George Bush Intcntl/Houston Airport to South Bend International IAH → SBN
829 nautical miles (953 statute miles) northeast on a straight line, true course 029°, about 026° magnetic at the departure end (variation 3E). At 120 knots that is 6 h 06 min at the quickest height in today's winds (3,500 ft, a 16-knot tailwind), arriving about 9:12 am EDT (13:12 UTC). Right now IAH is VFR, wind calm; SBN is VFR, 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: 10 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 3E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the last 60 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
- B38M at 29,000 ft, 31 nm northwest, 11:52 pm CDT (04:52 UTC): no turbulence from 23,000 ft to 29,000 ft. 729 nm along the route, 31 nm northwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
TIP UA /OV RBS/TM 0452/FL290/TP B38M/TB NEG 230-290
- Report
- a routine report filed through TIP
- Where
- over RBS
- Time
- 04:52 UTC
- Height
- at 29,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B38M
- Turbulence
- no from 23,000 ft to 29,000 ft
- LJ45 at 10,000 ft, 46 nm southeast, 11:31 pm CDT (04:31 UTC): no turbulence, clear, remarks: ground fog at fwa FV10SM on final runway 14. At the destination end, 46 nm southeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
FWA UA /OV OLK/TM 0431/FL100/TP LJ45/SK CLR/TB SMOOTH/RM GROUND FOG AT FWA. FV10SM ON FINAL RY 14
- Report
- a routine report filed through FWA
- Where
- over OLK
- Time
- 04:31 UTC
- Height
- at 10,000 ft
- Aircraft
- LJ45
- Sky
- clear
- Turbulence
- smooth
- Remarks
- ground fog at fwa FV10SM on final runway 14
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 10 forecast points nearest it (HOU, SHV, LIT, MEM, CGI, STL, SPI, IND, JOT, FWA). 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 | 220° at 17 kt | −16 kt | 136 kt | 6 h 06 min | 9:12 am EDT (13:12 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 240° at 16 kt | −15 kt | 135 kt | 6 h 08 min | 9:14 am EDT (13:14 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 250° at 17 kt | −14 kt | 14 °C | 134 kt | 6 h 11 min | 9:17 am EDT (13:17 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 250° at 17 kt | −12 kt | 10 °C | 132 kt | 6 h 17 min | 9:23 am EDT (13:23 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 270° at 12 kt | −7 kt | 7 °C | 127 kt | 6 h 32 min | 9:38 am EDT (13:38 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 270° at 13 kt | −6 kt | 3 °C | 126 kt | 6 h 35 min | 9:41 am EDT (13:41 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 270° at 14 kt | −7 kt | -1 °C | 127 kt | 6 h 32 min | 9:38 am EDT (13:38 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 280° at 16 kt | −7 kt | -5 °C | 127 kt | 6 h 32 min | 9:38 am EDT (13:38 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 280° at 16 kt | −7 kt | -6 °C | 127 kt | 6 h 32 min | 9:38 am EDT (13:38 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 280° at 22 kt | −8 kt | -17 °C | 128 kt | 6 h 29 min | 9:35 am EDT (13:35 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 300° at 31 kt | −1 kt | -31 °C | 121 kt | 6 h 51 min | 9:57 am EDT (13:57 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 300° at 42 kt | 0 | -41 °C | 120 kt | 6 h 54 min | 10:00 am EDT (14:00 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 310° at 44 kt | +3 kt | -52 °C | 117 kt | 7 h 05 min | 10:11 am EDT (14:11 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; 43 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° |
| SHV | used from 100 nm out; 43 nm from the line | 200/18 | 230/24 18° | 230/24 12° | 240/14 8° | 260/12 -4° | 240/11 -15° | 300/31 -29° | 300/32 -40° | 300/36 -52° |
| LIT | used from 250 nm out; 52 nm from the line | 220/21 | 230/17 16° | 250/24 12° | 260/15 7° | 260/13 -5° | 280/25 -16° | 290/35 -30° | 300/42 -40° | 300/40 -52° |
| MEM | used from 399 nm out; 81 nm from the line | 230/19 | 260/16 15° | 270/17 12° | 300/13 6° | 300/15 -5° | 300/26 -18° | 300/34 -32° | 300/41 -40° | 310/46 -52° |
| CGI | used from 449 nm out; 52 nm from the line | 240/20 | 270/15 15° | 280/15 11° | 300/13 6° | 290/20 -6° | 280/24 -18° | 300/34 -32° | 300/47 -41° | 310/49 -51° |
| STL | used from 549 nm out; 57 nm from the line | 250/24 | 250/24 16° | 260/23 9° | 270/16 6° | 260/25 -6° | 270/29 -19° | 290/34 -33° | 290/48 -41° | 290/54 -51° |
| SPI | used from 599 nm out; 71 nm from the line | 220/21 | 250/23 16° | 260/27 9° | 270/14 6° | 270/23 -7° | 270/31 -19° | 270/28 -33° | 290/48 -42° | 300/55 -52° |
| IND | used from 699 nm out; 69 nm from the line | 290/16 | 310/20 16° | 320/21 10° | 330/13 3° | 300/25 -7° | 320/32 -19° | 330/46 -34° | 320/61 -43° | 320/63 -50° |
| JOT | used from 749 nm out; 63 nm from the line | 250/23 | 270/22 15° | 250/16 10° | 240/9 4° | 280/22 -7° | 280/29 -19° | 300/29 -34° | 290/50 -43° | 300/64 -52° |
| FWA | used from 799 nm out; 67 nm from the line | 300/17 | 320/20 16° | 330/20 10° | 340/15 3° | 310/27 -8° | 320/37 -20° | 330/52 -36° | 330/65 -43° | 330/60 -50° |
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: overcast at 22,000 feet | calm | 10+ mi | 22,000 ft | 95 ft | 1:53 am CDT (06:53 UTC) |
| CXO Houston, TX | 20 nm out, 14 nm west of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 244 ft | 06:53 UTC |
| OCH Nacogdoches, TX | 100 nm out, 19 nm northwest of the line | reported, no category | from the east-southeast (120°) at 3 knots | none | 343 ft | 06:56 UTC | |
| SHV Shreveport, LA | 170 nm out, 7 nm west of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (190°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | none | 257 ft | 06:56 UTC |
| LIT Little Rock, AR | 329 nm out, 8 nm west of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 25,000 feet | from the southwest (220°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 266 ft | 06:53 UTC |
| SRC Searcy, AR | 359 nm out, 4 nm north of the line | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 264 ft | 06:56 UTC |
| ARG Walnut Ridge, AR | 429 nm out, 4 nm east of the line | VFR | from the south (190°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 279 ft | 06:56 UTC |
| MDH Carbondale/Murphysboro, IL | 559 nm out, 19 nm southeast of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 411 ft | 06:52 UTC |
| ENL Centralia, IL | 599 nm out, 1 nm southeast of the line | VFR | from the south-southwest (210°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 534 ft | 06:55 UTC |
| CMI Champaign/Urbana, IL | 699 nm out, 18 nm northwest of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (190°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 754 ft | 06:53 UTC |
| LAF Lafayette, IN | 749 nm out, 21 nm southeast of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 605 ft | 06:54 UTC |
| SBN South Bend, IN | destination | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 798 ft | 2:54 am EDT (06:54 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 798 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At SBN when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 9:12 am EDT (13:12 UTC)
Wind from the south at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for SBN
- From Mon 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- At times between Mon 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC) and 5:00 am EDT (09:00 UTC): visibility 2 miles, mist
- From Mon 6:00 am EDT (10:00 UTC): wind from the south at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 2:00 pm EDT (18:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 12 knots, gusting to 20, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 10,000 feet
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 SBN 7:09 pm EDT (23:09 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:36 pm EDT (23:36 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, South Bend International.