Lubbock Preston Smith International to Baton Rouge Metro, Ryan Field LBB → BTR
574 nautical miles (661 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 106°, about 100° magnetic at the departure end (variation 6E). At 120 knots that is 3 h 42 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 35-knot tailwind), arriving about 4:47 am CDT (09:47 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now LBB is VFR, wind from the south (180°) at 16 knots; BTR 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: 2 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 LBB.
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 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 6 forecast points nearest it (LBB, ABI, DAL, SHV, LCH, MSY). 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 | 190° at 20 kt | +4 kt | 116 kt | 4 h 57 min | 6:02 am CDT (11:02 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 200° at 23 kt | −2 kt | 17 °C | 122 kt | 4 h 42 min | 5:47 am CDT (10:47 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 210° at 20 kt | −4 kt | 15 °C | 124 kt | 4 h 38 min | 5:43 am CDT (10:43 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 220° at 16 kt | −6 kt | 12 °C | 126 kt | 4 h 33 min | 5:38 am CDT (10:38 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 240° at 14 kt | −9 kt | 9 °C | 129 kt | 4 h 27 min | 5:32 am CDT (10:32 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 240° at 14 kt | −10 kt | 5 °C | 130 kt | 4 h 25 min | 5:30 am CDT (10:30 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 250° at 14 kt | −10 kt | 1 °C | 130 kt | 4 h 25 min | 5:30 am CDT (10:30 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 250° at 14 kt | −11 kt | -3 °C | 131 kt | 4 h 23 min | 5:28 am CDT (10:28 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 250° at 14 kt | −11 kt | -4 °C | 131 kt | 4 h 23 min | 5:28 am CDT (10:28 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 250° at 19 kt | −14 kt | -15 °C | 134 kt | 4 h 17 min | 5:22 am CDT (10:22 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 270° at 32 kt | −31 kt | -29 °C | 151 kt | 3 h 48 min | 4:53 am CDT (09:53 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 290° at 32 kt | −32 kt | -39 °C | 152 kt | 3 h 47 min | 4:52 am CDT (09:52 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 300° at 36 kt | −35 kt | -51 °C | 155 kt | 3 h 42 min | 4:47 am CDT (09:47 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LBB | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 200/36 18° | 220/19 15° | 240/20 8° | 230/24 -4° | 240/37 -16° | 250/57 -28° | 250/51 -38° | 270/47 -50° | |
| ABI | used from 49 nm out; 65 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° | |
| DAL | used from 198 nm out; 41 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° |
| SHV | used from 346 nm out; 67 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° |
| LCH | used from 445 nm out; 63 nm from the line | 160/21 | 160/18 18° | 180/13 12° | 230/6 8° | 280/10 -4° | 260/13 -14° | 310/29 -30° | 320/32 -40° | 330/33 -53° |
| MSY | used from 544 nm out; 71 nm from the line | 110/5 | 150/6 19° | L/V 12° | 310/5 7° | 310/13 -4° | 290/20 -16° | 330/36 -31° | 330/37 -41° | 350/43 -52° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LBB Lubbock, TX | departure | VFR | from the south (180°) at 16 knots | 10+ mi | none | 3,282 ft | 12:53 am CDT (05:53 UTC) |
| BKD Breckenridge, TX | 158 nm out, 11 nm southwest of the line | VFR | from the south (170°) at 9 knots | 7 mi | none | 1,284 ft | 05:55 UTC |
| FTW Fort Worth, TX | 228 nm out, 19 nm north of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (170°) at 10 knots | 10+ mi | none | 710 ft | 05:53 UTC |
| FWS Fort Worth, TX | 238 nm out, 5 nm north of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (170°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | none | 700 ft | 05:55 UTC |
| PSN Palestine, TX | 327 nm out, 13 nm south of the line | VFR | variable at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 422 ft | 05:55 UTC |
| JSO Jacksonville, TX | 346 nm out, 4 nm east of the line | VFR | from the south (180°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | none | 677 ft | 05:55 UTC |
| AEX Alexandria, LA | 485 nm out, 18 nm northeast of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 88 ft | 05:53 UTC |
| HZR New Roads, LA | 554 nm out, 4 nm north of the line | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 39 ft | 05:55 UTC |
| BTR Baton Rouge, LA | destination | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 69 ft | 12:53 am CDT (05:53 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 3,282 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At BTR when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 4:47 am CDT (09:47 UTC)
Wind from the south-southeast at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies VFR
The whole forecast for BTR
- From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south-southeast at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
The forecast for LBB, the departure
- From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south at 15 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/8646 Arlington, TX, Thursday, October 15, 2026 through Friday, October 16, 2026 UTC 19 nm from the route, 247 nm along the route · drones kept away from a public gathering · starts Thursday 15 October · ZFW
Daylight
Sunset at LBB 7:16 pm CDT (00:16 UTC), at BTR 6:36 pm CDT (23:36 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:01 pm CDT (00:01 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at BTR is before sunrise there (7:04 am CDT (12:04 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: Lubbock Preston Smith International, Baton Rouge Metro, Ryan Field.