San Antonio International to Lovell Field SAT → CHA
749 nautical miles (862 statute miles) northeast on a straight line, true course 060°, about 056° magnetic at the departure end (variation 4E). At 120 knots that is 5 h 35 min at the quickest height in today's winds (30,000 ft, a 14-knot tailwind), arriving about 4:43 am EDT (08:43 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now SAT is VFR, wind from the southeast (140°) at 12 knots, gusting to 20; CHA 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: 6 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 SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Near the route, at the destination 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 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, SHV, JAN, BHM, HSV). 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 | 220° at 10 kt | −10 kt | 130 kt | 5 h 46 min | 4:54 am EDT (08:54 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 230° at 11 kt | −11 kt | 131 kt | 5 h 43 min | 4:51 am EDT (08:51 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 250° at 12 kt | −12 kt | 15 °C | 132 kt | 5 h 40 min | 4:48 am EDT (08:48 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 260° at 12 kt | −12 kt | 11 °C | 132 kt | 5 h 40 min | 4:48 am EDT (08:48 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 280° at 10 kt | −8 kt | 8 °C | 128 kt | 5 h 51 min | 4:59 am EDT (08:59 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 290° at 11 kt | −8 kt | 4 °C | 128 kt | 5 h 51 min | 4:59 am EDT (08:59 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 280° at 12 kt | −9 kt | 0 °C | 129 kt | 5 h 48 min | 4:56 am EDT (08:56 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 280° at 13 kt | −10 kt | -4 °C | 130 kt | 5 h 46 min | 4:54 am EDT (08:54 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 280° at 14 kt | −11 kt | -5 °C | 131 kt | 5 h 43 min | 4:51 am EDT (08:51 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 300° at 15 kt | −9 kt | -15 °C | 129 kt | 5 h 48 min | 4:56 am EDT (08:56 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 310° at 33 kt | −14 kt | -30 °C | 134 kt | 5 h 35 min | 4:43 am EDT (08:43 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 320° at 35 kt | −11 kt | -40 °C | 131 kt | 5 h 43 min | 4:51 am EDT (08:51 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 320° at 35 kt | −7 kt | -51 °C | 127 kt | 5 h 54 min | 5:02 am EDT (09:02 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; 52 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° |
| SHV | used from 200 nm out; 79 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 400 nm out; 62 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 549 nm out; 87 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° |
| HSV | used from 599 nm out; 45 nm from the line | 310/20 | 330/20 16° | 320/27 11° | 340/23 5° | 320/23 -7° | 340/30 -17° | 320/50 -33° | 330/61 -41° | 340/41 -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 | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 20,000 feet | from the southeast (140°) at 12 knots, gusting to 20 | 10+ mi | none | 809 ft | 9:51 pm CDT (02:51 UTC) |
| HYI Austin, TX | 40 nm out, 4 nm northwest of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southeast (150°) at 8 knots | 10+ mi | none | 594 ft | 02:56 UTC |
| CLL College Station, TX | 130 nm out, 4 nm west of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southeast (160°) at 8 knots | 10+ mi | none | 320 ft | 02:53 UTC |
| LFK Lufkin, TX | 220 nm out, 3 nm south of the line | VFR | from the south-southeast (150°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 295 ft | 02:53 UTC |
| OCH Nacogdoches, TX | 230 nm out, 15 nm northwest of the line | reported, no category | from the south (170°) at 7 knots | none | 343 ft | 02:56 UTC | |
| IER Natchitoches, LA | 310 nm out, 15 nm south of the line | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 121 ft | 02:55 UTC |
| MLU Monroe, LA | 380 nm out, 4 nm west of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (180°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 78 ft | 02:53 UTC |
| GWO Greenwood, MS | 489 nm out, 13 nm north of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 162 ft | 02:53 UTC |
| GTR Columbus/W Point/Starkville, MS | 559 nm out, 21 nm south of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (180°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 264 ft | 02:56 UTC |
| HSV Huntsville, AL | 669 nm out, 8 nm northwest of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 628 ft | 02:53 UTC |
| APT Jasper, TN | 729 nm out, 9 nm north of the line | no report just now | 641 ft | ||||
| CHA Chattanooga, TN | destination | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 2,500 feet | calm | 10+ mi | none | 682 ft | 10:53 pm EDT (02:53 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 CHA when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 4:43 am EDT (08:43 UTC)
Wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for CHA
- From Sun 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 7,000 feet
- From Sun 11:00 pm EDT (03:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
The forecast for SAT, the departure
- From Sun 10:00 pm CDT (03:00 UTC): wind from the south-southeast at 15 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 6,000 feet, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 12:00 am CDT (05:00 UTC): wind from the southeast at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 1,200 feet
- From Mon 6:00 am CDT (11:00 UTC): wind from the east-southeast at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 1,200 feet
- From Mon 12:00 pm CDT (17:00 UTC): wind from the south-southeast at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 2,500 feet
- From Mon 2:00 pm CDT (19:00 UTC): wind from the south at 11 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 5,000 feet
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/5849 Austin, TX, Friday, October 2, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 UTC 20 nm from the route, 50 nm along the route · drones kept away from a public gathering · until 12 October · ZHU
Daylight
Sunset at SAT 7:06 pm CDT (00:06 UTC), at CHA 7:10 pm EDT (23:10 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:35 pm EDT (23:35 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at CHA is before sunrise there (7:44 am EDT (11:44 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, Lovell Field.