Palm Springs International to MC Allen International PSP → MFE
1,053 nautical miles (1,212 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 111°, about 098° magnetic at the departure end (variation 13E). At 120 knots that is 7 h 38 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 18-knot tailwind), arriving about 1:20 pm CDT (18:20 UTC). Right now PSP is VFR, wind from the west (280°) at 5 knots; MFE is VFR, wind from the east-southeast (120°) at 6 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: 1 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 1W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 12,000 ft. Over the first 70 nm of the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 2E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Near the route, at the departure 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 PSP.
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 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 8 forecast points nearest it (BLH, PHX, TUS, ELP, MRF, DRT, LRD, BRO). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.
| Height | Average wind | Head- or tailwind | Temperature | Ground speed | Time en route | Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3,500 ft | 180° at 18 kt | +7 kt | 113 kt | 9 h 19 min | 3:01 pm CDT (20:01 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 200° at 14 kt | +2 kt | 13 °C | 118 kt | 8 h 55 min | 2:37 pm CDT (19:37 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 200° at 18 kt | +2 kt | 12 °C | 118 kt | 8 h 55 min | 2:37 pm CDT (19:37 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 200° at 23 kt | +1 kt | 10 °C | 119 kt | 8 h 51 min | 2:33 pm CDT (19:33 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 210° at 24 kt | −1 kt | 6 °C | 121 kt | 8 h 42 min | 2:24 pm CDT (19:24 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 210° at 28 kt | −4 kt | 3 °C | 124 kt | 8 h 30 min | 2:12 pm CDT (19:12 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 220° at 32 kt | −8 kt | -1 °C | 128 kt | 8 h 14 min | 1:56 pm CDT (18:56 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 220° at 37 kt | −12 kt | -5 °C | 132 kt | 7 h 59 min | 1:41 pm CDT (18:41 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 220° at 38 kt | −13 kt | -6 °C | 133 kt | 7 h 55 min | 1:37 pm CDT (18:37 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 220° at 45 kt | −14 kt | -16 °C | 134 kt | 7 h 51 min | 1:33 pm CDT (18:33 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 220° at 50 kt | −11 kt | -28 °C | 131 kt | 8 h 02 min | 1:44 pm CDT (18:44 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 230° at 48 kt | −18 kt | -38 °C | 138 kt | 7 h 38 min | 1:20 pm CDT (18:20 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 230° at 42 kt | −18 kt | -49 °C | 138 kt | 7 h 38 min | 1:20 pm CDT (18:20 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BLH | used from 0 nm out; 66 nm from the line | 240/19 | 210/20 10° | 200/27 4° | 210/34 -2° | 220/59 -10° | 220/67 -20° | 220/75 -29° | 230/78 -38° | 220/90 -47° |
| PHX | used from 149 nm out; 76 nm from the line | 190/15 | 210/25 12° | 200/34 4° | 200/34 2° | 220/58 -9° | 220/75 -19° | 220/91 -28° | 220/100 -35° | 220/95 -47° |
| TUS | used from 248 nm out; 28 nm from the line | 200/12 13° | 200/34 7° | 210/41 4° | 230/53 -7° | 220/69 -19° | 220/84 -27° | 220/88 -36° | 220/83 -48° | |
| ELP | used from 447 nm out; 105 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° | |
| MRF | used from 596 nm out; 85 nm from the line | 210/12 15° | 190/5 10° | 220/19 -4° | 240/30 -13° | 220/29 -28° | 240/24 -38° | 250/18 -51° | ||
| DRT | used from 745 nm out; 116 nm from the line | 160/26 | 180/14 17° | 200/18 15° | 200/20 9° | 210/21 -3° | 220/14 -13° | 210/17 -29° | 280/12 -39° | 320/20 -51° |
| LRD | used from 844 nm out; 94 nm from the line | 160/22 | 170/23 18° | 190/18 15° | 210/12 10° | 220/17 -4° | 200/11 -15° | 150/13 -29° | 060/8 -40° | 030/28 -51° |
| BRO | used from 1043 nm out; 52 nm from the line | 160/15 | 160/15 18° | 170/11 14° | 150/7 9° | L/V -4° | 170/6 -15° | 100/15 -29° | 100/14 -41° | 040/26 -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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSP Palm Springs, CA | departure | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 10,000 feet | from the west (280°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 476 ft | 2:53 am PDT (09:53 UTC) |
| TRM Palm Springs, CA | 20 nm out, 5 nm south of the line | VFR Weather: light rain | calm | 10+ mi | none | -114 ft | 09:52 UTC |
| RYN Tucson, AZ | 288 nm out, 9 nm north of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a broken layer at 6,500 feet | calm | 10+ mi | 6,500 ft | 2,418 ft | 02:45 UTC |
| FHU Fort Huachuca Sierra Vista, AZ | 338 nm out, 4 nm south of the line, tower | VFR Sky: overcast at 3,800 feet | from the south (180°) at 10 knots | 10+ mi | 3,800 ft | 4,718 ft | 09:55 UTC |
| APY Zapata, TX | 983 nm out, 14 nm northeast of the line | VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 1,500 feet | calm | 10+ mi | none | 422 ft | 10:35 UTC |
| MFE Mc Allen, TX | destination | VFR | from the east-southeast (120°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 107 ft | 4:53 am CDT (09:53 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 MFE when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 1:20 pm CDT (18:20 UTC)
Wind from the south-southeast at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for MFE
- From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 2,500 feet
- From Mon 10:00 am CDT (15:00 UTC): wind from the south-southeast at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 3:00 pm CDT (20:00 UTC): wind from the south-southeast at 12 knots, gusting to 20, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 7,000 feet
- From Mon 11:00 pm CDT (04:00 UTC): wind from the southeast at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 7,000 feet
The forecast for PSP, the departure
- From Sun 11:00 pm PDT (06:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 10,000 feet
- From Mon 2:00 pm PDT (21:00 UTC): wind from the northwest at 11 knots, gusting to 18, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 10,000 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 PSP 6:14 pm PDT (01:14 UTC), at MFE 7:07 pm CDT (00:07 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:30 pm CDT (00:30 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: Palm Springs International, MC Allen International.