Lafayette Rgnl/Paul Fournet Field to Austin-Bergstrom International LFT → AUS
295 nautical miles (339 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 271°, about 268° magnetic at the departure end (variation 3E). At 120 knots that is 2 h 22 min at the quickest height in today's winds (6,500 ft, a 5-knot tailwind), arriving about 10:29 am CDT (15:29 UTC). Right now LFT is VFR, wind calm; AUS is marginal VFR, wind from the southeast (130°) at 5 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: 5 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 1E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, mist, fog). Over the first 29 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 LFT.
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 08:00–15:00 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, HOU, CLL). 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 | 170° at 22 kt | −4 kt | 124 kt | 2 h 23 min | 10:30 am CDT (15:30 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 170° at 20 kt | −5 kt | 17 °C | 125 kt | 2 h 22 min | 10:29 am CDT (15:29 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 170° at 13 kt | −2 kt | 14 °C | 122 kt | 2 h 25 min | 10:32 am CDT (15:32 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 180° at 8 kt | 0 | 11 °C | 120 kt | 2 h 28 min | 10:35 am CDT (15:35 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 210° at 5 kt | +2 kt | 7 °C | 118 kt | 2 h 30 min | 10:37 am CDT (15:37 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 240° at 6 kt | +5 kt | 2 °C | 115 kt | 2 h 34 min | 10:41 am CDT (15:41 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 250° at 9 kt | +8 kt | -2 °C | 112 kt | 2 h 38 min | 10:45 am CDT (15:45 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 260° at 11 kt | +11 kt | -6 °C | 109 kt | 2 h 42 min | 10:49 am CDT (15:49 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 270° at 17 kt | +17 kt | -14 °C | 103 kt | 2 h 52 min | 10:59 am CDT (15:59 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 310° at 24 kt | +19 kt | -30 °C | 101 kt | 2 h 55 min | 11:02 am CDT (16:02 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 330° at 22 kt | +12 kt | -40 °C | 108 kt | 2 h 44 min | 10:51 am CDT (15:51 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 340° at 36 kt | +12 kt | -51 °C | 108 kt | 2 h 44 min | 10:51 am CDT (15:51 UTC) |
Based on data from the 12th at 06:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 12:00 UTC for use 08:00 to 15:00 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; 40 nm from the line | 170/21 | 160/23 18° | 170/13 13° | 170/6 8° | 300/12 -7° | 280/16 -14° | 320/27 -30° | 330/23 -41° | 340/38 -51° |
| HOU | used from 147 nm out; 35 nm from the line | 180/22 | 180/20 16° | 170/7 15° | L/V 8° | 220/11 -6° | 260/15 -13° | 310/20 -30° | 320/20 -40° | 350/32 -51° |
| CLL | used from 197 nm out; 23 nm from the line | 180/24 | 170/21 19° | 180/10 14° | 230/7 8° | 230/16 -6° | 260/20 -13° | 290/23 -29° | 320/21 -39° | 340/35 -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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LFT Lafayette, LA | departure | VFR | calm | 9 mi | none | 40 ft | 7:53 am CDT (12:53 UTC) |
| CWF Lake Charles, LA | 59 nm out, 1 nm southwest of the line, tower | VFR | from the east-northeast (070°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | none | 16 ft | 12:47 UTC |
| BPT Beaumont/Port Arthur, TX | 108 nm out, 17 nm south of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 2,800 feet | from the southeast (130°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 14 ft | 12:53 UTC |
| CXO Houston, TX | 177 nm out, 8 nm north of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 244 ft | 12:53 UTC |
| CLL College Station, TX | 226 nm out, 22 nm north of the line, tower | VFR | from the southeast (130°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 320 ft | 12:53 UTC |
| GYB Giddings, TX | 256 nm out, 4 nm southwest of the line | marginal VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 2,000 feet, overcast at 2,700 feet | calm | 10+ mi | 2,700 ft | 484 ft | 12:55 UTC |
| AUS Austin, TX | destination | marginal VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 1,500 feet, a broken layer at 2,500 feet, a broken layer at 4,800 feet | from the southeast (130°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | 2,500 ft | 541 ft | 7:53 am CDT (12:53 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 541 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At AUS when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 10:29 am CDT (15:29 UTC)
Wind from the south-southeast at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 2,200 feet marginal VFR
At times between Mon 8:00 am CDT (13:00 UTC) and 11:00 am CDT (16:00 UTC): a broken layer at 1,800 feet marginal VFR
The whole forecast for AUS
- From Mon 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the southeast at 3 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 3,500 feet, overcast at 12,000 feet
- From Mon 7:30 am CDT (12:30 UTC): wind from the south-southeast at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 2,200 feet
- At times between Mon 8:00 am CDT (13:00 UTC) and 11:00 am CDT (16:00 UTC): a broken layer at 1,800 feet
- From Mon 12:00 pm CDT (17:00 UTC): wind from the south at 11 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 3,500 feet
- 30% chance between Mon 1:00 pm CDT (18:00 UTC) and 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): light thunderstorms with rain, a broken layer at 3,500 feet (thunderheads)
- From Mon 8:00 pm CDT (01:00 UTC): wind from the south-southeast at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 5,000 feet
- From Tue 2:00 am CDT (07:00 UTC): wind from the south at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 1,500 feet
- At times between Tue 5:00 am CDT (10:00 UTC) and 8:00 am CDT (13:00 UTC): a broken layer at 800 feet
The forecast for LFT, the departure
- From Mon 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 11:00 am CDT (16:00 UTC): wind from the south at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 8:00 pm CDT (01:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
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 LFT 6:40 pm CDT (23:40 UTC), at AUS 7:02 pm CDT (00:02 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:26 pm CDT (00:26 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: Lafayette Rgnl/Paul Fournet Field, Austin-Bergstrom International.