Lake Charles Regional to Dallas-Fort Worth International LCH → DFW
256 nautical miles (295 statute miles) northwest on a straight line, true course 311°, about 308° magnetic at the departure end (variation 3E). At 120 knots that is 1 h 58 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 10-knot tailwind), arriving about 11:37 pm CDT (04:37 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now LCH is VFR, wind from the south-southeast (160°) at 4 knots; DFW is VFR, wind from the south-southeast (150°) at 9 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: 2,030 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 LCH.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
- B789 at 27,000 ft, 30 nm southeast, 7:30 pm CDT (00:30 UTC): moderate clear-air turbulence, remarks: zhu. At the departure end, 30 nm southeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
LFT UA /OV LLA270030/TM 0030/FL270/TP B789/TB MOD CAT/RM ZHU
- Report
- a routine report filed through LFT
- Where
- 30 nm west (270°) of LLA
- Time
- 00:30 UTC
- Height
- at 27,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B789
- Turbulence
- moderate clear-air turbulence
- Remarks
- zhu
- E75L at 27,000 ft, 6 nm east, 7:20 pm CDT (00:20 UTC): remarks: zhu. At the departure end, 6 nm east of the line.
as filed, and in English
LCH UA /OV LCH08510/TM 0020/FL270/TP E75L/TB CONS CHOP/RM ZHU
- Report
- a routine report filed through LCH
- Where
- LCH08510
- Time
- 00:20 UTC
- Height
- at 27,000 ft
- Aircraft
- E75L
- Turbulence
- continuous chop
- Remarks
- zhu
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 3 forecast points nearest it (LCH, SHV, DAL). 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 | 190° at 20 kt | −10 kt | 130 kt | 1 h 58 min | 11:37 pm CDT (04:37 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 200° at 18 kt | −5 kt | 17 °C | 125 kt | 2 h 03 min | 11:42 pm CDT (04:42 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 210° at 16 kt | −3 kt | 13 °C | 123 kt | 2 h 05 min | 11:44 pm CDT (04:44 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 230° at 14 kt | +1 kt | 10 °C | 119 kt | 2 h 09 min | 11:48 pm CDT (04:48 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 240° at 13 kt | +5 kt | 7 °C | 115 kt | 2 h 14 min | 11:53 pm CDT (04:53 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 250° at 13 kt | +5 kt | 3 °C | 115 kt | 2 h 14 min | 11:53 pm CDT (04:53 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 250° at 13 kt | +6 kt | -1 °C | 114 kt | 2 h 15 min | 11:54 pm CDT (04:54 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 250° at 13 kt | +6 kt | -4 °C | 114 kt | 2 h 15 min | 11:54 pm CDT (04:54 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 250° at 15 kt | +6 kt | -15 °C | 114 kt | 2 h 15 min | 11:54 pm CDT (04:54 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 290° at 30 kt | +28 kt | -29 °C | 92 kt | 2 h 47 min | 12:26 am CDT (05:26 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 300° at 31 kt | +30 kt | -40 °C | 90 kt | 2 h 51 min | 12:30 am CDT (05:30 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 310° at 34 kt | +34 kt | -52 °C | 86 kt | 2 h 59 min | 12:38 am CDT (05:38 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LCH | used from 0 nm out; 25 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° |
| SHV | used from 99 nm out; 85 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° |
| DAL | used from 148 nm out; 75 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° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LCH Lake Charles, LA | departure | VFR | from the south-southeast (160°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 14 ft | 8:53 pm CDT (01:53 UTC) |
| ORG Orange, TX | 20 nm out, 23 nm southwest of the line | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 13 ft | 02:10 UTC |
| JAS Jasper, TX | 59 nm out, 7 nm north of the line | VFR | variable at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 212 ft | 02:15 UTC |
| LFK Lufkin, TX | 99 nm out, 5 nm west of the line | VFR | from the south-southeast (160°) at 8 knots | 10+ mi | none | 295 ft | 01:53 UTC |
| PSN Palestine, TX | 158 nm out, 9 nm southwest of the line | VFR | from the southeast (130°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 422 ft | 02:15 UTC |
| CRS Corsicana, TX | 197 nm out, 20 nm southwest of the line | VFR | from the south-southeast (160°) at 9 knots | 10+ mi | none | 448 ft | 01:53 UTC |
| RBD Dallas, TX | 237 nm out, 7 nm west of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southeast (160°) at 10 knots | 10+ mi | none | 660 ft | 01:53 UTC |
| DFW Dallas-Fort Worth, TX | destination | VFR | from the south-southeast (150°) at 9 knots | 10+ mi | none | 606 ft | 8:53 pm CDT (01:53 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 660 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At DFW when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 11:37 pm CDT (04:37 UTC)
Wind from the south at 11 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies VFR
The whole forecast for DFW
- From Sun 8:00 pm CDT (01:00 UTC): wind from the south at 11 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 10:00 am CDT (15:00 UTC): wind from the south at 12 knots, gusting to 23, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 20,000 feet
- From Mon 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
The forecast for LCH, the departure
- From Sun 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 10:00 am CDT (15:00 UTC): wind from the south-southeast at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 9/2934 DALLAS, TX 6 nm from the route, at the destination end · a VIP movement · ZFW
- 6/8646 Arlington, TX, Thursday, October 15, 2026 through Friday, October 16, 2026 UTC 8 nm from the route, at the destination end · drones kept away from a public gathering · starts Thursday 15 October · ZFW
Daylight
Sunset at LCH 6:45 pm CDT (23:45 UTC), at DFW 6:58 pm CDT (23:58 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:23 pm CDT (00:23 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at DFW is before sunrise there (7:29 am CDT (12:29 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: Lake Charles Regional, Dallas-Fort Worth International.