Frederick W Smith Intl/Memphis Airport to George Bush Intcntl/Houston Airport MEM → IAH
407 nautical miles (469 statute miles) southwest on a straight line, true course 223°, about 224° magnetic at the departure end (variation 1W). At 120 knots that is 3 h 14 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 6-knot tailwind), arriving about 6:53 am CDT (11:53 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now MEM is VFR, wind from the south (190°) at 6 knots; IAH 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: 4,109 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 MEM.
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 5 forecast points nearest it (MEM, LIT, SHV, LCH, HOU). 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 | 220° at 18 kt | +18 kt | 102 kt | 3 h 59 min | 7:38 am CDT (12:38 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 220° at 18 kt | +18 kt | 17 °C | 102 kt | 3 h 59 min | 7:38 am CDT (12:38 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 230° at 16 kt | +16 kt | 13 °C | 104 kt | 3 h 55 min | 7:34 am CDT (12:34 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 240° at 14 kt | +14 kt | 10 °C | 106 kt | 3 h 50 min | 7:29 am CDT (12:29 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 240° at 13 kt | +12 kt | 6 °C | 108 kt | 3 h 46 min | 7:25 am CDT (12:25 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 250° at 13 kt | +12 kt | 2 °C | 108 kt | 3 h 46 min | 7:25 am CDT (12:25 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 260° at 14 kt | +12 kt | -3 °C | 108 kt | 3 h 46 min | 7:25 am CDT (12:25 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 260° at 15 kt | +11 kt | -6 °C | 109 kt | 3 h 44 min | 7:23 am CDT (12:23 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 270° at 17 kt | +12 kt | -15 °C | 108 kt | 3 h 46 min | 7:25 am CDT (12:25 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 300° at 34 kt | +6 kt | -30 °C | 114 kt | 3 h 34 min | 7:13 am CDT (12:13 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 310° at 36 kt | +3 kt | -40 °C | 117 kt | 3 h 29 min | 7:08 am CDT (12:08 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 320° at 37 kt | −6 kt | -51 °C | 126 kt | 3 h 14 min | 6:53 am CDT (11:53 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; 70 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° |
| SHV | used from 149 nm out; 80 nm from the line | 210/20 | 210/20 18° | 230/20 11° | 240/16 7° | 270/17 -7° | 250/11 -15° | 300/34 -30° | 310/34 -40° | 320/36 -51° |
| LCH | used from 298 nm out; 78 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 348 nm out; 51 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° |
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 | from the south (190°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 340 ft | 2:54 am CDT (07:54 UTC) |
| UTA Tunica, MS | 30 nm out, 2 nm east of the line | VFR | from the south-southeast (160°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 194 ft | 08:35 UTC |
| CKM Clarksdale, MS | 50 nm out, 11 nm southeast of the line | VFR | from the south-southwest (200°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 173 ft | 08:15 UTC |
| LLQ Monticello, AR | 119 nm out, 8 nm northwest of the line | VFR | from the south-southwest (210°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 267 ft | 07:53 UTC |
| CRT Crossett, AR | 149 nm out, 7 nm east of the line | no report just now | 183 ft | ||||
| RSN Ruston, LA | 199 nm out, 7 nm southeast of the line | VFR | from the south-southwest (200°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 316 ft | 08:35 UTC |
| IER Natchitoches, LA | 248 nm out, 19 nm southeast of the line | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 121 ft | 08:35 UTC |
| JAS Jasper, TX | 318 nm out, 17 nm southeast of the line | VFR | calm | 9 mi | none | 212 ft | 08:15 UTC |
| IAH Houston, TX | destination | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 3,500 feet, overcast at 23,000 feet | calm | 10+ mi | 23,000 ft | 95 ft | 2:53 am CDT (07:53 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 340 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At IAH when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 6:53 am CDT (11:53 UTC)
Wind from the east-southeast at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 2,500 feet, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for IAH
- From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south-southeast at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 4:00 am CDT (09:00 UTC): wind from the east-southeast at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 2,500 feet, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 12:00 pm CDT (17:00 UTC): wind from the southeast at 11 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 3,500 feet, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
- 30% chance between Mon 1:00 pm CDT (18:00 UTC) and 5:00 pm CDT (22:00 UTC): light rain showers
The forecast for MEM, the departure
- From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south at 4 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 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 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 IAH 6:54 pm CDT (23:54 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:18 pm CDT (00:18 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at IAH is before sunrise there (7:21 am CDT (12:21 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, George Bush Intcntl/Houston Airport.