Laredo International to Key Field LRD → MEI
627 nautical miles (721 statute miles) northeast on a straight line, true course 060°, about 055° magnetic at the departure end (variation 5E). At 120 knots that is 4 h 49 min at the quickest height in today's winds (24,000 ft, a 10-knot tailwind), arriving about 3:29 am CDT (08:29 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now LRD is VFR, wind from the east-southeast (110°) at 13 knots, gusting to 21; MEI 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: 4 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 LRD.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
- B39M at 27,000 ft, 22 nm northwest, 7:42 pm CDT (00:42 UTC): light chop turbulence, remarks: zhu. 259 nm along the route, 22 nm northwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
IAH UA /OV IH340035/TM 0042/FL270/TP B39M/TB LT CHOP DURC/RM ZHU
- Report
- a routine report filed through IAH
- Where
- IH340035
- Time
- 00:42 UTC
- Height
- at 27,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B39M
- Turbulence
- lt chop during the climb
- Remarks
- zhu
- C510 at 41,000 ft, 17 nm north, 9:18 pm CDT (02:18 UTC): no turbulence, clear from 41,000 ft to 60,000 ft. 487 nm along the route, 17 nm north of the line.
as filed, and in English
HEZ UA /OV HEZ /TM 0218 /FL410 /TP C510 /SK SKC /TB NEG
- Report
- a routine report filed through HEZ
- Where
- over HEZ
- Time
- 02:18 UTC
- Height
- at 41,000 ft
- Aircraft
- C510
- Sky
- clear
- Turbulence
- none
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 (LRD, CRP, PSX, HOU, LCH, JAN). 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 | 170° at 17 kt | −4 kt | 124 kt | 5 h 03 min | 3:43 am CDT (08:43 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 170° at 15 kt | −6 kt | 126 kt | 4 h 59 min | 3:39 am CDT (08:39 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 190° at 12 kt | −7 kt | 16 °C | 127 kt | 4 h 56 min | 3:36 am CDT (08:36 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 200° at 10 kt | −8 kt | 12 °C | 128 kt | 4 h 54 min | 3:34 am CDT (08:34 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 230° at 7 kt | −7 kt | 9 °C | 127 kt | 4 h 56 min | 3:36 am CDT (08:36 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 250° at 7 kt | −7 kt | 5 °C | 127 kt | 4 h 56 min | 3:36 am CDT (08:36 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 260° at 8 kt | −8 kt | 1 °C | 128 kt | 4 h 54 min | 3:34 am CDT (08:34 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 270° at 10 kt | −8 kt | -3 °C | 128 kt | 4 h 54 min | 3:34 am CDT (08:34 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 270° at 10 kt | −9 kt | -4 °C | 129 kt | 4 h 52 min | 3:32 am CDT (08:32 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 270° at 11 kt | −10 kt | -14 °C | 130 kt | 4 h 49 min | 3:29 am CDT (08:29 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 310° at 21 kt | −7 kt | -30 °C | 127 kt | 4 h 56 min | 3:36 am CDT (08:36 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 320° at 23 kt | −6 kt | -40 °C | 126 kt | 4 h 59 min | 3:39 am CDT (08:39 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 330° at 28 kt | +1 kt | -52 °C | 119 kt | 5 h 16 min | 3:56 am CDT (08:56 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LRD | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 150/27 | 170/24 17° | 170/20 14° | 180/12 10° | 230/19 -4° | 160/10 -14° | 130/10 -28° | 110/7 -39° | 010/22 -51° |
| CRP | used from 50 nm out; 45 nm from the line | 150/24 | 180/19 19° | 190/13 14° | 200/14 9° | 230/5 -4° | 170/6 -14° | 360/6 -29° | L/V -40° | 350/18 -52° |
| PSX | used from 149 nm out; 23 nm from the line | 160/24 | 160/23 19° | 180/14 15° | 210/11 9° | 240/8 -4° | 250/8 -13° | 320/14 -29° | 300/16 -40° | 340/17 -51° |
| HOU | used from 199 nm out; 31 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° |
| LCH | used from 298 nm out; 44 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° |
| JAN | used from 448 nm out; 97 nm from the line | 230/10 | 270/13 18° | 270/11 12° | 310/11 6° | 300/15 -4° | 300/22 -16° | 310/33 -31° | 320/37 -41° | 330/41 -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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LRD Laredo, TX | departure | VFR | from the east-southeast (110°) at 13 knots, gusting to 21 | 10+ mi | none | 508 ft | 9:56 pm CDT (02:56 UTC) |
| BEA Beeville, TX | 99 nm out, 2 nm east of the line | VFR | from the east (100°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 272 ft | 03:35 UTC |
| VCT Victoria, TX | 159 nm out, 4 nm west of the line, tower | VFR | from the east-southeast (110°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 115 ft | 02:51 UTC |
| SGR Houston, TX | 239 nm out, 12 nm northwest of the line, tower | VFR | from the southeast (130°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 81 ft | 02:53 UTC |
| EFD Houston, TX | 259 nm out, 1 nm south of the line, tower | VFR | from the east-southeast (110°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 32 ft | 01:54 UTC |
| BPT Beaumont/Port Arthur, TX | 318 nm out, 11 nm southeast of the line, tower | VFR | from the southeast (130°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | none | 14 ft | 02:53 UTC |
| ACP Oakdale, LA | 408 nm out, 4 nm west of the line | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 107 ft | 03:15 UTC |
| HEZ Natchez, MS | 487 nm out, 17 nm north of the line | VFR | from the south-southeast (160°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 272 ft | 02:56 UTC |
| MEI Meridian, MS | destination | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 297 ft | 9:58 pm CDT (02:58 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 508 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At MEI when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 3:29 am CDT (08:29 UTC)
Wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies VFR
The whole forecast for MEI
- From Sun 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
The forecast for LRD, the departure
- From Sun 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south-southeast at 12 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 6,000 feet
- From Mon 2:00 am CDT (07:00 UTC): wind from the southeast at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 2,000 feet, overcast at 10,000 feet
- From Mon 4:00 am CDT (09:00 UTC): wind from the southeast at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 2,000 feet, a broken layer at 3,000 feet
- At times between Mon 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC) and 11:00 am CDT (16:00 UTC): a broken layer at 2,500 feet
- From Mon 11:00 am CDT (16:00 UTC): wind from the south-southeast at 16 knots, gusting to 23, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 2,500 feet, a broken layer at 5,000 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 LRD 7:12 pm CDT (00:12 UTC), at MEI 6:26 pm CDT (23:26 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:50 pm CDT (23:50 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at MEI is before sunrise there (6:56 am CDT (11:56 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: Laredo International, Key Field.