The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Plan a flight · Mon 4:36 am PDT (11:36 UTC)

Buchanan Field to John Wayne/Orange County CCR → SNA

330 nautical miles (379 statute miles) southeast on a straight line, true course 141°, about 128° magnetic at the departure end (variation 13E). At 120 knots that is 2 h 26 min at the quickest height in today's winds (24,000 ft, a 16-knot tailwind), arriving about 7:02 am PDT (14:02 UTC). Right now CCR is VFR, wind from the southwest (220°) at 3 knots; SNA is marginal VFR, wind from the northwest (320°) at 3 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: 391 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

  • AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 39,000 ft. Over the first 210 nm of the route.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 2E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the last 110 nm of the route.
  • AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 12,000 ft. Near the route, 290 nm along 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 CCR.

Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first

  • A35K at 32,000 ft, 10 nm northwest, 1:39 am PDT (08:39 UTC): moderate chop turbulence, remarks: fdcs zoa. At the departure end, 10 nm northwest of the line.
    as filed, and in English
    OAK UA /OV OAK348024/TM 0839/FL320/TP A35K/TB MOD CHOP/RM FDCS ZOA
    Report
    a routine report filed through OAK
    Where
    24 nm north (348°) of OAK
    Time
    08:39 UTC
    Height
    at 32,000 ft
    Aircraft
    A35K
    Turbulence
    moderate chop
    Remarks
    fdcs zoa
  • B744 at 1,700 ft, 12 nm southwest, 2:24 am PDT (09:24 UTC): a few clouds above 1,700 ft, remarks: during the descent runway 25L lax. 300 nm along the route, 12 nm southwest of the line.
    as filed, and in English
    LAX UA /OV KLAX/TM 0924/FL017/TP B744/SK FEW017/RM DURD RY25L LAX
    Report
    a routine report filed through LAX
    Where
    over KLAX
    Time
    09:24 UTC
    Height
    at 1,700 ft
    Aircraft
    B744
    Sky
    a few clouds from 1,700 ft
    Remarks
    during the descent runway 25L lax

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 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, WJF, ONT). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

HeightAverage windHead- or tailwindTemperatureGround speedTime en routeArrival
3,500 ft150° at 8 kt+8 kt112 kt2 h 57 min7:33 am PDT (14:33 UTC)
5,500 ft190° at 14 kt+9 kt4 °C111 kt2 h 58 min7:34 am PDT (14:34 UTC)
7,500 ft190° at 14 kt+9 kt1 °C111 kt2 h 58 min7:34 am PDT (14:34 UTC)
9,500 ft200° at 12 kt+7 kt-2 °C113 kt2 h 55 min7:31 am PDT (14:31 UTC)
11,500 ft230° at 12 kt+1 kt-4 °C119 kt2 h 46 min7:22 am PDT (14:22 UTC)
13,500 ft250° at 13 kt−3 kt-7 °C123 kt2 h 41 min7:17 am PDT (14:17 UTC)
15,500 ft260° at 14 kt−6 kt-10 °C126 kt2 h 37 min7:13 am PDT (14:13 UTC)
17,500 ft270° at 16 kt−10 kt-13 °C130 kt2 h 32 min7:08 am PDT (14:08 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180270° at 17 kt−11 kt-14 °C131 kt2 h 31 min7:07 am PDT (14:07 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240290° at 20 kt−16 kt-23 °C136 kt2 h 26 min7:02 am PDT (14:02 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300250° at 28 kt−9 kt-32 °C129 kt2 h 33 min7:09 am PDT (14:09 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340230° at 38 kt−2 kt-38 °C122 kt2 h 42 min7:18 am PDT (14:18 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390230° at 42 kt+3 kt-44 °C117 kt2 h 49 min7:25 am PDT (14:25 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
PointFrom3,0006,0009,00012,00018,00024,00030,00034,00039,000
SFOused from 0 nm out; 31 nm from the line090/9050/12 4°010/17 -2°350/34 -3°360/70 -11°360/75 -22°350/57 -38°330/37 -42°280/25 -44°
FATused from 50 nm out; 66 nm from the line140/11180/15 3°150/14 -3°200/14 -6°240/17 -16°320/25 -23°270/22 -31°240/29 -37°230/36 -44°
WJFused from 200 nm out; 50 nm from the line210/26 4°210/28 2°230/23 -4°240/28 -13°220/47 -23°220/57 -30°220/65 -37°220/59 -45°
ONTused from 300 nm out; 25 nm from the line250/11200/20 4°210/27 3°220/26 -4°240/32 -13°220/52 -21°220/67 -30°220/72 -37°220/65 -46°

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
CCR Concord, CA departure VFR Sky: a few clouds at 10,000 feet from the southwest (220°) at 3 knots 10+ mi none 25 ft 3:53 am PDT (10:53 UTC)
LVK Livermore, CA 20 nm out, 3 nm southwest of the line, tower VFR Sky: a broken layer at 6,500 feet, a broken layer at 8,500 feet calm 10+ mi 6,500 ft 399 ft 10:53 UTC
LSN Los Banos, CA 80 nm out, 9 nm northeast of the line no report just now 121 ft
MIT Shafter, CA 200 nm out, 15 nm northeast of the line no report just now 424 ft
BFL Bakersfield, CA 210 nm out, 17 nm northeast of the line, tower VFR Sky: overcast at 5,500 feet from the north (360°) at 8 knots 10+ mi 5,500 ft 509 ft 10:54 UTC
WJF Lancaster, CA 270 nm out, 25 nm northeast of the line, tower VFR Sky: a few clouds at 2,000 feet, overcast at 3,800 feet from the west-southwest (250°) at 10 knots 10+ mi 3,800 ft 2,350 ft 10:56 UTC
BUR Burbank, CA 290 nm out, 0 nm southwest of the line, tower marginal VFR Sky: a broken layer at 2,400 feet, overcast at 3,000 feet Weather: light rain from the west-southwest (250°) at 5 knots 10+ mi 2,400 ft 778 ft 10:53 UTC
SNA Santa Ana, CA destination marginal VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 1,200 feet, scattered clouds at 2,400 feet, overcast at 2,800 feet Weather: light rain from the northwest (320°) at 3 knots 8 mi 2,800 ft 55 ft 3:53 am PDT (10:53 UTC)

The highest airport on this list sits at 2,350 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, 7:02 am PDT (14:02 UTC)

Wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, showers nearby, scattered clouds at 2,500 feet, a broken layer at 5,000 feet VFR

The whole forecast for SNA
  • From Sun 11:00 pm PDT (06:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, showers nearby, scattered clouds at 2,500 feet, a broken layer at 5,000 feet
  • At times between Mon 2:00 am PDT (09:00 UTC) and 5:00 am PDT (12:00 UTC): a broken layer at 2,500 feet, a broken layer at 5,000 feet
  • From Mon 12:00 pm PDT (19:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 5,000 feet
  • From Mon 7:00 pm PDT (02:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 3,000 feet, a broken layer at 5,000 feet

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

  • 4/3635 DISNEYLAND THEME PARK, ANAHEIM,, CA 0 nm from the route, at the destination end · security · ZLA

Daylight

Sunset at CCR 6:33 pm PDT (01:33 UTC), at SNA 6:20 pm PDT (01:20 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:45 pm PDT (01:45 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 Pacific Southwest
Radar now, the Pacific Southwest · 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: Buchanan Field, John Wayne/Orange County.