Laredo International to Tucson International LRD → TUS
657 nautical miles (757 statute miles) northwest on a straight line, true course 297°, about 292° magnetic at the departure end (variation 5E). At 120 knots that is 5 h 08 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 8-knot tailwind), arriving about 11:50 pm MST (06:50 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now LRD is VFR, wind from the south-southeast (150°) at 10 knots; TUS is VFR, wind from the south-southwest (210°) at 13 knots, gusting to 20. 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: 6 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 2W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 36,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 9:55 pm CDT (02:55 UTC). Over the last 120 nm of the route.
as issued
WSUS33 KKCI 120055 MKCW WST 120055 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 2W VALID UNTIL 0255Z TX NM AZ FROM 50NNW SJN-60WNW CME-60E ELP-70SSW SSO-50SW TUS-50NNW SJN AREA SEV TS MOV FROM 23040KT. TOPS TO FL360. HAIL TO 1 IN...WIND GUSTS TO 50KT POSS.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 558 to 608 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 35,000 ft to 45,000 ft. Near the route, at the destination end.
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
- A321 descending, 2 nm southeast, 7:26 pm CDT (00:26 UTC): light chop turbulence. At the destination end, 2 nm southeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
TUS UA /OV FINAL RWY 12/TM 0026/FLDURD/TP A321/TB LIGHT CHOP ON FINAL
- Report
- a routine report filed through TUS
- Where
- final runway 12
- Time
- 00:26 UTC
- Height
- during the descent
- Aircraft
- A321
- Turbulence
- light chop on final
- F2TH descending, 2 nm southeast, 5:58 pm CDT (22:58 UTC): light turbulence. At the destination end, 2 nm southeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
TUS UA /OV R22 FINAL/TM 2258/FLDURD/TP F2TH/TB LT TURBULENCE 14000 TO 9000FT
- Report
- a routine report filed through TUS
- Where
- R22 final
- Time
- 22:58 UTC
- Height
- during the descent
- Aircraft
- F2TH
- Turbulence
- lt turbulence wind from 140° at 0 knots to 9000FT
Winds aloft along the route, and the time en route the forecast for use 20:00–03:00 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 5 forecast points nearest it (LRD, DRT, MRF, ELP, TUS). 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 | 180° at 16 kt | −8 kt | 15 °C | 128 kt | 5 h 08 min | 11:50 pm MST (06:50 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 180° at 17 kt | −7 kt | 15 °C | 127 kt | 5 h 10 min | 11:52 pm MST (06:52 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 190° at 19 kt | −5 kt | 12 °C | 125 kt | 5 h 15 min | 11:57 pm MST (06:57 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 200° at 19 kt | −2 kt | 10 °C | 122 kt | 5 h 23 min | 12:05 am MST (07:05 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 210° at 20 kt | +1 kt | 6 °C | 119 kt | 5 h 31 min | 12:13 am MST (07:13 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 210° at 23 kt | +4 kt | 2 °C | 116 kt | 5 h 40 min | 12:22 am MST (07:22 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 220° at 26 kt | +7 kt | -2 °C | 113 kt | 5 h 49 min | 12:31 am MST (07:31 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 220° at 28 kt | +10 kt | -5 °C | 110 kt | 5 h 58 min | 12:40 am MST (07:40 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 230° at 37 kt | +16 kt | -15 °C | 104 kt | 6 h 19 min | 1:01 am MST (08:01 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 230° at 43 kt | +17 kt | -27 °C | 103 kt | 6 h 23 min | 1:05 am MST (08:05 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 240° at 39 kt | +25 kt | -38 °C | 95 kt | 6 h 55 min | 1:37 am MST (08:37 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 260° at 40 kt | +32 kt | -50 °C | 88 kt | 7 h 28 min | 2:10 am MST (09:10 UTC) |
Based on data from the 11th at 18:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 00:00 UTC for use 20:00 to 03:00 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 | 130/21 | 150/19 16° | 170/21 12° | 170/12 8° | 230/20 -4° | 200/16 -13° | L/V -28° | L/V -39° | 330/16 -51° |
| DRT | used from 100 nm out; 63 nm from the line | 150/25 | 150/27 16° | 170/19 12° | 200/12 7° | 230/23 -4° | 230/27 -12° | 240/24 -28° | 290/20 -38° | 300/28 -51° |
| MRF | used from 199 nm out; 80 nm from the line | 190/16 14° | 210/18 8° | 250/18 -3° | 240/27 -14° | 230/37 -28° | 250/32 -38° | 270/40 -50° | ||
| ELP | used from 398 nm out; 75 nm from the line | 200/15 | 200/16 15° | 200/17 6° | 220/40 -6° | 240/53 -16° | 230/62 -27° | 240/63 -38° | 250/59 -49° | |
| TUS | used from 548 nm out; 85 nm from the line | 220/17 15° | 210/32 7° | 210/43 5° | 210/49 -7° | 220/64 -18° | 220/83 -26° | 230/81 -36° | 230/72 -48° |
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 south-southeast (150°) at 10 knots | 10+ mi | none | 508 ft | 7:56 pm CDT (00:56 UTC) |
| PRS Presidio, TX | 289 nm out, 3 nm south of the line | VFR | from the east (080°) at 12 knots, gusting to 17 | 10+ mi | none | 2,938 ft | 01:15 UTC |
| DUG Douglas Bisbee, AZ | 578 nm out, 11 nm southwest of the line | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 4,500 feet, a broken layer at 7,000 feet, overcast at 9,000 feet Weather: light rain | from the south-southwest (200°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | 7,000 ft | 4,150 ft | 00:56 UTC |
| FHU Fort Huachuca Sierra Vista, AZ | 618 nm out, 18 nm south of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 4,000 feet, a few clouds at 7,000 feet | from the south-southwest (200°) at 15 knots, gusting to 20 | 9 mi | none | 4,718 ft | 01:14 UTC |
| TUS Tucson, AZ | destination | VFR | from the south-southwest (210°) at 13 knots, gusting to 20 | 10+ mi | none | 2,643 ft | 5:53 pm MST (00:53 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 4,718 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At TUS when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 11:50 pm MST (06:50 UTC)
Wind from the southwest at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 6,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for TUS
- From Sun 6:00 pm MST (01:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 12 knots, gusting to 20, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 6,000 feet
- From Sun 7:00 pm MST (02:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 6,000 feet
- From Mon 12:00 am MST (07:00 UTC): wind from the south-southeast at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 5,000 feet
- From Mon 7:00 am MST (14:00 UTC): wind from the east-southeast at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, showers nearby, scattered clouds at 5,000 feet
- From Mon 10:00 am MST (17:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 14 knots, gusting to 22, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 6,000 feet, scattered clouds at 8,000 feet
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 TUS 5:55 pm MST (00:55 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:19 pm MST (01:19 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at TUS is before sunrise there (6:25 am MST (13:25 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, Tucson International.