Tucson International to William P Hobby Airport TUS → HOU
820 nautical miles (944 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 096°, about 087° magnetic at the departure end (variation 9E). At 120 knots that is 5 h 11 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 38-knot tailwind), arriving about 1:32 am CDT (06:32 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: 346 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 2W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 35,000 ft to 45,000 ft. Over the first 160 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the route from 10 to 170 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 10 to 150 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 TUS.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
- A321 descending, 2 nm southeast, 5:26 pm MST (00:26 UTC): light chop turbulence. At the departure end, 2 nm southeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
TUS UA /OV FINAL RWY 12/TM 0026/FLDURD/TP A321/TB LIGHT CHOP ON FINAL
- Report
- a routine report filed through TUS
- Where
- final runway 12
- Time
- 00:26 UTC
- Height
- during the descent
- Aircraft
- A321
- Turbulence
- light chop on final
- F2TH descending, 2 nm southeast, 3:58 pm MST (22:58 UTC): light turbulence. At the departure end, 2 nm southeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
TUS UA /OV R22 FINAL/TM 2258/FLDURD/TP F2TH/TB LT TURBULENCE 14000 TO 9000FT
- Report
- a routine report filed through TUS
- Where
- R22 final
- Time
- 22:58 UTC
- Height
- during the descent
- Aircraft
- F2TH
- Turbulence
- lt turbulence wind from 140° at 0 knots to 9000FT
- B39M at 27,000 ft, 17 nm north, 5:42 pm MST (00:42 UTC): light chop turbulence, remarks: zhu. At the destination end, 17 nm north of the line.
as filed, and in English
IAH UA /OV IH340035/TM 0042/FL270/TP B39M/TB LT CHOP DURC/RM ZHU
- Report
- a routine report filed through IAH
- Where
- IH340035
- Time
- 00:42 UTC
- Height
- at 27,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B39M
- Turbulence
- lt chop during the climb
- Remarks
- zhu
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 8 forecast points nearest it (TUS, ELP, MRF, INK, DRT, SAT, CLL, HOU). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.
| Height | Average wind | Head- or tailwind | Temperature | Ground speed | Time en route | Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5,500 ft | 170° at 18 kt | +6 kt | 18 °C | 114 kt | 7 h 12 min | 3:33 am CDT (08:33 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 180° at 18 kt | +3 kt | 14 °C | 117 kt | 7 h 01 min | 3:22 am CDT (08:22 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 190° at 19 kt | −1 kt | 12 °C | 121 kt | 6 h 47 min | 3:08 am CDT (08:08 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 210° at 18 kt | −5 kt | 8 °C | 125 kt | 6 h 34 min | 2:55 am CDT (07:55 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 220° at 20 kt | −9 kt | 4 °C | 129 kt | 6 h 21 min | 2:42 am CDT (07:42 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 220° at 23 kt | −13 kt | 0 °C | 133 kt | 6 h 10 min | 2:31 am CDT (07:31 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 230° at 26 kt | −16 kt | -4 °C | 136 kt | 6 h 02 min | 2:23 am CDT (07:23 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 230° at 27 kt | −17 kt | -5 °C | 137 kt | 5 h 59 min | 2:20 am CDT (07:20 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 240° at 35 kt | −26 kt | -15 °C | 146 kt | 5 h 37 min | 1:58 am CDT (06:58 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 230° at 41 kt | −30 kt | -28 °C | 150 kt | 5 h 28 min | 1:49 am CDT (06:49 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 250° at 40 kt | −35 kt | -38 °C | 155 kt | 5 h 17 min | 1:38 am CDT (06:38 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 260° at 39 kt | −38 kt | -50 °C | 158 kt | 5 h 11 min | 1:32 am CDT (06:32 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
| Point | From | 3,000 | 6,000 | 9,000 | 12,000 | 18,000 | 24,000 | 30,000 | 34,000 | 39,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TUS | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 220/17 15° | 210/32 7° | 210/43 5° | 210/49 -7° | 220/64 -18° | 220/83 -26° | 230/81 -36° | 230/72 -48° | |
| ELP | used from 100 nm out; 109 nm from the line | 200/15 | 200/16 15° | 200/17 6° | 220/40 -6° | 240/53 -16° | 230/62 -27° | 240/63 -38° | 250/59 -49° | |
| MRF | used from 300 nm out; 68 nm from the line | 190/16 14° | 210/18 8° | 250/18 -3° | 240/27 -14° | 230/37 -28° | 250/32 -38° | 270/40 -50° | ||
| INK | used from 350 nm out; 41 nm from the line | 160/27 20° | 190/18 13° | 240/19 7° | 250/23 -4° | 250/33 -15° | 230/45 -28° | 250/45 -39° | 270/49 -50° | |
| DRT | used from 500 nm out; 83 nm from the line | 150/25 | 150/27 16° | 170/19 12° | 200/12 7° | 230/23 -4° | 230/27 -12° | 240/24 -28° | 290/20 -38° | 300/28 -51° |
| SAT | used from 600 nm out; 57 nm from the line | 130/22 | 140/24 18° | 170/19 13° | 190/13 7° | 240/15 -4° | 220/14 -13° | 270/11 -28° | 280/10 -40° | 310/18 -51° |
| CLL | used from 700 nm out; 49 nm from the line | 160/18 | 190/18 16° | 200/19 12° | 220/14 7° | 260/18 -5° | 250/20 -13° | 290/29 -29° | 290/31 -40° | 300/22 -53° |
| HOU | used from 750 nm out; 45 nm from the line | 160/18 | 160/14 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
| Airport | Where | Conditions | Wind | Visibility | Ceiling | Elevation | Reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TUS Tucson, AZ | departure | no report just now | 2,643 ft | ||||
| ELP El Paso, TX | 230 nm out, 12 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 3,961 ft | ||||
| VHN Van Horn, TX | 320 nm out, 19 nm south of the line | no report just now | 3,956 ft | ||||
| PEQ Pecos, TX | 380 nm out, 11 nm north of the line | no report just now | 2,613 ft | ||||
| FST Fort Stockton, TX | 420 nm out, 11 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 3,011 ft | ||||
| OZA Ozona, TX | 510 nm out, 7 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 2,376 ft | ||||
| JCT Junction, TX | 580 nm out, 3 nm south of the line | no report just now | 1,753 ft | ||||
| AUS Austin, TX | 690 nm out, 3 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 541 ft | ||||
| TME Houston, TX | 790 nm out, 4 nm northwest 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 3,961 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, 1:32 am CDT (06:32 UTC)
HOU has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
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 6 nm from the route, 690 nm along the route · drones kept away from a public gathering · until 12 October · ZHU
Daylight
Sunset at TUS 5:55 pm MST (00:55 UTC), at HOU 6:54 pm CDT (23:54 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:18 pm CDT (00:18 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
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: Tucson International, William P Hobby Airport.