Meadows Field to Fresno Yosemite International BFL → FAT
87 nautical miles (100 statute miles) north on a straight line, true course 338°, about 324° magnetic at the departure end (variation 14E). At 120 knots that is 37 min at the quickest height in today's winds (6,500 ft, a 21-knot tailwind), arriving about 8:44 pm PDT (03:44 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now BFL is VFR, wind from the north (360°) at 15 knots, gusting to 21; FAT is VFR, wind from the south (190°) at 9 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: 2 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 15,000 ft. 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 BFL.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
- BCS3 at 19,000 ft, 11 nm west, 6:53 pm PDT (01:53 UTC): light to moderate rime icing, -13 °C, remarks: zlawc. 48 nm along the route, 11 nm west of the line.
as filed, and in English
TPH UA /OV UTI250300/TM 0153/FL190/TP BCS3/TA M13/IC LGT-MOD RIME/RM ZLAWC AWC-WEB
- Report
- a routine report filed through TPH
- Where
- 300 nm west (250°) of UTI
- Time
- 01:53 UTC
- Height
- at 19,000 ft
- Aircraft
- BCS3
- Temperature
- −13 °C
- Icing
- light to moderate rime
- Remarks
- zlawc
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 1 forecast point nearest it (FAT). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.
| Height | Average wind | Head- or tailwind | Temperature | Ground speed | Time en route | Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4,500 ft | 150° at 17 kt | −17 kt | 137 kt | 38 min | 8:45 pm PDT (03:45 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 170° at 21 kt | −21 kt | 4 °C | 141 kt | 37 min | 8:44 pm PDT (03:44 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 190° at 26 kt | −23 kt | 0 °C | 143 kt | 37 min | 8:44 pm PDT (03:44 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 200° at 26 kt | −20 kt | -3 °C | 140 kt | 37 min | 8:44 pm PDT (03:44 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 210° at 25 kt | −15 kt | -6 °C | 135 kt | 39 min | 8:46 pm PDT (03:46 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 210° at 26 kt | −14 kt | -9 °C | 134 kt | 39 min | 8:46 pm PDT (03:46 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 220° at 26 kt | −14 kt | -12 °C | 134 kt | 39 min | 8:46 pm PDT (03:46 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 220° at 27 kt | −13 kt | -15 °C | 133 kt | 39 min | 8:46 pm PDT (03:46 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 230° at 21 kt | −7 kt | -26 °C | 127 kt | 41 min | 8:48 pm PDT (03:48 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 220° at 42 kt | −20 kt | -29 °C | 140 kt | 37 min | 8:44 pm PDT (03:44 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 220° at 44 kt | −21 kt | -35 °C | 141 kt | 37 min | 8:44 pm PDT (03:44 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 220° at 44 kt | −21 kt | -44 °C | 141 kt | 37 min | 8:44 pm PDT (03:44 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FAT | used from 0 nm out; 63 nm from the line | 130/16 | 160/20 5° | 190/28 -1° | 210/25 -5° | 220/27 -15° | 230/21 -26° | 220/42 -29° | 220/44 -35° | 220/44 -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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BFL Bakersfield, CA | departure | VFR | from the north (360°) at 15 knots, gusting to 21 | 9 mi | none | 509 ft | 7:54 pm PDT (02:54 UTC) |
| DLO Delano, CA | 19 nm out, 2 nm northwest of the line | reported, no category | from the west-northwest (300°) at 7 knots, gusting to 15 | 10+ mi | none | 314 ft | 02:55 UTC |
| TLR Tulare, CA | 48 nm out, 5 nm east of the line | no report just now | 265 ft | ||||
| FAT Fresno, CA | destination | VFR Sky: a broken layer at 3,100 feet | from the south (190°) at 9 knots | 10+ mi | 3,100 ft | 335 ft | 7:53 pm PDT (02:53 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 509 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At FAT when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 8:44 pm PDT (03:44 UTC)
Wind from the south-southeast at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 10,000 feet, a few clouds at 13,000 feet and more above VFR
The whole forecast for FAT
- From Sun 5:00 pm PDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south-southeast at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 10,000 feet, a few clouds at 13,000 feet and more above
- From Sun 9:00 pm PDT (04:00 UTC): wind from the south-southeast at 9 knots, gusting to 20, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 2:00 am PDT (09:00 UTC): wind from the southeast at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
The forecast for BFL, the departure
- From Sun 5:00 pm PDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 15 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Sun 7:00 pm PDT (02:00 UTC): wind from the northwest at 15 knots, gusting to 24, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Sun 9:00 pm PDT (04:00 UTC): wind from the north at 12 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 3:00 am PDT (10:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 25,000 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 BFL 6:25 pm PDT (01:25 UTC), at FAT 6:26 pm PDT (01:26 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:52 pm PDT (01:52 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at FAT is after sunset there (6:28 pm PDT (01:28 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: Meadows Field, Fresno Yosemite International.