Pinal Airpark to George Bush Intcntl/Houston Airport MZJ → IAH
834 nautical miles (959 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 096°, about 084° magnetic at the departure end (variation 12E). At 120 knots that is 5 h 21 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 36-knot tailwind), arriving about 4:00 am CDT (09:00 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now MZJ is VFR, wind from the west-southwest (240°) at 5 knots; IAH is VFR, wind from the south-southeast (160°) 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: 2 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 3C: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 30,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 30 knots, until 9:55 pm MST (04:55 UTC). Over the route from 238 to 318 nm out.
as issued
WSUS32 KKCI 120255 MKCC WST 120255 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 3C VALID UNTIL 0455Z TX NM FROM 50SE CIM-70WNW MRF-30W ELP-10W FTI-50SE CIM AREA TS MOV FROM 22030KT. TOPS TO FL300.
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 MZJ.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
- B39M at 27,000 ft, 2 nm south, 5:42 pm MST (00:42 UTC): light chop turbulence, remarks: zhu. At the destination end, 2 nm south 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
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 7 forecast points nearest it (TUS, ELP, INK, ABI, SAT, CLL, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5,500 ft | 200° at 15 kt | −2 kt | 17 °C | 122 kt | 6 h 50 min | 5:29 am CDT (10:29 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 200° at 17 kt | −3 kt | 15 °C | 123 kt | 6 h 47 min | 5:26 am CDT (10:26 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 200° at 19 kt | −4 kt | 12 °C | 124 kt | 6 h 44 min | 5:23 am CDT (10:23 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 210° at 19 kt | −8 kt | 8 °C | 128 kt | 6 h 31 min | 5:10 am CDT (10:10 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 220° at 22 kt | −11 kt | 4 °C | 131 kt | 6 h 22 min | 5:01 am CDT (10:01 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 220° at 25 kt | −14 kt | 0 °C | 134 kt | 6 h 13 min | 4:52 am CDT (09:52 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 230° at 29 kt | −18 kt | -4 °C | 138 kt | 6 h 03 min | 4:42 am CDT (09:42 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 230° at 30 kt | −18 kt | -5 °C | 138 kt | 6 h 03 min | 4:42 am CDT (09:42 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 230° at 39 kt | −27 kt | -14 °C | 147 kt | 5 h 40 min | 4:19 am CDT (09:19 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 240° at 45 kt | −35 kt | -27 °C | 155 kt | 5 h 23 min | 4:02 am CDT (09:02 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 250° at 42 kt | −36 kt | -38 °C | 156 kt | 5 h 21 min | 4:00 am CDT (09:00 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 250° at 36 kt | −34 kt | -49 °C | 154 kt | 5 h 25 min | 4:04 am CDT (09:04 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TUS | used from 0 nm out; 21 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° | |
| ELP | used from 149 nm out; 82 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° | |
| INK | used from 347 nm out; 46 nm from the line | 190/23 20° | 200/18 15° | 230/18 8° | 240/23 -4° | 240/37 -14° | 240/46 -27° | 250/42 -38° | 260/36 -50° | |
| ABI | used from 546 nm out; 91 nm from the line | 200/31 17° | 210/21 15° | 240/15 9° | 250/14 -4° | 250/24 -14° | 250/36 -28° | 270/35 -38° | 290/41 -50° | |
| SAT | used from 595 nm out; 89 nm from the line | 150/26 | 180/18 19° | 180/18 14° | 200/14 9° | 230/16 -6° | 210/9 -13° | 270/8 -29° | 280/6 -39° | 340/19 -51° |
| CLL | used from 695 nm out; 58 nm from the line | 170/22 | 170/26 18° | 200/15 14° | 240/13 8° | 240/15 -5° | 260/17 -13° | 290/27 -29° | 290/22 -40° | 320/30 -51° |
| HOU | used from 794 nm out; 34 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° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MZJ Marana, AZ | departure | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 4,700 feet | from the west-southwest (240°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,893 ft | 8:35 pm MST (03:35 UTC) |
| TUS Tucson, AZ | 20 nm out, 21 nm south of the line, tower | VFR | from the west (260°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 2,643 ft | 02:53 UTC |
| LSB Lordsburg, NM | 129 nm out, 7 nm northeast of the line | VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 5,000 feet, scattered clouds at 7,000 feet, scattered clouds at 11,000 feet | from the west (260°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 4,287 ft | 03:15 UTC |
| DNA Santa Teresa, NM | 238 nm out, 7 nm south of the line | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 9,000 feet | calm | 10+ mi | none | 4,112 ft | 03:35 UTC |
| ELP El Paso, TX | 258 nm out, 9 nm southwest of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 8,000 feet, scattered clouds at 11,000 feet, a broken layer at 22,000 feet | from the east-southeast (120°) at 11 knots | 10+ mi | 22,000 ft | 3,961 ft | 02:51 UTC |
| PEQ Pecos, TX | 407 nm out, 10 nm southwest of the line | VFR | from the southeast (140°) at 15 knots, gusting to 25 | 10+ mi | none | 2,613 ft | 03:35 UTC |
| INK Wink, TX | 417 nm out, 17 nm north of the line | reported, no category | from the south-southeast (150°) at 22 knots, gusting to 30 | none | 2,821 ft | 02:53 UTC | |
| SJT San Angelo, TX | 556 nm out, 19 nm north of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (170°) at 8 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,918 ft | 02:51 UTC |
| AQO Llano, TX | 655 nm out, 6 nm north of the line | VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 3,900 feet | from the south-southeast (160°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,101 ft | 03:15 UTC |
| EDC Austin, TX | 714 nm out, 4 nm south of the line, tower | VFR | variable at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 620 ft | 03:35 UTC |
| TME Houston, TX | 804 nm out, 18 nm south of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southeast (160°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 165 ft | 02:35 UTC |
| IAH Houston, TX | destination | VFR | from the south-southeast (160°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 95 ft | 9:53 pm CDT (02:53 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 4,287 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, 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 VFR
The whole forecast for IAH
- From Sun 10:00 pm CDT (03:00 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
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/4240 SAN ANGELO, TX, Sunday, March 8, 2026 through Sunday, November 1, 2026 Local 11 nm from the route, 566 nm along the route · security · until 1 November · ZFW
- 6/5849 Austin, TX, Friday, October 2, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 UTC 13 nm from the route, 705 nm along the route · drones kept away from a public gathering · until 12 October · ZHU
Daylight
Sunset at MZJ 5:56 pm MST (00:56 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: Pinal Airpark, George Bush Intcntl/Houston Airport.