Frederick W Smith Intl/Memphis Airport to Tucson International MEM → TUS
1,061 nautical miles (1,221 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 266°, about 267° magnetic at the departure end (variation 1W). At 120 knots that is 10 h 12 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 16-knot headwind), arriving about 5:53 am MST (12:53 UTC), after sunset at the destination. 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: 465 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 6W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 34,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 10:55 pm CDT (03:55 UTC). Over the route from 744 to 793 nm out.
as issued
WSUS33 KKCI 120155 MKCW WST 120155 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 6W VALID UNTIL 0355Z CO NM FROM 50SSW DEN-30NNE TBE-50SSW CME-50E SJN-20NE DVC-50SSW DEN AREA TS MOV FROM 23040KT. TOPS TO FL340.
- SIGMET 7W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 31,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 10:55 pm CDT (03:55 UTC). Over the route from 912 to 1031 nm out.
as issued
WSUS33 KKCI 120155 MKCW WST 120155 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 7W VALID UNTIL 0355Z NM AZ FROM 30NW SJN-30W TCS-60SE SSO-50SE TUS-70S INW-30NW SJN DMSHG AREA TS MOV FROM 23040KT. TOPS TO FL310.
- AIRMET TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 35,000 ft to 45,000 ft. Over the route from 784 to 1041 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the route from 823 to 893 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 873 to 1022 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
Not fetched just now.
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 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 9 forecast points nearest it (MEM, LIT, FSM, OKC, SPS, LBB, ROW, 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 | 210° at 23 kt | +16 kt | 16 °C | 104 kt | 10 h 12 min | 5:53 am MST (12:53 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 220° at 21 kt | +17 kt | 16 °C | 103 kt | 10 h 18 min | 5:59 am MST (12:59 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 220° at 21 kt | +17 kt | 13 °C | 103 kt | 10 h 18 min | 5:59 am MST (12:59 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 230° at 20 kt | +17 kt | 10 °C | 103 kt | 10 h 18 min | 5:59 am MST (12:59 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 230° at 20 kt | +17 kt | 6 °C | 103 kt | 10 h 18 min | 5:59 am MST (12:59 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 230° at 22 kt | +20 kt | 2 °C | 100 kt | 10 h 37 min | 6:18 am MST (13:18 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 230° at 25 kt | +22 kt | -2 °C | 98 kt | 10 h 50 min | 6:31 am MST (13:31 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 230° at 27 kt | +24 kt | -5 °C | 96 kt | 11 h 03 min | 6:44 am MST (13:44 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 240° at 39 kt | +37 kt | -16 °C | 83 kt | 12 h 47 min | 8:28 am MST (15:28 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 250° at 50 kt | +50 kt | -28 °C | 70 kt | 15 h 09 min | 10:50 am MST (17:50 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 260° at 49 kt | +50 kt | -38 °C | 70 kt | 15 h 09 min | 10:50 am MST (17:50 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 260° at 45 kt | +46 kt | -50 °C | 74 kt | 14 h 20 min | 10:01 am MST (17:01 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MEM | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 230/19 | 260/16 15° | 270/17 12° | 300/13 6° | 300/15 -5° | 300/26 -18° | 300/34 -32° | 300/41 -40° | 310/46 -52° |
| LIT | used from 50 nm out; 39 nm from the line | 220/21 | 230/17 16° | 250/24 12° | 260/15 7° | 260/13 -5° | 280/25 -16° | 290/35 -30° | 300/42 -40° | 300/40 -52° |
| FSM | used from 149 nm out; 53 nm from the line | 210/27 | 250/23 16° | 250/20 13° | 240/17 8° | 250/18 -6° | 260/31 -16° | 280/42 -30° | 280/44 -40° | 290/38 -51° |
| OKC | used from 298 nm out; 75 nm from the line | 200/44 | 230/32 18° | 240/13 15° | 240/10 9° | 240/20 -5° | 250/27 -16° | 260/47 -28° | 270/48 -39° | 270/45 -50° |
| SPS | used from 347 nm out; 57 nm from the line | 200/39 | 220/28 17° | 230/27 12° | 240/15 9° | 250/15 -4° | 250/24 -15° | 260/45 -28° | 270/43 -39° | 280/45 -51° |
| LBB | used from 496 nm out; 73 nm from the line | 200/36 18° | 220/19 15° | 240/20 8° | 230/24 -4° | 240/37 -16° | 250/57 -28° | 250/51 -38° | 270/47 -50° | |
| ROW | used from 645 nm out; 61 nm from the line | 190/33 | 210/27 14° | 220/28 6° | 230/36 -6° | 230/56 -15° | 230/63 -27° | 250/59 -37° | 260/57 -49° | |
| ELP | used from 793 nm out; 77 nm from the line | 290/17 | 210/11 13° | 200/18 5° | 220/46 -6° | 230/64 -14° | 230/63 -27° | 240/55 -37° | 240/44 -48° | |
| TUS | used from 942 nm out; 94 nm from the line | 210/13 13° | 200/35 9° | 210/40 5° | 220/50 -7° | 220/59 -18° | 230/79 -26° | 230/84 -35° | 230/84 -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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MEM Memphis, TN | departure | no report just now | 340 ft | ||||
| FCY Forrest City, AR | 40 nm out, 3 nm south of the line | no report just now | 249 ft | ||||
| LIT Little Rock, AR | 109 nm out, 11 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 266 ft | ||||
| AQR Atoka, OK | 307 nm out, 10 nm south of the line | no report just now | 590 ft | ||||
| ADM Ardmore, OK | 347 nm out, 11 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 776 ft | ||||
| SPS Wichita Falls, TX | 426 nm out, 19 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,019 ft | ||||
| LBB Lubbock, TX | 595 nm out, 12 nm southeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 3,282 ft | ||||
| ROW Roswell, NM | 734 nm out, 8 nm southeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 3,671 ft | ||||
| SRR Ruidoso, NM | 774 nm out, 14 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 6,813 ft | ||||
| SVC Silver City, NM | 912 nm out, 7 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 5,445 ft | ||||
| TUS Tucson, AZ | destination | no report just now | 2,643 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 6,813 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, 5:53 am MST (12:53 UTC)
TUS has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/8722 ALAMOGORDO, NM, Tuesday, October 13, 2026 Local on the route, 784 nm along the route · security · starts tomorrow · ZAB
Daylight
Sunset at MEM 6:29 pm CDT (23:29 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: Frederick W Smith Intl/Memphis Airport, Tucson International.