The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Plan a flight · Sun 9:41 pm CDT (02:41 UTC)

Waterloo Regional to San Diego International ALO → SAN

1,311 nautical miles (1,509 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 251°, about 251° magnetic at the departure end (variation 0E). At 120 knots that is 13 h 39 min at the quickest height in today's winds (8,500 ft, a 24-knot headwind), arriving about 9:20 am PDT (16:20 UTC). 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 return flight

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 6W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 34,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 10:55 pm CDT (03:55 UTC). Over the route from 606 to 805 nm out.
    as issued
    WSUS33 KKCI 120155
    MKCW WST 120155
    CONVECTIVE SIGMET 6W
    VALID UNTIL 0355Z
    CO NM
    FROM 50SSW DEN-30NNE TBE-50SSW CME-50E SJN-20NE DVC-50SSW DEN
    AREA TS MOV FROM 23040KT. TOPS TO FL340.
  • SIGMET 9W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 28,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 20 knots, until 10:55 pm CDT (03:55 UTC). Near the route, 963 nm along the route.
    as issued
    WSUS33 KKCI 120155
    MKCW WST 120155
    CONVECTIVE SIGMET 9W
    VALID UNTIL 0355Z
    AZ
    FROM 20S TBC-30S INW-10E PHX-60SW DRK-30WNW DRK-20S TBC
    DMSHG AREA EMBD TS MOV FROM 21020KT. TOPS TO FL280.
  • AIRMET TANGO 3W: low-level wind shear (due to air speed loss or gain of 20 knots or more below 2,000 ft above the ground). Over the first 457 nm of the route.
  • AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the route from 536 to 1073 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 36,000 ft. Over the route from 556 to 785 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 1W: low-level wind shear (due to air speed loss or gain of 20 knots or more below 2,000 ft above the ground). Over the route from 646 to 785 nm out.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 646 to 795 nm out.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 894 to 1112 nm out.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 2E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 983 to 1083 nm out.
  • AIRMET ZULU 3C: moderate icing up to 22,000 ft. Over the route from 1043 to 1103 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 12,000 ft. Over the route from 1172 to 1291 nm out.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 6E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the last 40 nm of the route.

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 ALO.

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 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 (MCW, DSM, OMA, GRI, GLD, PUB, ALS, FMN, PRC, BLH, SAN). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

HeightAverage windHead- or tailwindTemperatureGround speedTime en routeArrival
4,500 ft230° at 33 kt+31 kt21 °C89 kt14 h 44 min10:25 am PDT (17:25 UTC)
6,500 ft230° at 31 kt+30 kt15 °C90 kt14 h 34 min10:15 am PDT (17:15 UTC)
8,500 ft220° at 26 kt+24 kt10 °C96 kt13 h 39 min9:20 am PDT (16:20 UTC)
10,500 ft220° at 26 kt+25 kt7 °C95 kt13 h 48 min9:29 am PDT (16:29 UTC)
12,500 ft220° at 28 kt+26 kt3 °C94 kt13 h 57 min9:38 am PDT (16:38 UTC)
14,500 ft220° at 32 kt+31 kt-2 °C89 kt14 h 44 min10:25 am PDT (17:25 UTC)
16,500 ft220° at 36 kt+35 kt-6 °C85 kt15 h 25 min11:06 am PDT (18:06 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180230° at 39 kt+38 kt-9 °C82 kt15 h 59 min11:40 am PDT (18:40 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240230° at 47 kt+46 kt-21 °C74 kt17 h 43 min1:24 pm PDT (20:24 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300230° at 64 kt+64 kt-30 °C56 kt23 h 25 min7:06 pm PDT (02:06 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340240° at 71 kt+72 kt-36 °C48 kt27 h 19 min11:00 pm PDT (06:00 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390240° at 62 kt+63 kt-46 °C57 kt23 h6:41 pm PDT (01:41 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
PointFrom3,0006,0009,00012,00018,00024,00030,00034,00039,000
MCWused from 0 nm out; 47 nm from the line220/44250/30 17°230/14 12°240/17 6°250/22 -8°270/29 -20°250/34 -34°260/52 -43°260/59 -51°
DSMused from 50 nm out; 40 nm from the line230/40250/33 17°250/18 12°240/17 5°260/28 -8°270/34 -19°260/41 -33°260/55 -41°270/62 -51°
OMAused from 99 nm out; 51 nm from the line220/47240/33 19°250/18 11°230/17 6°260/29 -8°250/33 -19°250/51 -33°260/61 -40°270/62 -49°
GRIused from 248 nm out; 9 nm from the line230/35 21°230/23 13°220/20 7°240/25 -8°240/37 -20°250/49 -33°260/57 -38°260/58 -47°
GLDused from 397 nm out; 46 nm from the line230/49230/42 15°220/26 8°240/18 -7°230/27 -21°240/62 -30°240/61 -35°250/57 -47°
PUBused from 546 nm out; 44 nm from the line230/25 13°230/32 6°220/44 -8°230/49 -21°240/70 -28°240/67 -34°240/58 -46°
ALSused from 646 nm out; 45 nm from the line230/37 4°220/54 -9°230/62 -22°240/77 -26°240/74 -33°230/59 -45°
FMNused from 745 nm out; 46 nm from the line220/28 9°220/40 2°220/53 -10°220/62 -22°230/79 -28°240/91 -34°230/71 -45°
PRCused from 944 nm out; 86 nm from the line210/25 5°200/30 1°220/55 -10°220/61 -21°220/84 -28°230/90 -34°230/73 -45°
BLHused from 1093 nm out; 65 nm from the line210/13200/21 11°200/22 5°210/25 -1°210/51 -10°220/61 -20°220/81 -29°220/92 -34°220/79 -45°
SANused from 1242 nm out; 45 nm from the line200/11200/23 7°210/27 4°210/31 -3°220/56 -10°220/56 -19°220/52 -30°220/64 -37°220/67 -44°

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

AirportWhereConditionsWindVisibilityCeilingElevationReported
ALO Waterloo, IA departure no report just now 873 ft
EFW Jefferson, IA 89 nm out, 4 nm southwest of the line no report just now 1,047 ft
OMA Omaha, NE 169 nm out, 19 nm south of the line, tower no report just now 984 ft
GRI Grand Island, NE 278 nm out, 5 nm northwest of the line, tower no report just now 1,847 ft
SYF St Francis, KS 457 nm out, 1 nm north of the line no report just now 3,429 ft
COS Colorado Springs, CO 606 nm out, 8 nm north of the line, tower no report just now 6,187 ft
DRO Durango, CO 775 nm out, 14 nm south of the line no report just now 6,689 ft
FMN Farmington, NM 805 nm out, 25 nm south of the line, tower no report just now 5,506 ft
CMR Williams, AZ 1023 nm out, 6 nm east of the line no report just now 6,690 ft
HII Lake Havasu City, AZ 1132 nm out, 15 nm northwest of the line no report just now 782 ft
RNM Ramona, CA 1291 nm out, 8 nm north of the line, tower no report just now 1,394 ft
SAN San Diego, CA destination no report just now 16 ft

The highest airport on this list sits at 6,690 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At SAN when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 9:20 am PDT (16:20 UTC)

SAN has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.

Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it

  • 6/8770 COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, Saturday, October 10, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 UTC 21 nm from the route, 606 nm along the route · a hazard on the ground (fire-fighting, a chemical spill, rescue work) · until 12 October · ZDV
  • 6/8891 Bullhead City, AZ, Wednesday, October 14, 2026 Local 20 nm from the route, 1122 nm along the route · a VIP movement · starts Wednesday 14 October · ZLA
  • 6/4812 El Centro, CA, Wednesday, July 15, 2026 through Tuesday, July 13, 2027 Local 16 nm from the route, 1242 nm along the route · security · until 13 July · ZLA
  • 6/8887 Indio, CA, Sunday, October 11, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local 20 nm from the route, 1242 nm along the route · security · until 12 October · ZLA

Daylight

Sunset at ALO 6:32 pm CDT (23:32 UTC), at SAN 6:19 pm PDT (01:19 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:44 pm PDT (01:44 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

Radar now, the upper Mississippi valley
Radar now, the upper Mississippi valley · loop National Weather Service
Radar now, the northern Rockies
Radar now, the northern Rockies · loop National Weather Service
Radar now, the southern Plains
Radar now, the southern Plains · loop National Weather Service
Radar, the whole country
Radar, the whole country · loop National Weather Service
Surface analysis now
Surface analysis now Weather Prediction Center
Forecast chart, 12 hours ahead
Forecast chart, 12 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center
Forecast chart, 24 hours ahead
Forecast chart, 24 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center

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: Waterloo Regional, San Diego International.