Centennial Airport to John Wayne/Orange County APA → SNA
719 nautical miles (828 statute miles) southwest on a straight line, true course 245°, about 237° magnetic at the departure end (variation 8E). At 120 knots that is 7 h 34 min at the quickest height in today's winds (8,500 ft, a 25-knot headwind), arriving about 1:41 am PDT (08:41 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: 58 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 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 36,000 ft. Over the first 649 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the first 549 nm of the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 70 to 559 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 90 to 260 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: strong surface winds (30 knots or more) (due to sustained surface winds greater than 30 knots). Over the route from 230 to 280 nm out.
- AIRMET ZULU 3C: moderate icing up to 22,000 ft. Over the route from 300 to 639 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 390 to 460 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 12,000 ft. Over the route from 569 to 709 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 6E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the last 60 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 APA.
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 20:00–03:00 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 6 forecast points nearest it (DEN, GJT, FMN, BCE, LAS, ONT). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.
| Height | Average wind | Head- or tailwind | Temperature | Ground speed | Time en route | Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8,500 ft | 210° at 28 kt | +25 kt | 9 °C | 95 kt | 7 h 34 min | 1:41 am PDT (08:41 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 220° at 34 kt | +31 kt | 4 °C | 89 kt | 8 h 05 min | 2:12 am PDT (09:12 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 220° at 36 kt | +33 kt | 0 °C | 87 kt | 8 h 16 min | 2:23 am PDT (09:23 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 220° at 40 kt | +36 kt | -4 °C | 84 kt | 8 h 34 min | 2:41 am PDT (09:41 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 210° at 43 kt | +38 kt | -8 °C | 82 kt | 8 h 46 min | 2:53 am PDT (09:53 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 210° at 46 kt | +40 kt | -11 °C | 80 kt | 8 h 59 min | 3:06 am PDT (10:06 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 220° at 49 kt | +45 kt | -21 °C | 75 kt | 9 h 35 min | 3:42 am PDT (10:42 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 220° at 55 kt | +52 kt | -28 °C | 68 kt | 10 h 34 min | 4:41 am PDT (11:41 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 220° at 58 kt | +56 kt | -35 °C | 64 kt | 11 h 14 min | 5:21 am PDT (12:21 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 230° at 58 kt | +58 kt | -45 °C | 62 kt | 11 h 36 min | 5:43 am PDT (12:43 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DEN | used from 0 nm out; 42 nm from the line | 190/31 16° | 210/32 7° | 240/41 -8° | 230/47 -21° | 240/56 -32° | 250/65 -37° | 250/61 -47° | ||
| GJT | used from 100 nm out; 66 nm from the line | 210/40 11° | 210/46 3° | 210/61 -10° | 210/68 -22° | 220/57 -29° | 230/59 -36° | 240/66 -46° | ||
| FMN | used from 250 nm out; 98 nm from the line | 220/25 13° | 220/28 4° | 210/51 -9° | 220/59 -21° | 230/78 -30° | 230/77 -36° | 230/66 -46° | ||
| BCE | used from 300 nm out; 67 nm from the line | 210/47 0° | 200/50 -12° | 220/31 -23° | 220/56 -26° | 220/58 -35° | 230/58 -45° | |||
| LAS | used from 450 nm out; 74 nm from the line | 200/25 11° | 230/22 5° | 240/25 -1° | 220/37 -12° | 220/44 -21° | 210/52 -27° | 210/60 -34° | 220/58 -44° | |
| ONT | used from 599 nm out; 72 nm from the line | 230/11 | 200/17 6° | 230/27 4° | 230/32 -2° | 210/39 -12° | 220/51 -20° | 220/48 -29° | 210/51 -34° | 210/52 -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
| Airport | Where | Conditions | Wind | Visibility | Ceiling | Elevation | Reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| APA Denver, CO | departure | no report just now | 5,884 ft | ||||
| LXV Leadville, CO | 70 nm out, 11 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 9,933 ft | ||||
| ASE Aspen, CO | 90 nm out, 23 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 7,837 ft | ||||
| AIB Nucla, CO | 190 nm out, 6 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 5,945 ft | ||||
| BDG Blanding, UT | 250 nm out, 8 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 5,867 ft | ||||
| PGA Page, AZ | 350 nm out, 3 nm north of the line | no report just now | 4,316 ft | ||||
| IGM Kingman, AZ | 499 nm out, 23 nm south of the line | no report just now | 3,448 ft | ||||
| IFP Bullhead City, AZ | 529 nm out, 13 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 707 ft | ||||
| RAL Riverside, CA | 689 nm out, 4 nm west of the line, tower | no report just now | 818 ft | ||||
| SNA Santa Ana, CA | destination | no report just now | 55 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 9,933 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At SNA when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 1:41 am PDT (08:41 UTC)
SNA has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/8784 LAKE GEORGE, CO, Sunday, October 11, 2026 through Tuesday, October 13, 2026 UTC 19 nm from the route, 40 nm along the route · a hazard on the ground (fire-fighting, a chemical spill, rescue work) · until 13 October · ZDV
- 6/8891 Bullhead City, AZ, Wednesday, October 14, 2026 Local 3 nm from the route, 529 nm along the route · a VIP movement · starts Wednesday 14 October · ZLA
- 6/8890 LAS VEGAS, NV, Tuesday, October 13, 2026 Local 22 nm from the route, 529 nm along the route · a VIP movement · starts tomorrow · ZLA
- 4/3635 DISNEYLAND THEME PARK, ANAHEIM,, CA 5 nm from the route, at the destination end · security · ZLA
Daylight
Sunset at APA 6:24 pm MDT (00:24 UTC), at SNA 6:21 pm PDT (01:21 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:46 pm PDT (01:46 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at SNA is before sunrise there (6:53 am PDT (13:53 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: Centennial Airport, John Wayne/Orange County.