Tampa International to Tucson International TPA → TUS
1,493 nautical miles (1,718 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 287°, about 292° magnetic at the departure end (variation 5W). At 120 knots that is 12 h 39 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 2-knot headwind), arriving about 4:24 pm MST (23:24 UTC). Right now TPA is VFR, wind from the north (350°) at 3 knots; TUS is VFR, wind from the south-southeast (160°) at 3 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: 2 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 1E: 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 TPA.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
- SF30 at 21,000 ft, 42 nm south, 5:35 am EDT (09:35 UTC): light rime icing, -10 °C, remarks: zhu. 687 nm along the route, 42 nm south of the line.
as filed, and in English
IAH UA /OV DAS02002/TM 0935/FL210/TP SF30/TA M10/IC LGT RIME/RM ZHU
- Report
- a routine report filed through IAH
- Where
- DAS02002
- Time
- 09:35 UTC
- Height
- at 21,000 ft
- Aircraft
- SF30
- Temperature
- −10 °C
- Icing
- light rime
- Remarks
- zhu
Winds aloft along the route, and the time en route the forecast for use 08:00–15:00 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 11 forecast points nearest it (PIE, TLH, MOB, MSY, LCH, HOU, CLL, ABI, INK, ELP, TUS). 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 | 200° at 9 kt | +2 kt | 19 °C | 118 kt | 12 h 39 min | 4:24 pm MST (23:24 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 200° at 8 kt | +2 kt | 17 °C | 118 kt | 12 h 39 min | 4:24 pm MST (23:24 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 210° at 7 kt | +3 kt | 14 °C | 117 kt | 12 h 46 min | 4:31 pm MST (23:31 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 220° at 9 kt | +5 kt | 10 °C | 115 kt | 12 h 59 min | 4:44 pm MST (23:44 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 220° at 11 kt | +7 kt | 6 °C | 113 kt | 13 h 13 min | 4:58 pm MST (23:58 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 230° at 14 kt | +11 kt | 2 °C | 109 kt | 13 h 42 min | 5:27 pm MST (00:27 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 240° at 17 kt | +14 kt | -3 °C | 106 kt | 14 h 05 min | 5:50 pm MST (00:50 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 250° at 19 kt | +17 kt | -6 °C | 103 kt | 14 h 30 min | 6:15 pm MST (01:15 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 250° at 25 kt | +24 kt | -15 °C | 96 kt | 15 h 33 min | 7:18 pm MST (02:18 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 260° at 27 kt | +27 kt | -29 °C | 93 kt | 16 h 03 min | 7:48 pm MST (02:48 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 280° at 25 kt | +27 kt | -39 °C | 93 kt | 16 h 03 min | 7:48 pm MST (02:48 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 290° at 24 kt | +25 kt | -51 °C | 95 kt | 15 h 43 min | 7:28 pm MST (02:28 UTC) |
Based on data from the 12th at 06:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 12:00 UTC for use 08:00 to 15:00 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PIE | used from 0 nm out; 19 nm from the line | 360/10 | 340/12 18° | 330/9 13° | 290/12 8° | 260/21 -7° | 280/18 -18° | 250/20 -33° | 250/26 -41° | 250/20 -51° |
| TLH | used from 100 nm out; 113 nm from the line | 340/23 | 350/26 17° | 350/21 11° | 300/13 6° | 320/25 -6° | 340/35 -16° | 350/44 -32° | 360/51 -42° | 350/33 -52° |
| MOB | used from 199 nm out; 133 nm from the line | L/V | L/V 18° | 020/8 11° | L/V 6° | 330/12 -5° | 330/23 -17° | 330/30 -32° | 350/39 -41° | 340/40 -53° |
| MSY | used from 348 nm out; 52 nm from the line | 150/9 | 140/8 18° | L/V 13° | L/V 6° | 320/15 -5° | 310/16 -16° | 320/32 -31° | 340/35 -40° | 350/34 -52° |
| LCH | used from 498 nm out; 54 nm from the line | 170/21 | 160/23 18° | 170/13 13° | 170/6 8° | 300/12 -7° | 280/16 -14° | 320/27 -30° | 330/23 -41° | 340/38 -51° |
| HOU | used from 647 nm out; 59 nm from the line | 180/22 | 180/20 16° | 170/7 15° | L/V 8° | 220/11 -6° | 260/15 -13° | 310/20 -30° | 320/20 -40° | 350/32 -51° |
| CLL | used from 697 nm out; 23 nm from the line | 180/24 | 170/21 19° | 180/10 14° | 230/7 8° | 230/16 -6° | 260/20 -13° | 290/23 -29° | 320/21 -39° | 340/35 -51° |
| ABI | used from 846 nm out; 88 nm from the line | 200/30 19° | 220/12 16° | 220/11 9° | 230/15 -5° | 250/26 -15° | 250/39 -28° | 270/36 -38° | 280/30 -51° | |
| INK | used from 995 nm out; 79 nm from the line | 220/17 21° | 230/12 14° | 210/13 7° | 220/29 -5° | 240/41 -14° | 230/43 -28° | 250/41 -38° | 250/33 -51° | |
| ELP | used from 1194 nm out; 41 nm from the line | 300/8 | 210/14 12° | 210/28 6° | 230/47 -6° | 230/56 -14° | 220/58 -27° | 230/60 -38° | 230/56 -50° | |
| TUS | used from 1393 nm out; 75 nm from the line | 200/12 13° | 200/34 7° | 210/41 4° | 230/53 -7° | 220/69 -19° | 220/84 -27° | 220/88 -36° | 220/83 -48° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TPA Tampa, FL | departure | VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 18,000 feet, a broken layer at 25,000 feet | from the north (350°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | 25,000 ft | 26 ft | 5:53 am EDT (09:53 UTC) |
| MSY New Orleans, LA | 428 nm out, 15 nm northeast of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 25,000 feet | calm | 10+ mi | none | 3 ft | 09:53 UTC |
| ARA New Iberia, LA | 508 nm out, 2 nm southeast of the line, tower | marginal VFR Weather: mist | calm | 3 mi | none | 24 ft | 10:17 UTC |
| CLL College Station, TX | 736 nm out, 14 nm southwest of the line, tower | VFR | from the east-southeast (120°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 320 ft | 09:53 UTC |
| GRK Fort Hood (Killeen), TX | 816 nm out, 5 nm northwest of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a broken layer at 15,000 feet | from the southeast (140°) at 9 knots | 9 mi | 15,000 ft | 1,015 ft | 09:55 UTC |
| SJT San Angelo, TX | 955 nm out, 2 nm west of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southeast (150°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,918 ft | 09:51 UTC |
| MAF Midland, TX | 1045 nm out, 24 nm north of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (180°) at 13 knots | 10+ mi | none | 2,872 ft | 09:53 UTC |
| ELP El Paso, TX | 1264 nm out, 7 nm southeast of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 8,000 feet, a few clouds at 11,000 feet | calm | 10+ mi | none | 3,961 ft | 09:51 UTC |
| LSB Lordsburg, NM | 1383 nm out, 19 nm north of the line | VFR Sky: a broken layer at 5,500 feet, overcast at 6,500 feet | calm | 10+ mi | 5,500 ft | 4,287 ft | 10:35 UTC |
| TUS Tucson, AZ | destination | VFR Sky: a broken layer at 7,000 feet, a broken layer at 8,000 feet | from the south-southeast (160°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | 7,000 ft | 2,643 ft | 2:53 am MST (09:53 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 4,287 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At TUS when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 4:24 pm MST (23:24 UTC)
Wind from the south-southwest at 14 knots, gusting to 22, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 6,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for TUS
- From Sun 11:00 pm MST (06:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 8,000 feet
- From Mon 1:00 am MST (08:00 UTC): wind from the south-southeast at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 5,000 feet
- From Mon 10:00 am MST (17:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 14 knots, gusting to 22, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 6,000 feet
- From Mon 8:00 pm MST (03:00 UTC): wind from the west-southwest at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 6,000 feet
The forecast for TPA, the departure
- From Mon 5:00 am EDT (09:00 UTC): wind from the north at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 10:00 am EDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the north at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 9:00 pm EDT (01:00 UTC): wind from the north at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/0543 MCGREGOR, TX 25 nm from the route, 806 nm along the route · security · ZFW
- 6/4240 SAN ANGELO, TX, Sunday, March 8, 2026 through Sunday, November 1, 2026 Local 1 nm from the route, 955 nm along the route · security · until 1 November · ZFW
Daylight
Sunset at TPA 7:04 pm EDT (23:04 UTC), at TUS 5:53 pm MST (00:53 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:18 pm MST (01:18 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: Tampa International, Tucson International.