The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Plan a flight · Sun 5:08 pm PDT (00:08 UTC)

Santa Barbara Municipal to William P Hobby Airport SBA → HOU

1,279 nautical miles (1,472 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 096°, about 082° magnetic at the departure end (variation 14E). At 120 knots that is 8 h 12 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 36-knot tailwind), arriving about 3:20 am CDT (08:20 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: 1 flights in the DOT's last twelve reported months, the route's page.

The return flight

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

  • SIGMET W69W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 34,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 6:55 pm PDT (01:55 UTC). Over the route from 330 to 700 nm out.
    as issued
    WSUS33 KKCI 112355
    MKCW WST 112355
    CONVECTIVE SIGMET 69W
    VALID UNTIL 0155Z
    TX NM AZ
    FROM 50ENE PGS-60SE ABQ-20ENE ELP-70SSW SSO-50SE BZA-50ENE PGS
    AREA TS MOV FROM 23040KT. TOPS TO FL340.
  • AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 12,000 ft. Over the route from 70 to 240 nm out.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 6E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 80 to 160 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 36,000 ft. Over the route from 190 to 280 nm out.
  • AIRMET ZULU 3C: moderate icing up to 22,000 ft. Near the route, 230 nm along the route.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 2E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Near the route, 350 nm along the route.
  • AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the route from 440 to 660 nm out.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 450 to 620 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 35,000 ft to 45,000 ft. Over the route from 470 to 690 nm out.

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 SBA.

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 20:00–03:00 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 13 forecast points nearest it (SBA, WJF, ONT, BLH, PHX, TUS, ELP, ROW, INK, ABI, SAT, CLL, HOU). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

HeightAverage windHead- or tailwindTemperatureGround speedTime en routeArrival
5,500 ft190° at 19 kt+1 kt17 °C119 kt10 h 45 min5:53 am CDT (10:53 UTC)
7,500 ft200° at 19 kt−2 kt11 °C122 kt10 h 29 min5:37 am CDT (10:37 UTC)
9,500 ft210° at 21 kt−6 kt9 °C126 kt10 h 09 min5:17 am CDT (10:17 UTC)
11,500 ft220° at 23 kt−10 kt5 °C130 kt9 h 50 min4:58 am CDT (09:58 UTC)
13,500 ft220° at 26 kt−13 kt1 °C133 kt9 h 37 min4:45 am CDT (09:45 UTC)
15,500 ft220° at 29 kt−15 kt-2 °C135 kt9 h 28 min4:36 am CDT (09:36 UTC)
17,500 ft220° at 32 kt−17 kt-6 °C137 kt9 h 20 min4:28 am CDT (09:28 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180220° at 33 kt−18 kt-7 °C138 kt9 h 16 min4:24 am CDT (09:24 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240230° at 42 kt−27 kt-17 °C147 kt8 h 42 min3:50 am CDT (08:50 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300230° at 48 kt−30 kt-28 °C150 kt8 h 32 min3:40 am CDT (08:40 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340240° at 49 kt−36 kt-37 °C156 kt8 h 12 min3:20 am CDT (08:20 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390240° at 44 kt−36 kt-48 °C156 kt8 h 12 min3:20 am CDT (08:20 UTC)

Based on data from the 11th at 18:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 00:00 UTC for use 20:00 to 03:00 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
PointFrom3,0006,0009,00012,00018,00024,00030,00034,00039,000
SBAused from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the lineL/V170/13 7°220/23 4°220/30 -2°230/26 -14°230/34 -20°220/38 -28°220/37 -35°220/43 -44°
WJFused from 50 nm out; 28 nm from the line220/30 8°240/28 5°230/34 -2°220/34 -13°220/48 -20°220/47 -29°210/48 -34°220/52 -44°
ONTused from 100 nm out; 15 nm from the line230/11200/17 6°230/27 4°230/32 -2°210/39 -12°220/51 -20°220/48 -29°210/51 -34°210/52 -44°
BLHused from 200 nm out; 37 nm from the line230/22210/24 11°230/23 5°230/26 0°220/38 -10°230/52 -19°220/58 -28°220/69 -34°220/59 -45°
PHXused from 350 nm out; 20 nm from the line210/19210/20 14°200/20 6°210/40 1°220/58 -8°220/68 -20°220/82 -26°230/83 -34°230/69 -46°
TUSused from 450 nm out; 71 nm from the line220/17 15°210/32 7°210/43 5°210/49 -7°220/64 -18°220/83 -26°230/81 -36°230/72 -48°
ELPused from 550 nm out; 125 nm from the line200/15200/16 15°200/17 6°220/40 -6°240/53 -16°230/62 -27°240/63 -38°250/59 -49°
ROWused from 750 nm out; 72 nm from the line180/23190/24 15°210/27 7°230/35 -6°240/53 -17°240/62 -27°250/64 -38°260/60 -50°
INKused from 800 nm out; 26 nm from the line160/27 20°190/18 13°240/19 7°250/23 -4°250/33 -15°230/45 -28°250/45 -39°270/49 -50°
ABIused from 950 nm out; 95 nm from the line180/26 17°220/18 12°230/25 8°230/28 -5°240/29 -14°250/35 -28°270/37 -39°280/37 -51°
SATused from 1049 nm out; 77 nm from the line130/22140/24 18°170/19 13°190/13 7°240/15 -4°220/14 -13°270/11 -28°280/10 -40°310/18 -51°
CLLused from 1149 nm out; 48 nm from the line160/18190/18 16°200/19 12°220/14 7°260/18 -5°250/20 -13°290/29 -29°290/31 -40°300/22 -53°
HOUused from 1249 nm out; 15 nm from the line160/18160/14 17°180/19 12°190/11 8°260/12 -4°260/14 -13°310/26 -30°310/30 -40°320/21 -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

AirportWhereConditionsWindVisibilityCeilingElevationReported
SBA Santa Barbara, CA departure no report just now 13 ft
WHP Los Angeles, CA 70 nm out, 2 nm southeast of the line, tower no report just now 1,003 ft
SBD San Bernardino, CA 130 nm out, 4 nm south of the line, tower no report just now 1,159 ft
GEU Glendale, AZ 380 nm out, 1 nm north of the line, tower no report just now 1,071 ft
FFZ Mesa, AZ 410 nm out, 2 nm northwest of the line, tower no report just now 1,394 ft
CFT Clifton/Morenci, AZ 540 nm out, 3 nm southwest of the line no report just now 3,797 ft
LRU Las Cruces, NM 660 nm out, 17 nm south of the line no report just now 4,456 ft
INK Wink, TX 850 nm out, 1 nm east of the line no report just now 2,821 ft
SJT San Angelo, TX 989 nm out, 14 nm north of the line, tower no report just now 1,918 ft
EDC Austin, TX 1149 nm out, 5 nm northeast of the line, tower no report just now 620 ft
TME Houston, TX 1249 nm out, 4 nm west of the line, tower no report just now 165 ft
HOU Houston, TX destination no report just now 46 ft

The highest airport on this list sits at 4,456 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At HOU when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 3:20 am CDT (08:20 UTC)

HOU has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.

Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it

  • 4/3635 DISNEYLAND THEME PARK, ANAHEIM,, CA 23 nm from the route, 100 nm along the route · security · ZLA
  • 6/8887 Indio, CA, Sunday, October 11, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local 21 nm from the route, 180 nm along the route · security · until 12 October · ZLA
  • 6/4240 SAN ANGELO, TX, Sunday, March 8, 2026 through Sunday, November 1, 2026 Local 7 nm from the route, 999 nm along the route · security · until 1 November · ZFW
  • 6/5849 Austin, TX, Friday, October 2, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 UTC 7 nm from the route, 1149 nm along the route · drones kept away from a public gathering · until 12 October · ZHU

Daylight

Sunset at SBA 6:28 pm PDT (01:28 UTC), at HOU 6:55 pm CDT (23:55 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:19 pm CDT (00:19 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at HOU is before sunrise there (7:20 am CDT (12:20 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

Radar now, the Pacific Southwest
Radar now, the Pacific Southwest · loop National Weather Service
Radar now, the southern Rockies
Radar now, the southern Rockies · loop National Weather Service
Radar now, the southern Plains
Radar now, the southern Plains · loop National Weather Service
Radar, the whole country
Radar, the whole country · loop National Weather Service
Surface analysis now
Surface analysis now Weather Prediction Center
Forecast chart, 12 hours ahead
Forecast chart, 12 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center
Forecast chart, 24 hours ahead
Forecast chart, 24 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center

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: Santa Barbara Municipal, William P Hobby Airport.