George Bush Intcntl/Houston Airport to Key Field IAH → MEI
367 nautical miles (422 statute miles) northeast on a straight line, true course 066°, about 063° magnetic at the departure end (variation 3E). At 120 knots that is 2 h 46 min at the quickest height in today's winds (24,000 ft, a 13-knot tailwind), arriving about 10:23 pm CDT (03:23 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now IAH is VFR, wind from the east-southeast (120°) at 11 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: 1,242 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
- 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
- B39M at 32,000 ft, 12 nm northwest, 6:07 pm CDT (23:07 UTC): light chop turbulence, remarks: zhu. 168 nm along the route, 12 nm northwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
AEX UA /OV AEX/TM 2307/FL320/TP B39M/TB OCNL LGT CHOP/RM ZHU
- Report
- a routine report filed through AEX
- Where
- over AEX
- Time
- 23:07 UTC
- Height
- at 32,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B39M
- Turbulence
- occasional light chop
- Remarks
- zhu
- B738 at 34,000 ft, 16 nm southeast, 5:07 pm CDT (22:07 UTC): light chop turbulence, remarks: zhu. 218 nm along the route, 16 nm southeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
HEZ UA /OV HEZ180025/TM 2207/FL340/TP B738/TB OCNL LGT CHOP/RM ZHU
- Report
- a routine report filed through HEZ
- Where
- 25 nm south (180°) of HEZ
- Time
- 22:07 UTC
- Height
- at 34,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B738
- Turbulence
- occasional light chop
- Remarks
- zhu
- UAL1770 at 34,000 ft, 39 nm east, 5:55 pm CDT (22:55 UTC): light chop turbulence, wind 349° at 61 knots. At the destination end, 39 nm east of the line.
as filed, and in English
ARP UAL1770 3230N 08800W 2255 F340 349/061KT TB CONT LGT CHOP CONT LGT TURB IC
- Report
- a routine report filed through ARP
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 3 forecast points nearest it (HOU, LCH, JAN). 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 | 210° at 5 kt | −4 kt | 124 kt | 2 h 58 min | 10:35 pm CDT (03:35 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 250° at 4 kt | −4 kt | 124 kt | 2 h 58 min | 10:35 pm CDT (03:35 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 230° at 6 kt | −6 kt | 14 °C | 126 kt | 2 h 55 min | 10:32 pm CDT (03:32 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 230° at 9 kt | −8 kt | 11 °C | 128 kt | 2 h 52 min | 10:29 pm CDT (03:29 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 250° at 11 kt | −11 kt | 8 °C | 131 kt | 2 h 48 min | 10:25 pm CDT (03:25 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 270° at 12 kt | −11 kt | 4 °C | 131 kt | 2 h 48 min | 10:25 pm CDT (03:25 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 290° at 13 kt | −10 kt | 1 °C | 130 kt | 2 h 49 min | 10:26 pm CDT (03:26 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 300° at 15 kt | −9 kt | -3 °C | 129 kt | 2 h 51 min | 10:28 pm CDT (03:28 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 300° at 15 kt | −9 kt | -4 °C | 129 kt | 2 h 51 min | 10:28 pm CDT (03:28 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 300° at 20 kt | −13 kt | -15 °C | 133 kt | 2 h 46 min | 10:23 pm CDT (03:23 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 320° at 36 kt | −11 kt | -31 °C | 131 kt | 2 h 48 min | 10:25 pm CDT (03:25 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 320° at 39 kt | −9 kt | -40 °C | 129 kt | 2 h 51 min | 10:28 pm CDT (03:28 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 320° at 43 kt | −13 kt | -52 °C | 133 kt | 2 h 46 min | 10:23 pm CDT (03:23 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; 36 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; 47 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 198 nm out; 84 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° |
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 broken layer at 25,000 feet | from the east-southeast (120°) at 11 knots | 10+ mi | 25,000 ft | 95 ft | 6:53 pm CDT (23:53 UTC) |
| BMT Beaumont, TX | 59 nm out, 20 nm south of the line | VFR | from the southeast (140°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 31 ft | 00:15 UTC |
| DRI De Ridder, LA | 119 nm out, 6 nm northwest of the line | VFR | from the south (180°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | none | 201 ft | 23:35 UTC |
| ACP Oakdale, LA | 149 nm out, 14 nm south of the line | VFR | from the south (190°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 107 ft | 00:15 UTC |
| AEX Alexandria, LA | 168 nm out, 17 nm northwest of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southeast (150°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 88 ft | 23:53 UTC |
| HEZ Natchez, MS | 228 nm out, 8 nm north of the line | VFR | from the south-southeast (150°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 272 ft | 23:56 UTC |
| JAN Jackson, MS | 307 nm out, 23 nm northwest of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 346 ft | 23:54 UTC |
| MEI Meridian, MS | destination | reported, no category | calm | none | 297 ft | 6:58 pm CDT (23:58 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 346 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At MEI when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 10:23 pm CDT (03:23 UTC)
Wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies VFR
The whole forecast for MEI
- From Sun 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
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
No temporary flight restriction on or near this route right now.
Daylight
Sunset at IAH 6:55 pm CDT (23:55 UTC), at MEI 6:26 pm CDT (23:26 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:50 pm CDT (23:50 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at MEI is after sunset there (6:27 pm CDT (23:27 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, Key Field.