Chicago/Rockford International to George Bush Intcntl/Houston Airport RFD → IAH
793 nautical miles (912 statute miles) southwest on a straight line, true course 204°, about 207° magnetic at the departure end (variation 3W). At 120 knots that is 6 h 27 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 3-knot tailwind), arriving about 4:58 am CDT (09:58 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: 785 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 RFD.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
- A321 at 32,000 ft, 12 nm west, 8:56 pm CDT (01:56 UTC): light turbulence, remarks: pocket continuous light turbulence. At the departure end, 12 nm west of the line.
as filed, and in English
RPJ UA /OV PLL/TM 0156/FL320/TP A321/TB CONS LGT/RM POCKET CONS LGT TB
- Report
- a routine report filed through RPJ
- Where
- over PLL
- Time
- 01:56 UTC
- Height
- at 32,000 ft
- Aircraft
- A321
- Turbulence
- continuous light
- Remarks
- pocket continuous light turbulence
- C750 at 43,000 ft, 38 nm southeast, 7:50 pm CDT (00:50 UTC): light to moderate chop turbulence above 43,000 ft, remarks: zme. 446 nm along the route, 38 nm southeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
LIT UA /OV LIT360025/TM 0050/FL430/TP C750/TB CONS LGT-MOD CHOP 430/RM ZME
- Report
- a routine report filed through LIT
- Where
- 25 nm north (360°) of LIT
- Time
- 00:50 UTC
- Height
- at 43,000 ft
- Aircraft
- C750
- Turbulence
- continuous light to moderate chop at 43,000 ft
- Remarks
- zme
- B39M at 27,000 ft, 2 nm south, 7:42 pm CDT (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 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 (JOT, BRL, SPI, STL, COU, SGF, LIT, SHV, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4,500 ft | 220° at 21 kt | +20 kt | 100 kt | 7 h 56 min | 6:27 am CDT (11:27 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 230° at 21 kt | +18 kt | 16 °C | 102 kt | 7 h 46 min | 6:17 am CDT (11:17 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 240° at 20 kt | +15 kt | 12 °C | 105 kt | 7 h 33 min | 6:04 am CDT (11:04 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 250° at 17 kt | +11 kt | 9 °C | 109 kt | 7 h 17 min | 5:48 am CDT (10:48 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 260° at 14 kt | +8 kt | 6 °C | 112 kt | 7 h 05 min | 5:36 am CDT (10:36 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 260° at 15 kt | +9 kt | 2 °C | 111 kt | 7 h 09 min | 5:40 am CDT (10:40 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 260° at 16 kt | +9 kt | -3 °C | 111 kt | 7 h 09 min | 5:40 am CDT (10:40 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 260° at 17 kt | +9 kt | -6 °C | 111 kt | 7 h 09 min | 5:40 am CDT (10:40 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 270° at 22 kt | +10 kt | -17 °C | 110 kt | 7 h 13 min | 5:44 am CDT (10:44 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 290° at 32 kt | +4 kt | -31 °C | 116 kt | 6 h 50 min | 5:21 am CDT (10:21 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 290° at 41 kt | +1 kt | -41 °C | 119 kt | 6 h 40 min | 5:11 am CDT (10:11 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 300° at 44 kt | −3 kt | -52 °C | 123 kt | 6 h 27 min | 4:58 am CDT (09:58 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JOT | used from 0 nm out; 55 nm from the line | 250/23 | 270/22 15° | 250/16 10° | 240/9 4° | 280/22 -7° | 280/29 -19° | 300/29 -34° | 290/50 -43° | 300/64 -52° |
| BRL | used from 50 nm out; 64 nm from the line | 230/24 | 240/29 15° | 290/16 10° | 280/15 4° | 260/23 -7° | 260/32 -19° | 260/36 -33° | 280/48 -41° | 280/59 -52° |
| SPI | used from 99 nm out; 37 nm from the line | 220/21 | 250/23 16° | 260/27 9° | 270/14 6° | 270/23 -7° | 270/31 -19° | 270/28 -33° | 290/48 -42° | 300/55 -52° |
| STL | used from 198 nm out; 32 nm from the line | 250/24 | 250/24 16° | 260/23 9° | 270/16 6° | 260/25 -6° | 270/29 -19° | 290/34 -33° | 290/48 -41° | 290/54 -51° |
| COU | used from 248 nm out; 59 nm from the line | 230/31 | 230/30 15° | 260/16 11° | 270/14 6° | 260/24 -6° | 270/27 -18° | 270/37 -32° | 280/49 -41° | 290/56 -51° |
| SGF | used from 297 nm out; 72 nm from the line | 230/33 | 230/28 15° | 250/20 13° | 240/18 7° | 250/20 -6° | 250/24 -17° | 280/42 -31° | 280/49 -40° | 290/46 -51° |
| LIT | used from 396 nm out; 65 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° |
| SHV | used from 545 nm out; 60 nm from the line | 200/18 | 230/24 18° | 230/24 12° | 240/14 8° | 260/12 -4° | 240/11 -15° | 300/31 -29° | 300/32 -40° | 300/36 -52° |
| CLL | used from 694 nm out; 86 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 743 nm out; 44 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RFD Chicago/Rockford, IL | departure | no report just now | 742 ft | ||||
| RPJ Rochelle, IL | 20 nm out, 9 nm east of the line | no report just now | 780 ft | ||||
| PIA Peoria, IL | 99 nm out, 14 nm east of the line, tower | no report just now | 660 ft | ||||
| SUS St Louis, MO | 218 nm out, 21 nm southeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 463 ft | ||||
| TBN Fort Leonard Wood, MO | 297 nm out, 23 nm west of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,159 ft | ||||
| BPK Mountain Home, AR | 386 nm out, 7 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 928 ft | ||||
| MPJ Morrilton, AR | 456 nm out, 4 nm south of the line | no report just now | 923 ft | ||||
| HOT Hot Springs, AR | 495 nm out, 10 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 540 ft | ||||
| TXK Texarkana, AR | 575 nm out, 10 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 389 ft | ||||
| GGG Longview, TX | 644 nm out, 21 nm west of the line, tower | no report just now | 365 ft | ||||
| CXO Houston, TX | 773 nm out, 11 nm west of the line, tower | no report just now | 244 ft | ||||
| IAH Houston, TX | destination | no report just now | 95 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,159 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, 4:58 am CDT (09:58 UTC)
IAH has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
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 RFD 6:19 pm CDT (23:19 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: Chicago/Rockford International, George Bush Intcntl/Houston Airport.