Tucson International to San Antonio International TUS → SAT
661 nautical miles (761 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 100°, about 091° magnetic at the departure end (variation 9E). At 120 knots that is 4 h 28 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 28-knot tailwind), arriving about 5:10 am CDT (10:10 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now TUS is VFR, wind from the west-southwest (250°) at 4 knots; SAT is VFR, wind from the southeast (130°) at 10 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: 8 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 9C: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 30,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 30 knots, until 11:55 pm MST (06:55 UTC). Near the route, 276 nm along the route.
as issued
WSUS32 KKCI 120455 MKCC WST 120455 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 9C VALID UNTIL 0655Z TX NM FROM 50NNW CME-40ENE CME-50SE ELP-20WSW ELP-30E TCS-50NNW CME AREA TS MOV FROM 22030KT. TOPS TO FL300.
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 5 forecast points nearest it (TUS, ELP, MRF, DRT, SAT). 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 | 210° at 12 kt | −3 kt | 13 °C | 123 kt | 5 h 22 min | 6:04 am CDT (11:04 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 210° at 15 kt | −3 kt | 15 °C | 123 kt | 5 h 22 min | 6:04 am CDT (11:04 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 200° at 17 kt | −3 kt | 13 °C | 123 kt | 5 h 22 min | 6:04 am CDT (11:04 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 210° at 18 kt | −4 kt | 8 °C | 124 kt | 5 h 20 min | 6:02 am CDT (11:02 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 210° at 21 kt | −7 kt | 4 °C | 127 kt | 5 h 12 min | 5:54 am CDT (10:54 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 220° at 25 kt | −10 kt | 0 °C | 130 kt | 5 h 05 min | 5:47 am CDT (10:47 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 220° at 29 kt | −14 kt | -4 °C | 134 kt | 4 h 56 min | 5:38 am CDT (10:38 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 220° at 30 kt | −14 kt | -5 °C | 134 kt | 4 h 56 min | 5:38 am CDT (10:38 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 230° at 37 kt | −22 kt | -14 °C | 142 kt | 4 h 39 min | 5:21 am CDT (10:21 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 230° at 42 kt | −27 kt | -27 °C | 147 kt | 4 h 30 min | 5:12 am CDT (10:12 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 240° at 37 kt | −28 kt | -37 °C | 148 kt | 4 h 28 min | 5:10 am CDT (10:10 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 250° at 31 kt | −27 kt | -49 °C | 147 kt | 4 h 30 min | 5:12 am CDT (10:12 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; 112 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 296 nm out; 56 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° | ||
| DRT | used from 444 nm out; 84 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° |
| SAT | used from 592 nm out; 44 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° |
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 | from the west-southwest (250°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 2,643 ft | 9:53 pm MST (04:53 UTC) |
| VHN Van Horn, TX | 326 nm out, 5 nm northwest of the line | VFR | from the south-southwest (200°) at 10 knots | 10+ mi | none | 3,956 ft | 05:15 UTC |
| FST Fort Stockton, TX | 414 nm out, 18 nm north of the line | VFR | from the southeast (140°) at 17 knots, gusting to 27 | 10+ mi | none | 3,011 ft | 04:53 UTC |
| ECU Rocksprings, TX | 572 nm out, 4 nm west of the line | reported, no category | from the south-southeast (150°) at 17 knots, gusting to 23 | 10+ mi | none | 2,372 ft | 05:35 UTC |
| ERV Kerrville, TX | 622 nm out, 16 nm north of the line | VFR | from the south-southeast (150°) at 10 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,616 ft | 05:35 UTC |
| SAT San Antonio, TX | destination | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 25,000 feet | from the southeast (130°) at 10 knots | 10+ mi | none | 809 ft | 11:51 pm CDT (04:51 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 3,956 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At SAT when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 5:10 am CDT (10:10 UTC)
Wind from the southeast at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 1,500 feet marginal VFR
The whole forecast for SAT
- From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the southeast at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 1,500 feet, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 5:00 am CDT (10:00 UTC): wind from the southeast at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 1,500 feet
- From Mon 12:00 pm CDT (17:00 UTC): wind from the south-southeast at 12 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, showers nearby, a broken layer at 3,500 feet
- From Tue 2:00 am CDT (07:00 UTC): wind from the south-southeast at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 1,500 feet
- At times between Tue 4:00 am CDT (09:00 UTC) and 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC): a broken layer at 800 feet
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
No temporary flight restriction on or near this route right now.
Daylight
Sunset at TUS 5:55 pm MST (00:55 UTC), at SAT 7:05 pm CDT (00:05 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:29 pm CDT (00:29 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at SAT is before sunrise there (7:33 am CDT (12:33 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, San Antonio International.