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 25 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 30-knot tailwind), arriving about 11:09 am CDT (16:09 UTC). Right now TUS is VFR, wind from the south-southeast (160°) at 3 knots; IAH is VFR, wind from the east (100°) at 4 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: 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
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Near the route, at the departure 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 TUS.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
- SF30 at 21,000 ft, 2 nm south, 2:35 am MST (09:35 UTC): light rime icing, -10 °C, remarks: zhu. At the destination end, 2 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 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 13 kt | −2 kt | 18 °C | 122 kt | 6 h 39 min | 12:23 pm CDT (17:23 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 200° at 14 kt | −3 kt | 16 °C | 123 kt | 6 h 36 min | 12:20 pm CDT (17:20 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 210° at 16 kt | −5 kt | 12 °C | 125 kt | 6 h 30 min | 12:14 pm CDT (17:14 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 210° at 18 kt | −7 kt | 8 °C | 127 kt | 6 h 24 min | 12:08 pm CDT (17:08 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 220° at 22 kt | −10 kt | 4 °C | 130 kt | 6 h 15 min | 11:59 am CDT (16:59 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 220° at 26 kt | −14 kt | 0 °C | 134 kt | 6 h 04 min | 11:48 am CDT (16:48 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 230° at 30 kt | −18 kt | -4 °C | 138 kt | 5 h 53 min | 11:37 am CDT (16:37 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 230° at 31 kt | −19 kt | -5 °C | 139 kt | 5 h 51 min | 11:35 am CDT (16:35 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 230° at 37 kt | −26 kt | -14 °C | 146 kt | 5 h 34 min | 11:18 am CDT (16:18 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 230° at 39 kt | −26 kt | -28 °C | 146 kt | 5 h 34 min | 11:18 am CDT (16:18 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 240° at 36 kt | −30 kt | -38 °C | 150 kt | 5 h 25 min | 11:09 am CDT (16:09 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 250° at 29 kt | −26 kt | -50 °C | 146 kt | 5 h 34 min | 11:18 am CDT (16:18 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TUS | used from 0 nm out; 25 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° | |
| ELP | used from 99 nm out; 110 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° | |
| MRF | used from 297 nm out; 76 nm from the line | 210/12 15° | 190/5 10° | 220/19 -4° | 240/30 -13° | 220/29 -28° | 240/24 -38° | 250/18 -51° | ||
| INK | used from 347 nm out; 36 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° | |
| DRT | used from 495 nm out; 96 nm from the line | 160/26 | 180/14 17° | 200/18 15° | 200/20 9° | 210/21 -3° | 220/14 -13° | 210/17 -29° | 280/12 -39° | 320/20 -51° |
| ABI | used from 545 nm out; 97 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° | |
| SAT | used from 594 nm out; 73 nm from the line | 160/18 | 180/22 17° | 190/16 14° | 210/16 9° | 220/16 -5° | 200/11 -14° | 250/8 -29° | 330/8 -40° | 020/26 -51° |
| CLL | used from 693 nm out; 42 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° |
| HOU | used from 792 nm out; 26 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° |
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 | 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) |
| LSB Lordsburg, NM | 109 nm out, 24 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 |
| ELP El Paso, TX | 238 nm out, 8 nm northwest 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 |
| PEQ Pecos, TX | 386 nm out, 5 nm northwest of the line | VFR | from the east (100°) at 8 knots | 10+ mi | none | 2,613 ft | 10:35 UTC |
| FST Fort Stockton, TX | 416 nm out, 21 nm south of the line | VFR | from the south-southeast (160°) at 13 knots | 10+ mi | none | 3,011 ft | 09:53 UTC |
| OZA Ozona, TX | 505 nm out, 17 nm south of the line | marginal VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 1,600 feet, overcast at 2,700 feet | from the south (180°) at 9 knots, gusting to 15 | 10+ mi | 2,700 ft | 2,376 ft | 10:35 UTC |
| AQO Llano, TX | 634 nm out, 11 nm north of the line | marginal VFR Sky: overcast at 2,000 feet | from the southeast (130°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | 2,000 ft | 1,101 ft | 10:35 UTC |
| EDC Austin, TX | 693 nm out, 1 nm southeast of the line, tower | marginal VFR Sky: a broken layer at 2,600 feet, a broken layer at 3,400 feet | from the southeast (140°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | 2,600 ft | 620 ft | 10:35 UTC |
| TME Houston, TX | 782 nm out, 17 nm south of the line, tower | marginal VFR Sky: overcast at 2,400 feet | calm | 10+ mi | 2,400 ft | 165 ft | 07:15 UTC |
| IAH Houston, TX | destination | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 3,000 feet, overcast at 23,000 feet | from the east (100°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | 23,000 ft | 95 ft | 4:53 am CDT (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 IAH when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 11:09 am CDT (16:09 UTC)
Wind from the east-southeast at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 2,500 feet, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for IAH
- From Mon 4:00 am CDT (09:00 UTC): wind from the east-southeast at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 2,500 feet, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 12:00 pm CDT (17:00 UTC): wind from the southeast at 11 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 3,500 feet, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
- 30% chance between Mon 1:00 pm CDT (18:00 UTC) and 5:00 pm CDT (22:00 UTC): light rain showers
The forecast for TUS, the departure
- 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
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
Daylight
Sunset at TUS 5:53 pm MST (00:53 UTC), at IAH 6:54 pm CDT (23:54 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:18 pm CDT (00:18 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: Tucson International, George Bush Intcntl/Houston Airport.