Jack MC Namara Field to Sacramento International CEC → SMF
221 nautical miles (255 statute miles) southeast on a straight line, true course 146°, about 132° magnetic at the departure end (variation 14E). At 120 knots that is 1 h 20 min at the quickest height in today's winds (24,000 ft, a 46-knot tailwind), arriving about 7:18 pm PDT (02:18 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now CEC is VFR, wind from the north-northwest (340°) at 16 knots, gusting to 32; SMF 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: 454 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 above 18,000 ft from 25,000 ft to 39,000 ft. Over the first 77 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 2W: strong surface winds (30 knots or more) (due to sustained surface winds greater than 30 knots). Near the route, 29 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 CEC.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
No pilot reports within 50 nautical miles of the line in the last three hours.
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 3 forecast points nearest it (FOT, RBL, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3,500 ft | 360° at 16 kt | −14 kt | 134 kt | 1 h 39 min | 7:37 pm PDT (02:37 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 010° at 13 kt | −10 kt | 130 kt | 1 h 42 min | 7:40 pm PDT (02:40 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 020° at 12 kt | −8 kt | 2 °C | 128 kt | 1 h 44 min | 7:42 pm PDT (02:42 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 020° at 13 kt | −9 kt | -2 °C | 129 kt | 1 h 43 min | 7:41 pm PDT (02:41 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 360° at 17 kt | −14 kt | -5 °C | 134 kt | 1 h 39 min | 7:37 pm PDT (02:37 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 360° at 23 kt | −19 kt | -8 °C | 139 kt | 1 h 35 min | 7:33 pm PDT (02:33 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 360° at 28 kt | −24 kt | -12 °C | 144 kt | 1 h 32 min | 7:30 pm PDT (02:30 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 360° at 34 kt | −29 kt | -15 °C | 149 kt | 1 h 29 min | 7:27 pm PDT (02:27 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 360° at 35 kt | −30 kt | -16 °C | 150 kt | 1 h 28 min | 7:26 pm PDT (02:26 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 360° at 54 kt | −46 kt | -24 °C | 166 kt | 1 h 20 min | 7:18 pm PDT (02:18 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 350° at 48 kt | −45 kt | -32 °C | 165 kt | 1 h 20 min | 7:18 pm PDT (02:18 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 320° at 34 kt | −33 kt | -36 °C | 153 kt | 1 h 27 min | 7:25 pm PDT (02:25 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 290° at 31 kt | −24 kt | -41 °C | 144 kt | 1 h 32 min | 7:30 pm PDT (02:30 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FOT | used from 0 nm out; 54 nm from the line | 360/29 | 020/22 5° | 020/29 0° | 010/40 -5° | 010/61 -14° | 010/90 -24° | 360/81 -36° | 340/55 -38° | 320/34 -41° |
| RBL | used from 96 nm out; 24 nm from the line | 350/10 | 350/7 6° | L/V -1° | 320/6 -8° | 340/24 -18° | 340/38 -24° | 330/32 -30° | 300/25 -34° | 270/37 -40° |
| SAC | used from 192 nm out; 26 nm from the line | 270/5 | L/V 5° | L/V -1° | 240/11 -5° | 250/22 -15° | 270/25 -24° | 260/31 -27° | 240/39 -33° | 240/39 -42° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CEC Crescent City, CA | departure | VFR | from the north-northwest (340°) at 16 knots, gusting to 32 | 10+ mi | none | 60 ft | 4:56 pm PDT (23:56 UTC) |
| ACV Arcata/Eureka, CA | 38 nm out, 23 nm southwest of the line | VFR | from the northwest (320°) at 14 knots, gusting to 24 | 10+ mi | none | 222 ft | 00:53 UTC |
| WLW Willows, CA | 164 nm out, 2 nm east of the line | no report just now | 141 ft | ||||
| MYV Marysville, CA | 202 nm out, 14 nm northeast of the line | VFR | variable at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 64 ft | 19:53 UTC |
| SMF Sacramento, CA | destination | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 25,000 feet | from the south (190°) at 9 knots | 10+ mi | none | 26 ft | 5:53 pm PDT (00:53 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 222 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, 7:18 pm PDT (02:18 UTC)
Wind from the south-southwest at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies VFR
The whole forecast for SMF
- From Sun 5:00 pm PDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Sun 11:00 pm PDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south-southeast at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 5:00 am PDT (12:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
The forecast for CEC, the departure
- From Sun 5:00 pm PDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the north-northwest at 16 knots, gusting to 30, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Sun 9:00 pm PDT (04:00 UTC): wind from the north at 12 knots, gusting to 20, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 3:00 am PDT (10:00 UTC): wind from the north at 7 knots, visibility 6 miles, mist, clear skies
- From Mon 10:00 am PDT (17:00 UTC): wind from the north-northwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
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 10 nm from the route, 202 nm along the route · security · until 1 November · ZOA
- 6/6740 SACRAMENTO, CA, Thursday, October 8, 2026 through Sunday, October 11, 2026 Local 9 nm from the route, at the destination end · air shows/sports · ended 11 October · ZOA
Daylight
Sunset at CEC 6:40 pm PDT (01:40 UTC), at SMF 6:32 pm PDT (01:32 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:59 pm PDT (01:59 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at SMF is after sunset there (6:34 pm PDT (01:34 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: Jack MC Namara Field, Sacramento International.