George Bush Intcntl/Houston Airport to John Wayne/Orange County IAH → SNA
1,168 nautical miles (1,344 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 287°, about 284° magnetic at the departure end (variation 3E). At 120 knots that is 9 h 54 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 2-knot headwind), arriving about 5:39 am PDT (12:39 UTC), after sunset at the destination. 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: 2,175 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
- SIGMET 7W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 31,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 10:55 pm CDT (03:55 UTC). Over the route from 679 to 799 nm out.
as issued
WSUS33 KKCI 120155 MKCW WST 120155 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 7W VALID UNTIL 0355Z NM AZ FROM 30NW SJN-30W TCS-60SE SSO-50SE TUS-70S INW-30NW SJN DMSHG AREA TS MOV FROM 23040KT. TOPS TO FL310.
- SIGMET 9W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 28,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 20 knots, until 10:55 pm CDT (03:55 UTC). Near the route, 868 nm along the route.
as issued
WSUS33 KKCI 120155 MKCW WST 120155 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 9W VALID UNTIL 0355Z AZ FROM 20S TBC-30S INW-10E PHX-60SW DRK-30WNW DRK-20S TBC DMSHG AREA EMBD TS MOV FROM 21020KT. TOPS TO FL280.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 639 to 779 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Near the route, 649 nm along the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 35,000 ft to 45,000 ft. Over the route from 659 to 808 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Near the route, 868 nm along the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 12,000 ft. Over the route from 1018 to 1148 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 6E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the last 80 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, SAT, ABI, INK, ELP, TUS, PHX, BLH, ONT). 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 15 kt | +2 kt | 17 °C | 118 kt | 9 h 54 min | 5:39 am PDT (12:39 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 200° at 18 kt | +3 kt | 14 °C | 117 kt | 9 h 59 min | 5:44 am PDT (12:44 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 200° at 20 kt | +3 kt | 11 °C | 117 kt | 9 h 59 min | 5:44 am PDT (12:44 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 210° at 21 kt | +6 kt | 8 °C | 114 kt | 10 h 15 min | 6:00 am PDT (13:00 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 210° at 23 kt | +10 kt | 4 °C | 110 kt | 10 h 37 min | 6:22 am PDT (13:22 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 220° at 27 kt | +13 kt | 0 °C | 107 kt | 10 h 55 min | 6:40 am PDT (13:40 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 220° at 32 kt | +16 kt | -4 °C | 104 kt | 11 h 14 min | 6:59 am PDT (13:59 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 220° at 35 kt | +19 kt | -7 °C | 101 kt | 11 h 34 min | 7:19 am PDT (14:19 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 230° at 45 kt | +28 kt | -16 °C | 92 kt | 12 h 42 min | 8:27 am PDT (15:27 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 230° at 53 kt | +36 kt | -28 °C | 84 kt | 13 h 54 min | 9:39 am PDT (16:39 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 240° at 53 kt | +40 kt | -37 °C | 80 kt | 14 h 36 min | 10:21 am PDT (17:21 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 240° at 46 kt | +37 kt | -48 °C | 83 kt | 14 h 04 min | 9:49 am PDT (16:49 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; 39 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; 24 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° |
| SAT | used from 150 nm out; 75 nm from the line | 150/26 | 180/18 19° | 180/18 14° | 200/14 9° | 230/16 -6° | 210/9 -13° | 270/8 -29° | 280/6 -39° | 340/19 -51° |
| ABI | used from 200 nm out; 85 nm from the line | 200/31 17° | 210/21 15° | 240/15 9° | 250/14 -4° | 250/24 -14° | 250/36 -28° | 270/35 -38° | 290/41 -50° | |
| INK | used from 299 nm out; 95 nm from the line | 190/23 20° | 200/18 15° | 230/18 8° | 240/23 -4° | 240/37 -14° | 240/46 -27° | 250/42 -38° | 260/36 -50° | |
| ELP | used from 499 nm out; 62 nm from the line | 290/17 | 210/11 13° | 200/18 5° | 220/46 -6° | 230/64 -14° | 230/63 -27° | 240/55 -37° | 240/44 -48° | |
| TUS | used from 699 nm out; 101 nm from the line | 210/13 13° | 200/35 9° | 210/40 5° | 220/50 -7° | 220/59 -18° | 230/79 -26° | 230/84 -35° | 230/84 -48° | |
| PHX | used from 848 nm out; 18 nm from the line | 150/5 | 200/21 12° | 200/27 6° | 200/35 3° | 220/58 -8° | 220/69 -19° | 220/87 -26° | 230/93 -35° | 230/79 -47° |
| BLH | used from 948 nm out; 39 nm from the line | 210/13 | 200/21 11° | 200/22 5° | 210/25 -1° | 210/51 -10° | 220/61 -20° | 220/81 -29° | 220/92 -34° | 220/79 -45° |
| ONT | used from 1098 nm out; 41 nm from the line | 190/8 | 190/19 6° | 210/23 4° | 210/29 -3° | 210/47 -13° | 210/49 -19° | 220/47 -30° | 220/50 -36° | 220/55 -43° |
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 | no report just now | 95 ft | ||||
| TME Houston, TX | 20 nm out, 19 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 165 ft | ||||
| GTU Georgetown, TX | 130 nm out, 7 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 789 ft | ||||
| SJT San Angelo, TX | 279 nm out, 8 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,918 ft | ||||
| MAF Midland, TX | 369 nm out, 22 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 2,872 ft | ||||
| CNM Carlsbad, NM | 479 nm out, 22 nm north of the line | no report just now | 3,294 ft | ||||
| SVC Silver City, NM | 679 nm out, 3 nm east of the line | no report just now | 5,445 ft | ||||
| SAD Safford, AZ | 749 nm out, 4 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 3,178 ft | ||||
| CHD Chandler, AZ | 868 nm out, 11 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,243 ft | ||||
| BLH Blythe, CA | 1008 nm out, 12 nm north of the line | no report just now | 399 ft | ||||
| RIV Riverside, CA | 1138 nm out, 15 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,536 ft | ||||
| SNA Santa Ana, CA | destination | no report just now | 55 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 5,445 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At SNA when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 5:39 am PDT (12:39 UTC)
SNA has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/5849 Austin, TX, Friday, October 2, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 UTC 18 nm from the route, 130 nm along the route · drones kept away from a public gathering · until 12 October · ZHU
- 6/4240 SAN ANGELO, TX, Sunday, March 8, 2026 through Sunday, November 1, 2026 Local 1 nm from the route, 269 nm along the route · security · until 1 November · ZFW
- 6/4812 El Centro, CA, Wednesday, July 15, 2026 through Tuesday, July 13, 2027 Local 25 nm from the route, 1068 nm along the route · security · until 13 July · ZLA
- 6/8887 Indio, CA, Sunday, October 11, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local 7 nm from the route, 1088 nm along the route · security · until 12 October · ZLA
- 4/3635 DISNEYLAND THEME PARK, ANAHEIM,, CA 5 nm from the route, at the destination end · security · ZLA
Daylight
Sunset at IAH 6:54 pm CDT (23:54 UTC), at SNA 6:21 pm PDT (01:21 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:46 pm PDT (01:46 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at SNA is before sunrise there (6:53 am PDT (13:53 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, John Wayne/Orange County.
