Tucson International to George Bush Intcntl/Houston Airport TUS → IAH
812 nautical miles (934 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 095°, about 086° magnetic at the departure end (variation 9E). At 120 knots that is 5 h 18 min at the quickest height in today's winds (30,000 ft, a 33-knot tailwind), arriving about 2:53 am CDT (07:53 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: 1,442 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
- SIGMET 7W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 31,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 8:55 pm MST (03:55 UTC). Over the route from 30 to 129 nm out.
as issued
WSUS33 KKCI 120155 MKCW WST 120155 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 7W VALID UNTIL 0355Z NM AZ FROM 30NW SJN-30W TCS-60SE SSO-50SE TUS-70S INW-30NW SJN DMSHG AREA TS MOV FROM 23040KT. TOPS TO FL310.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 40 to 158 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 35,000 ft to 45,000 ft. Over the route from 59 to 79 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
Not fetched just now.
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 9 forecast points nearest it (TUS, ELP, MRF, INK, DRT, ABI, 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 | 200° at 15 kt | −2 kt | 17 °C | 122 kt | 6 h 39 min | 4:14 am CDT (09:14 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 200° at 16 kt | −3 kt | 16 °C | 123 kt | 6 h 36 min | 4:11 am CDT (09:11 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 200° at 18 kt | −4 kt | 13 °C | 124 kt | 6 h 33 min | 4:08 am CDT (09:08 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 210° at 18 kt | −7 kt | 8 °C | 127 kt | 6 h 24 min | 3:59 am CDT (08:59 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 220° at 20 kt | −10 kt | 4 °C | 130 kt | 6 h 15 min | 3:50 am CDT (08:50 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 220° at 24 kt | −14 kt | 0 °C | 134 kt | 6 h 04 min | 3:39 am CDT (08:39 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 230° at 27 kt | −17 kt | -4 °C | 137 kt | 5 h 56 min | 3:31 am CDT (08:31 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 230° at 28 kt | −18 kt | -5 °C | 138 kt | 5 h 53 min | 3:28 am CDT (08:28 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 230° at 36 kt | −26 kt | -14 °C | 146 kt | 5 h 34 min | 3:09 am CDT (08:09 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 240° at 41 kt | −33 kt | -28 °C | 153 kt | 5 h 18 min | 2:53 am CDT (07:53 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 250° at 38 kt | −33 kt | -38 °C | 153 kt | 5 h 18 min | 2:53 am CDT (07:53 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 260° at 32 kt | −31 kt | -50 °C | 151 kt | 5 h 23 min | 2:58 am CDT (07:58 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TUS | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 210/13 13° | 200/35 9° | 210/40 5° | 220/50 -7° | 220/59 -18° | 230/79 -26° | 230/84 -35° | 230/84 -48° | |
| ELP | used from 99 nm out; 110 nm from the line | 290/17 | 210/11 13° | 200/18 5° | 220/46 -6° | 230/64 -14° | 230/63 -27° | 240/55 -37° | 240/44 -48° | |
| MRF | used from 297 nm out; 76 nm from the line | 210/17 15° | 220/10 9° | 240/16 -4° | 230/27 -13° | 230/30 -27° | 250/28 -38° | 270/24 -50° | ||
| INK | used from 347 nm out; 36 nm from the line | 190/23 20° | 200/18 15° | 230/18 8° | 240/23 -4° | 240/37 -14° | 240/46 -27° | 250/42 -38° | 260/36 -50° | |
| DRT | used from 495 nm out; 96 nm from the line | 160/31 | 170/28 16° | 200/14 16° | 210/15 9° | 210/15 -4° | 240/12 -12° | 240/18 -28° | 300/11 -38° | 320/18 -50° |
| ABI | used from 545 nm out; 97 nm from the line | 200/31 17° | 210/21 15° | 240/15 9° | 250/14 -4° | 250/24 -14° | 250/36 -28° | 270/35 -38° | 290/41 -50° | |
| SAT | used from 594 nm out; 73 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 693 nm out; 42 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° |
| HOU | used from 792 nm out; 26 nm from the line | 160/22 | 150/27 19° | 180/16 14° | 250/7 9° | 270/10 -5° | 270/16 -13° | 310/23 -29° | 310/26 -40° | 330/20 -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 | ||||
| LSB Lordsburg, NM | 109 nm out, 24 nm north of the line | no report just now | 4,287 ft | ||||
| ELP El Paso, TX | 238 nm out, 8 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 3,961 ft | ||||
| PEQ Pecos, TX | 386 nm out, 5 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 2,613 ft | ||||
| FST Fort Stockton, TX | 416 nm out, 21 nm south of the line | no report just now | 3,011 ft | ||||
| OZA Ozona, TX | 505 nm out, 17 nm south of the line | no report just now | 2,376 ft | ||||
| AQO Llano, TX | 634 nm out, 11 nm north of the line | no report just now | 1,101 ft | ||||
| EDC Austin, TX | 693 nm out, 1 nm southeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 620 ft | ||||
| TME Houston, TX | 782 nm out, 17 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 165 ft | ||||
| IAH Houston, TX | destination | no report just now | 95 ft |
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 IAH when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 2:53 am CDT (07:53 UTC)
IAH has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/4240 SAN ANGELO, TX, Sunday, March 8, 2026 through Sunday, November 1, 2026 Local 18 nm from the route, 545 nm along the route · security · until 1 November · ZFW
- 6/5849 Austin, TX, Friday, October 2, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 UTC 10 nm from the route, 683 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 IAH 6:54 pm CDT (23:54 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:18 pm CDT (00:18 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at IAH is before sunrise there (7:21 am CDT (12:21 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, George Bush Intcntl/Houston Airport.