Central IL Rgnl/Bloomington-Normal Airport to Sacramento International BMI → SMF
1,507 nautical miles (1,734 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 277°, about 280° magnetic at the departure end (variation 3W). At 120 knots that is 14 h 46 min at the quickest height in today's winds (8,500 ft, a 18-knot headwind), arriving about 7:23 pm PDT (02:23 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: 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 2W: 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 80 to 519 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) from 34,000 ft to 43,000 ft. Over the route from 669 to 1038 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 22,000 ft. Over the route from 719 to 858 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 759 to 898 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 768 to 1287 nm out.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Over the route from 798 to 1307 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 12,000 ft. Over the route from 868 to 1168 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 39,000 ft. Over the last 170 nm of the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 2E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Near the route, at the destination 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 BMI.
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 08:00–15:00 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 14 forecast points nearest it (SPI, BRL, DSM, OMA, GRI, GLD, BFF, DEN, RKS, SLC, ELY, BAM, RNO, SAC). 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 | 240° at 24 kt | +21 kt | 23 °C | 99 kt | 15 h 13 min | 7:50 pm PDT (02:50 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 240° at 21 kt | +19 kt | 18 °C | 101 kt | 14 h 55 min | 7:32 pm PDT (02:32 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 240° at 20 kt | +18 kt | 9 °C | 102 kt | 14 h 46 min | 7:23 pm PDT (02:23 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 230° at 22 kt | +19 kt | 4 °C | 101 kt | 14 h 55 min | 7:32 pm PDT (02:32 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 230° at 25 kt | +20 kt | 0 °C | 100 kt | 15 h 04 min | 7:41 pm PDT (02:41 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 230° at 26 kt | +21 kt | -5 °C | 99 kt | 15 h 13 min | 7:50 pm PDT (02:50 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 230° at 28 kt | +22 kt | -9 °C | 98 kt | 15 h 23 min | 8:00 pm PDT (03:00 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 230° at 29 kt | +23 kt | -12 °C | 97 kt | 15 h 32 min | 8:09 pm PDT (03:09 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 230° at 38 kt | +32 kt | -22 °C | 88 kt | 17 h 08 min | 9:45 pm PDT (04:45 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 240° at 47 kt | +43 kt | -32 °C | 77 kt | 19 h 34 min | 12:11 am PDT (07:11 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 250° at 52 kt | +49 kt | -36 °C | 71 kt | 21 h 14 min | 1:51 am PDT (08:51 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 250° at 49 kt | +48 kt | -45 °C | 72 kt | 20 h 56 min | 1:33 am PDT (08:33 UTC) |
Based on data from the 12th at 06:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 12:00 UTC for use 08:00 to 15:00 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SPI | used from 0 nm out; 42 nm from the line | 260/28 | 250/22 15° | 250/14 9° | 260/20 6° | 280/27 -7° | 280/34 -19° | 280/48 -32° | 280/59 -41° | 300/60 -49° |
| BRL | used from 50 nm out; 28 nm from the line | 250/32 | 250/19 17° | 260/15 11° | 270/16 3° | 290/23 -7° | 260/42 -20° | 270/52 -34° | 280/63 -39° | 290/64 -48° |
| DSM | used from 150 nm out; 63 nm from the line | 250/47 | 260/25 20° | 240/19 11° | 240/31 5° | 250/26 -9° | 260/38 -20° | 260/47 -34° | 270/58 -37° | 270/61 -47° |
| OMA | used from 250 nm out; 52 nm from the line | 230/47 | 240/33 21° | 230/22 13° | 220/27 5° | 240/35 -8° | 250/43 -21° | 260/47 -33° | 260/59 -36° | 270/58 -46° |
| GRI | used from 349 nm out; 54 nm from the line | 230/39 23° | 230/32 15° | 210/29 7° | 230/31 -8° | 230/43 -21° | 250/52 -31° | 260/59 -35° | 260/59 -46° | |
| GLD | used from 549 nm out; 92 nm from the line | 260/37 | 260/25 14° | 250/27 8° | 230/36 -8° | 230/49 -21° | 250/71 -30° | 260/82 -36° | 250/73 -48° | |
| BFF | used from 599 nm out; 75 nm from the line | 280/28 | 260/39 11° | 240/34 5° | 210/38 -11° | 210/52 -22° | 230/61 -31° | 230/61 -36° | 240/56 -45° | |
| DEN | used from 699 nm out; 56 nm from the line | 270/24 11° | 230/13 5° | 230/48 -8° | 230/46 -20° | 230/63 -30° | 240/78 -36° | 240/78 -48° | ||
| RKS | used from 798 nm out; 109 nm from the line | 250/9 | 230/21 -1° | 210/43 -14° | 220/59 -23° | 220/55 -32° | 220/53 -35° | 220/48 -44° | ||
| SLC | used from 948 nm out; 82 nm from the line | 200/16 | 210/23 4° | 220/34 -3° | 210/40 -16° | 220/66 -23° | 220/64 -31° | 220/57 -36° | 220/50 -43° | |
| ELY | used from 1098 nm out; 76 nm from the line | 210/34 1° | 220/40 -4° | 220/39 -17° | 210/51 -24° | 220/65 -30° | 220/60 -37° | 220/56 -44° | ||
| BAM | used from 1248 nm out; 62 nm from the line | 280/9 -2° | 260/18 -8° | 190/47 -19° | 200/50 -29° | 210/56 -29° | 220/54 -34° | 220/45 -42° | ||
| RNO | used from 1347 nm out; 49 nm from the line | 010/6 | 270/12 -3° | 220/26 -10° | 280/13 -19° | 350/44 -24° | 320/30 -32° | 260/22 -36° | 240/24 -42° | |
| SAC | used from 1447 nm out; 35 nm from the line | L/V | L/V 4° | 340/9 -4° | 340/22 -8° | 360/71 -12° | 360/82 -23° | 350/58 -37° | 310/30 -40° | 270/25 -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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BMI Bloomington/Normal, IL | departure | no report just now | 871 ft | ||||
| PIA Peoria, IL | 40 nm out, 8 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 660 ft | ||||
| TVK Centerville, IA | 180 nm out, 5 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 1,023 ft | ||||
| LNK Lincoln, NE | 359 nm out, 3 nm southeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,218 ft | ||||
| GTE Gothenburg, NE | 509 nm out, 3 nm west of the line | no report just now | 2,558 ft | ||||
| FNL Fort Collins/Loveland, CO | 739 nm out, 20 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 5,020 ft | ||||
| CAG Craig, CO | 848 nm out, 7 nm south of the line | no report just now | 6,197 ft | ||||
| PVU Provo, UT | 1038 nm out, 3 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 4,496 ft | ||||
| TMT Austin, NV | 1297 nm out, 1 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 5,735 ft | ||||
| TRK Truckee, CA | 1437 nm out, 21 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 5,904 ft | ||||
| SMF Sacramento, CA | destination | no report just now | 26 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 6,197 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At SMF when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 7:23 pm PDT (02:23 UTC)
SMF has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/3475 BEALE AFB, CA, Sunday, March 8, 2026 through Sunday, November 1, 2026 Local 14 nm from the route, at the destination end · security · until 1 November · ZOA
Daylight
Sunset at BMI 6:20 pm CDT (23:20 UTC), at SMF 6:31 pm PDT (01:31 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:57 pm PDT (01:57 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at SMF is after sunset there (6:32 pm PDT (01:32 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: Central IL Rgnl/Bloomington-Normal Airport, Sacramento International.