Frederick W Smith Intl/Memphis Airport to EL Paso International MEM → ELP
843 nautical miles (971 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 261°, about 262° magnetic at the departure end (variation 1W). At 120 knots that is 8 h 02 min at the quickest height in today's winds (12,500 ft, a 15-knot headwind), arriving about 2:10 pm MDT (20:10 UTC). Right now MEM is VFR, wind calm; ELP is VFR, wind from the north (360°) at 4 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: 923 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 TANGO 2W: low-level wind shear (due to air speed loss or gain of 20 knots or more below 2,000 ft above the ground). Over the route from 446 to 556 nm out.
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 MEM.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
- E170 at 14,000 ft, 12 nm north, 6:19 am CDT (11:19 UTC): no turbulence, no icing, remarks: ZME65. 89 nm along the route, 12 nm north of the line.
as filed, and in English
LIT UA /OV LIT045030/TM 1119/FL140/TP E170/TB NEG/IC NEG/RM ZME65
- Report
- a routine report filed through LIT
- Where
- 30 nm northeast (045°) of LIT
- Time
- 11:19 UTC
- Height
- at 14,000 ft
- Aircraft
- E170
- Turbulence
- none
- Icing
- none
- Remarks
- ZME65
- E170 at 20,000 ft, 13 nm north, 6:49 am CDT (11:49 UTC): light chop turbulence, remarks: ZFW82. 665 nm along the route, 13 nm north of the line.
as filed, and in English
HOB UA /OV HOB030020/TM 1149/FL200/TP E170/TB CONS LGT CHOP/RM ZFW82
- Report
- a routine report filed through HOB
- Where
- 20 nm northeast (030°) of HOB
- Time
- 11:49 UTC
- Height
- at 20,000 ft
- Aircraft
- E170
- Turbulence
- continuous light chop
- Remarks
- ZFW82
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 10 forecast points nearest it (MEM, LIT, FSM, DAL, SPS, ABI, LBB, INK, ROW, ELP). 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 | 230° at 22 kt | +20 kt | 21 °C | 100 kt | 8 h 26 min | 2:34 pm MDT (20:34 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 230° at 21 kt | +19 kt | 17 °C | 101 kt | 8 h 21 min | 2:29 pm MDT (20:29 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 230° at 18 kt | +17 kt | 14 °C | 103 kt | 8 h 11 min | 2:19 pm MDT (20:19 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 230° at 17 kt | +16 kt | 10 °C | 104 kt | 8 h 06 min | 2:14 pm MDT (20:14 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 230° at 17 kt | +15 kt | 6 °C | 105 kt | 8 h 02 min | 2:10 pm MDT (20:10 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 230° at 20 kt | +18 kt | 2 °C | 102 kt | 8 h 16 min | 2:24 pm MDT (20:24 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 230° at 22 kt | +21 kt | -3 °C | 99 kt | 8 h 31 min | 2:39 pm MDT (20:39 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 240° at 24 kt | +23 kt | -6 °C | 97 kt | 8 h 41 min | 2:49 pm MDT (20:49 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 250° at 34 kt | +34 kt | -16 °C | 86 kt | 9 h 48 min | 3:56 pm MDT (21:56 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 260° at 44 kt | +44 kt | -29 °C | 76 kt | 11 h 06 min | 5:14 pm MDT (23:14 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 270° at 45 kt | +44 kt | -39 °C | 76 kt | 11 h 06 min | 5:14 pm MDT (23:14 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 280° at 39 kt | +36 kt | -51 °C | 84 kt | 10 h 02 min | 4:10 pm MDT (22:10 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MEM | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 250/19 | 260/19 17° | 270/20 12° | 270/16 6° | 270/21 -6° | 290/27 -17° | 300/37 -30° | 300/49 -40° | 310/40 -51° |
| LIT | used from 50 nm out; 38 nm from the line | 250/22 | 250/25 18° | 240/23 12° | 240/20 7° | 250/17 -6° | 260/25 -17° | 300/45 -29° | 300/49 -40° | 310/43 -51° |
| FSM | used from 198 nm out; 56 nm from the line | 230/33 | 260/23 15° | 240/23 11° | 230/18 8° | 230/20 -8° | 250/31 -17° | 280/51 -30° | 280/52 -39° | 300/47 -51° |
| DAL | used from 298 nm out; 77 nm from the line | 190/30 | 200/28 18° | 220/18 13° | 250/13 8° | 240/24 -6° | 270/20 -14° | 270/35 -29° | 290/34 -39° | 310/41 -51° |
| SPS | used from 347 nm out; 57 nm from the line | 220/35 | 220/31 18° | 230/16 14° | 230/10 8° | 250/18 -5° | 250/32 -16° | 260/51 -28° | 280/46 -38° | 300/50 -50° |
| ABI | used from 496 nm out; 61 nm from the line | 200/30 19° | 220/12 16° | 220/11 9° | 230/15 -5° | 250/26 -15° | 250/39 -28° | 270/36 -38° | 280/30 -51° | |
| LBB | used from 546 nm out; 46 nm from the line | 220/25 21° | 230/20 15° | 220/20 7° | 230/36 -6° | 240/50 -15° | 240/59 -28° | 260/52 -37° | 260/45 -50° | |
| INK | used from 645 nm out; 52 nm from the line | 220/17 21° | 230/12 14° | 210/13 7° | 220/29 -5° | 240/41 -14° | 230/43 -28° | 250/41 -38° | 250/33 -51° | |
| ROW | used from 744 nm out; 71 nm from the line | 230/12 | 230/17 13° | 220/30 7° | 230/41 -5° | 240/52 -17° | 230/66 -28° | 240/63 -38° | 240/60 -50° | |
| ELP | used from 794 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 300/8 | 210/14 12° | 210/28 6° | 230/47 -6° | 230/56 -14° | 220/58 -27° | 230/60 -38° | 230/56 -50° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MEM Memphis, TN | departure | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 25,000 feet | calm | 10+ mi | none | 340 ft | 6:54 am CDT (11:54 UTC) |
| FCY Forrest City, AR | 40 nm out, 0 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 249 ft | ||||
| LIT Little Rock, AR | 109 nm out, 3 nm west of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 25,000 feet | calm | 10+ mi | none | 266 ft | 11:53 UTC |
| MEZ Mena, AR | 208 nm out, 7 nm northwest of the line | VFR | from the west (260°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,079 ft | 11:55 UTC |
| GYI Sherman/Denison, TX | 337 nm out, 18 nm south of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (180°) at 10 knots | 10+ mi | none | 749 ft | 11:55 UTC |
| ADM Ardmore, OK | 347 nm out, 21 nm north of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 776 ft | 11:50 UTC |
| SPS Wichita Falls, TX | 427 nm out, 19 nm north of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (170°) at 9 knots | 8 mi | none | 1,019 ft | 11:52 UTC |
| GNC Seminole, TX | 645 nm out, 5 nm south of the line | VFR | from the south (190°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 3,314 ft | 11:50 UTC |
| HOB Hobbs, NM | 675 nm out, 4 nm north of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (180°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 3,660 ft | 11:50 UTC |
| ELP El Paso, TX | destination | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 9,000 feet, a few clouds at 11,000 feet | from the north (360°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 3,961 ft | 5:51 am MDT (11:51 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 3,961 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At ELP when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 2:10 pm MDT (20:10 UTC)
Wind from the west-southwest at 10 knots, gusting to 18, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 8,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for ELP
- From Mon 6:00 am MDT (12:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 8,000 feet, scattered clouds at 15,000 feet
- From Mon 1:00 pm MDT (19:00 UTC): wind from the west-southwest at 10 knots, gusting to 18, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 8,000 feet
- From Mon 9:00 pm MDT (03:00 UTC): wind from the west at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
The forecast for MEM, the departure
- From Mon 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the south at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 11:00 am CDT (16:00 UTC): wind from the west-southwest at 10 knots, gusting to 17, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 8:00 pm CDT (01:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
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 MEM 6:29 pm CDT (23:29 UTC), at ELP 6:35 pm MDT (00:35 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:00 pm MDT (01:00 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: Frederick W Smith Intl/Memphis Airport, EL Paso International.