Napa County to Santa Monica Municipal APC → SMO
313 nautical miles (360 statute miles) southeast on a straight line, true course 142°, about 127° magnetic at the departure end (variation 15E). At 120 knots that is 2 h 30 min at the quickest height in today's winds (18,000 ft, a 5-knot tailwind), arriving about 7:27 pm PDT (02:27 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: 194 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 1W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 12,000 ft. Near the route, at the destination end.
- AIRMET SIERRA 6E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the last 0 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 APC.
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 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 4 forecast points nearest it (SFO, FAT, SBA, WJF). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.
| Height | Average wind | Head- or tailwind | Temperature | Ground speed | Time en route | Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3,500 ft | 200° at 7 kt | +4 kt | 116 kt | 2 h 42 min | 7:39 pm PDT (02:39 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 200° at 11 kt | +6 kt | 8 °C | 114 kt | 2 h 45 min | 7:42 pm PDT (02:42 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 220° at 13 kt | +4 kt | 5 °C | 116 kt | 2 h 42 min | 7:39 pm PDT (02:39 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 230° at 18 kt | +2 kt | 2 °C | 118 kt | 2 h 39 min | 7:36 pm PDT (02:36 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 230° at 22 kt | +2 kt | -2 °C | 118 kt | 2 h 39 min | 7:36 pm PDT (02:36 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 230° at 24 kt | 0 | -6 °C | 120 kt | 2 h 36 min | 7:33 pm PDT (02:33 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 240° at 24 kt | −2 kt | -9 °C | 122 kt | 2 h 34 min | 7:31 pm PDT (02:31 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 240° at 24 kt | −4 kt | -13 °C | 124 kt | 2 h 31 min | 7:28 pm PDT (02:28 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 250° at 24 kt | −5 kt | -14 °C | 125 kt | 2 h 30 min | 7:27 pm PDT (02:27 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 240° at 30 kt | −5 kt | -22 °C | 125 kt | 2 h 30 min | 7:27 pm PDT (02:27 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 230° at 39 kt | +2 kt | -28 °C | 118 kt | 2 h 39 min | 7:36 pm PDT (02:36 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 230° at 38 kt | +4 kt | -34 °C | 116 kt | 2 h 42 min | 7:39 pm PDT (02:39 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 230° at 41 kt | +2 kt | -44 °C | 118 kt | 2 h 39 min | 7:36 pm PDT (02:36 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 220/11 | L/V 5° | 280/7 1° | 270/15 -3° | 290/23 -14° | 310/29 -24° | 280/26 -28° | 250/30 -34° | 250/36 -43° |
| FAT | used from 98 nm out; 50 nm from the line | 180/7 | 170/9 7° | 200/20 3° | 210/27 -3° | 240/27 -14° | 230/38 -24° | 220/57 -27° | 230/42 -33° | 230/41 -44° |
| SBA | used from 196 nm out; 53 nm from the line | L/V | 170/13 7° | 220/23 4° | 220/30 -2° | 230/26 -14° | 230/34 -20° | 220/38 -28° | 220/37 -35° | 220/43 -44° |
| WJF | used from 245 nm out; 38 nm from the line | 220/30 8° | 240/28 5° | 230/34 -2° | 220/34 -13° | 220/48 -20° | 220/47 -29° | 210/48 -34° | 220/52 -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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| APC Napa, CA | departure | no report just now | 35 ft | ||||
| LVK Livermore, CA | 39 nm out, 2 nm west of the line, tower | no report just now | 399 ft | ||||
| RHV San Jose, CA | 59 nm out, 15 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 135 ft | ||||
| LSN Los Banos, CA | 98 nm out, 12 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 121 ft | ||||
| MIT Shafter, CA | 215 nm out, 23 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 424 ft | ||||
| CMA Camarillo, CA | 284 nm out, 19 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 76 ft | ||||
| SMO Santa Monica, CA | destination | no report just now | 169 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 424 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At SMO when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 7:27 pm PDT (02:27 UTC)
SMO has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/7455 SAN FRANCISCO, CA, Thursday, October 8, 2026 through Sunday, October 11, 2026 Local 17 nm from the route, at the departure end · security · until 11 October · ZOA
- 6/6741 SAN FRANCISCO, CA, Thursday, October 8, 2026 through Sunday, October 11, 2026 Local 16 nm from the route, at the departure end · air shows/sports · until 11 October · ZOA
- 6/7231 Santa Clara, CA, Sunday, October 11, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 UTC 17 nm from the route, 49 nm along the route · drones kept away from a public gathering · until 12 October · ZOA
Daylight
Sunset at APC 6:35 pm PDT (01:35 UTC), at SMO 6:23 pm PDT (01:23 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:48 pm PDT (01:48 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at SMO is after sunset there (6:24 pm PDT (01:24 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: Napa County, Santa Monica Municipal.