San Antonio International to Albuquerque International Sunport SAT → ABQ
529 nautical miles (608 statute miles) northwest on a straight line, true course 311°, about 307° magnetic at the departure end (variation 4E). At 120 knots that is 3 h 53 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 16-knot tailwind), arriving about 5:24 am MDT (11:24 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now SAT is VFR, wind from the east-southeast (120°) at 7 knots; ABQ is VFR, wind from the south (170°) 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: 25 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 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft, from 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC). Over the last 90 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 35,000 ft to 45,000 ft, from 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC). Over the last 10 nm of the route.
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 SAT.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
No pilot reports within 50 nautical miles of the line in the last three hours.
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 6 forecast points nearest it (SAT, DRT, ABI, INK, ROW, ABQ). 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 | 180° at 27 kt | −16 kt | 19 °C | 136 kt | 3 h 53 min | 5:24 am MDT (11:24 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 190° at 25 kt | −13 kt | 18 °C | 133 kt | 3 h 59 min | 5:30 am MDT (11:30 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 200° at 22 kt | −6 kt | 15 °C | 126 kt | 4 h 12 min | 5:43 am MDT (11:43 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 210° at 21 kt | −3 kt | 11 °C | 123 kt | 4 h 18 min | 5:49 am MDT (11:49 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 220° at 22 kt | 0 | 6 °C | 120 kt | 4 h 24 min | 5:55 am MDT (11:55 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 220° at 24 kt | +2 kt | 2 °C | 118 kt | 4 h 29 min | 6:00 am MDT (12:00 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 230° at 26 kt | +4 kt | -3 °C | 116 kt | 4 h 34 min | 6:05 am MDT (12:05 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 230° at 27 kt | +5 kt | -6 °C | 115 kt | 4 h 36 min | 6:07 am MDT (12:07 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 230° at 37 kt | +9 kt | -15 °C | 111 kt | 4 h 46 min | 6:17 am MDT (12:17 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 240° at 44 kt | +15 kt | -27 °C | 105 kt | 5 h 02 min | 6:33 am MDT (12:33 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 250° at 41 kt | +22 kt | -37 °C | 98 kt | 5 h 24 min | 6:55 am MDT (12:55 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 270° at 36 kt | +27 kt | -49 °C | 93 kt | 5 h 41 min | 7:12 am MDT (13:12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAT | used from 0 nm out; 25 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° |
| DRT | used from 100 nm out; 96 nm from the line | 160/31 | 170/28 16° | 200/14 16° | 210/15 9° | 210/15 -4° | 240/12 -12° | 240/18 -28° | 300/11 -38° | 320/18 -50° |
| ABI | used from 150 nm out; 92 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° | |
| INK | used from 200 nm out; 72 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° | |
| ROW | used from 299 nm out; 63 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° | |
| ABQ | used from 449 nm out; 55 nm from the line | 220/27 11° | 210/35 5° | 220/46 -9° | 230/62 -20° | 240/78 -25° | 240/80 -35° | 240/56 -47° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAT San Antonio, TX | departure | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 2,300 feet, a broken layer at 25,000 feet | from the east-southeast (120°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | 25,000 ft | 809 ft | 1:51 am CDT (06:51 UTC) |
| ERV Kerrville, TX | 40 nm out, 2 nm west of the line | marginal VFR Sky: overcast at 1,500 feet | from the south-southeast (160°) at 10 knots | 10+ mi | 1,500 ft | 1,616 ft | 07:15 UTC |
| JCT Junction, TX | 90 nm out, 1 nm east of the line | VFR | from the south-southeast (160°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,753 ft | 06:51 UTC |
| SJT San Angelo, TX | 150 nm out, 16 nm northeast of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (170°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,918 ft | 06:51 UTC |
| MAF Midland, TX | 239 nm out, 12 nm southwest of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (180°) at 13 knots | 10+ mi | none | 2,872 ft | 06:53 UTC |
| HOB Hobbs, NM | 309 nm out, 10 nm southwest of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southeast (160°) at 11 knots | 10+ mi | none | 3,660 ft | 07:15 UTC |
| ROW Roswell, NM | 379 nm out, 22 nm southwest of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a broken layer at 11,000 feet | from the south-southwest (200°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | 11,000 ft | 3,671 ft | 06:51 UTC |
| ABQ Albuquerque, NM | destination | VFR Sky: a broken layer at 11,000 feet | from the south (170°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | 11,000 ft | 5,354 ft | 12:52 am MDT (06:52 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 5,354 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At ABQ when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 5:24 am MDT (11:24 UTC)
Wind from the south at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 10,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for ABQ
- From Mon 12:00 am MDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 10,000 feet
- From Mon 10:00 am MDT (16:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 10,000 feet
- From Mon 1:00 pm MDT (19:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 14 knots, gusting to 24, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 6,000 feet, scattered clouds at 10,000 feet
- From Mon 7:00 pm MDT (01:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 10,000 feet
The forecast for SAT, the departure
- From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the southeast at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 1,500 feet, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 5:00 am CDT (10:00 UTC): wind from the southeast at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 1,500 feet
- From Mon 12:00 pm CDT (17:00 UTC): wind from the south-southeast at 12 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, showers nearby, a broken layer at 3,500 feet
- From Tue 2:00 am CDT (07:00 UTC): wind from the south-southeast at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 1,500 feet
- At times between Tue 4:00 am CDT (09:00 UTC) and 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC): a broken layer at 800 feet
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, 140 nm along the route · security · until 1 November · ZFW
- 6/8722 ALAMOGORDO, NM, Tuesday, October 13, 2026 Local 15 nm from the route, 459 nm along the route · security · starts tomorrow · ZAB
Daylight
Sunset at SAT 7:05 pm CDT (00:05 UTC), at ABQ 6:34 pm MDT (00:34 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:59 pm MDT (00:59 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at ABQ is before sunrise there (7:09 am MDT (13:09 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: San Antonio International, Albuquerque International Sunport.