San Antonio International to Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International SAT → BHM
646 nautical miles (743 statute miles) northeast on a straight line, true course 065°, about 061° magnetic at the departure end (variation 4E). At 120 knots that is 4 h 47 min at the quickest height in today's winds (30,000 ft, a 15-knot tailwind), arriving about 6:38 am CDT (11:38 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now BHM is VFR, wind calm. 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: 10 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 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 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 6 forecast points nearest it (SAT, CLL, LCH, SHV, JAN, BHM). 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 | 200° at 11 kt | −8 kt | 128 kt | 5 h 03 min | 6:54 am CDT (11:54 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 220° at 11 kt | −10 kt | 130 kt | 4 h 58 min | 6:49 am CDT (11:49 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 230° at 11 kt | −11 kt | 15 °C | 131 kt | 4 h 56 min | 6:47 am CDT (11:47 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 250° at 11 kt | −11 kt | 11 °C | 131 kt | 4 h 56 min | 6:47 am CDT (11:47 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 270° at 9 kt | −9 kt | 8 °C | 129 kt | 5 h | 6:51 am CDT (11:51 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 280° at 10 kt | −9 kt | 4 °C | 129 kt | 5 h | 6:51 am CDT (11:51 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 280° at 11 kt | −10 kt | 0 °C | 130 kt | 4 h 58 min | 6:49 am CDT (11:49 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 280° at 13 kt | −11 kt | -4 °C | 131 kt | 4 h 56 min | 6:47 am CDT (11:47 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 280° at 13 kt | −12 kt | -5 °C | 132 kt | 4 h 54 min | 6:45 am CDT (11:45 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 290° at 16 kt | −12 kt | -15 °C | 132 kt | 4 h 54 min | 6:45 am CDT (11:45 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 310° at 31 kt | −15 kt | -30 °C | 135 kt | 4 h 47 min | 6:38 am CDT (11:38 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 310° at 32 kt | −13 kt | -40 °C | 133 kt | 4 h 51 min | 6:42 am CDT (11:42 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 320° at 35 kt | −9 kt | -51 °C | 129 kt | 5 h | 6:51 am CDT (11:51 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° |
| CLL | used from 50 nm out; 53 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° |
| LCH | used from 199 nm out; 87 nm from the line | 160/21 | 160/18 18° | 180/13 12° | 230/6 8° | 280/10 -4° | 260/13 -14° | 310/29 -30° | 320/32 -40° | 330/33 -53° |
| SHV | used from 248 nm out; 65 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° |
| JAN | used from 348 nm out; 91 nm from the line | 230/10 | 270/13 18° | 270/11 12° | 310/11 6° | 300/15 -4° | 300/22 -16° | 310/33 -31° | 320/37 -41° | 330/41 -52° |
| BHM | used from 547 nm out; 75 nm from the line | 310/19 | 330/20 17° | 320/28 11° | 340/21 6° | 310/22 -7° | 330/33 -17° | 330/50 -32° | 330/57 -41° | 330/41 -50° |
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 | no report just now | 809 ft | ||||
| BAZ New Braunfels, TX | 20 nm out, 5 nm northeast of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 658 ft | 05:51 UTC |
| CLL College Station, TX | 129 nm out, 13 nm northwest of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southeast (150°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | none | 320 ft | 05:53 UTC |
| CXO Houston, TX | 169 nm out, 21 nm south of the line, tower | VFR | from the east (100°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 244 ft | 05:53 UTC |
| LFK Lufkin, TX | 219 nm out, 15 nm northwest of the line | VFR | from the southeast (140°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 295 ft | 05:53 UTC |
| IER Natchitoches, LA | 308 nm out, 10 nm northwest of the line | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 121 ft | 06:35 UTC |
| AEX Alexandria, LA | 328 nm out, 24 nm south of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 88 ft | 05:53 UTC |
| VKS Vicksburg, MS | 417 nm out, 5 nm east of the line | VFR | from the south-southwest (210°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 107 ft | 06:15 UTC |
| HKS Jackson, MS | 457 nm out, 10 nm south of the line, tower | VFR | from the east-southeast (120°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 341 ft | 05:53 UTC |
| GTR Columbus/W Point/Starkville, MS | 557 nm out, 24 nm north of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 264 ft | 05:56 UTC |
| TCL Tuscaloosa, AL | 596 nm out, 6 nm southeast of the line, tower | marginal VFR Weather: mist | calm | 3 mi | none | 169 ft | 06:33 UTC |
| BHM Birmingham, AL | destination | VFR | calm | 9 mi | none | 650 ft | 12:53 am CDT (05:53 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 809 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At BHM when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 6:38 am CDT (11:38 UTC)
Wind calm, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet VFR
At times between Mon 4:00 am CDT (09:00 UTC) and 8:00 am CDT (13:00 UTC): visibility 4 miles, mist marginal VFR
The whole forecast for BHM
- From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind calm, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
- At times between Mon 4:00 am CDT (09:00 UTC) and 8:00 am CDT (13:00 UTC): visibility 4 miles, mist
- From Mon 11:00 am CDT (16:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
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 SAT 7:05 pm CDT (00:05 UTC), at BHM 6:17 pm CDT (23:17 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:42 pm CDT (23:42 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at BHM is before sunrise there (6:49 am CDT (11:49 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, Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International.