° | 230/16 8° | 240/25 -7° | 240/35 -19° | 250/61 -30° | 260/65 -38° | 260/56 -49° |
| GRI | used from 599 nm out; 52 nm from the line | 230/35 21° | 230/23 13° | 220/20 7° | 240/25 -8° | 240/37 -20° | 250/49 -33° | 260/57 -38° | 260/58 -47° | |
| ONL | used from 699 nm out; 46 nm from the line | 210/31 20° | 230/27 13° | 230/18 7° | 220/19 -8° | 240/26 -20° | 250/44 -35° | 270/52 -39° | 260/57 -47° | |
| PIR | used from 849 nm out; 30 nm from the line | 170/22 19° | 190/25 13° | 210/32 6° | 240/23 -9° | 250/32 -21° | 250/38 -36° | 260/44 -40° | 260/52 -47° | |
| DIK | used from 999 nm out; 93 nm from the line | 150/24 7° | 200/38 6° | 220/53 0° | 230/51 -9° | 230/49 -21° | 240/37 -37° | 240/47 -44° | 250/65 -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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IAH Houston, TX | departure | VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 20,000 feet | calm | 10+ mi | none | 95 ft | 11:53 pm CDT (04:53 UTC) |
| CXO Houston, TX | 20 nm out, 3 nm north of the line, tower | VFR | from the east (100°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 244 ft | 04:53 UTC |
| GVT Greenville, TX | 190 nm out, 5 nm east of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (170°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | none | 534 ft | 05:15 UTC |
| GYI Sherman/Denison, TX | 230 nm out, 17 nm west of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southeast (160°) at 10 knots | 10+ mi | none | 749 ft | 05:35 UTC |
| SWO Stillwater, OK | 380 nm out, 3 nm west of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (170°) at 10 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,000 ft | 04:53 UTC |
| ICT Wichita, KS | 470 nm out, 4 nm northeast of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (180°) at 14 knots, gusting to 20 | 10+ mi | none | 1,332 ft | 04:53 UTC |
| SLN Salina, KS | 539 nm out, 9 nm northeast of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (180°) at 14 knots, gusting to 23 | 10+ mi | none | 1,288 ft | 04:53 UTC |
| GRI Grand Island, NE | 679 nm out, 12 nm east of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (180°) at 12 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,847 ft | 04:53 UTC |
| BUB Burwell, NE | 729 nm out, 13 nm west of the line | no report just now | 2,183 ft | ||||
| PIR Pierre, SD | 899 nm out, 21 nm southwest of the line | IFR Sky: overcast at 900 feet | from the northeast (050°) at 10 knots | 10+ mi | 900 ft | 1,744 ft | 04:53 UTC |
| MBG Mobridge, SD | 969 nm out, 8 nm southwest of the line | IFR Sky: a broken layer at 600 feet, overcast at 1,100 feet Weather: mist | from the north-northeast (020°) at 5 knots | 3 mi | 600 ft | 1,716 ft | 05:31 UTC |
| BIS Bismarck, ND | destination | IFR Sky: overcast at 800 feet | from the east-northeast (060°) at 12 knots | 10+ mi | 800 ft | 1,661 ft | 11:52 pm CDT (04:52 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 2,183 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At BIS when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 8:01 am CDT (13:01 UTC)
Wind from the northeast at 7 knots, visibility 5 miles, light rain, mist, overcast at 600 feet IFR
The whole forecast for BIS
- From Sun 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the north-northeast at 12 knots, gusting to 20, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 1,400 feet
- From Sun 11:00 pm CDT (04:00 UTC): wind from the northeast at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 800 feet
- 30% chance between Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC) and 4:00 am CDT (09:00 UTC): visibility 5 miles, light rain, mist
- From Mon 4:00 am CDT (09:00 UTC): wind from the northeast at 7 knots, visibility 5 miles, light rain, mist, overcast at 600 feet
- From Mon 11:00 am CDT (16:00 UTC): wind from the north-northeast at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 900 feet
- 30% chance between Mon 11:00 am CDT (16:00 UTC) and 4:00 pm CDT (21:00 UTC): visibility 5 miles, light rain, mist
The forecast for IAH, the departure
- From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 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
No temporary flight restriction on or near this route right now.
Daylight
Sunset at IAH 6:54 pm CDT (23:54 UTC), at BIS 6:59 pm CDT (23:59 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:30 pm CDT (00:30 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, Bismarck Municipal.