The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Plan a flight · Sun 9:37 pm MDT (03:37 UTC)

City Of Colorado Springs Municipal to San Francisco International COS → SFO

836 nautical miles (962 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 271°, about 263° magnetic at the departure end (variation 8E). At 120 knots that is 7 h 40 min at the quickest height in today's winds (8,500 ft, a 11-knot headwind), arriving about 4:17 am PDT (11:17 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: 10 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

  • SIGMET W11W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 34,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 10:55 pm MDT (04:55 UTC). Near the route, at the departure end.
    as issued
    WSUS33 KKCI 120255
    MKCW WST 120255
    CONVECTIVE SIGMET 11W
    VALID UNTIL 0455Z
    CO NM
    FROM 20WNW PUB-10ENE CIM-50WNW ABQ-30NNE DVC-20WNW PUB
    AREA TS MOV FROM 22040KT. TOPS TO FL340.
  • SIGMET W12W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 31,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 20 knots, until 10:55 pm MDT (04:55 UTC). Over the route from 557 to 637 nm out.
    as issued
    WSUS33 KKCI 120255
    MKCW WST 120255
    CONVECTIVE SIGMET 12W
    VALID UNTIL 0455Z
    NV
    FROM 40SSE TWF-10W ELY-30SE OAL-30W OAL-70WSW TWF-40SSE TWF
    AREA TS MOV FROM 24020KT. TOPS TO FL310.
  • AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 36,000 ft. Over the first 338 nm of the route.
  • AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the first 517 nm of the route.
  • 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 20 to 239 nm out.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 50 to 90 nm out.
  • AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Over the route from 199 to 537 nm out.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 308 to 577 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 15,000 ft. Over the route from 527 to 706 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 39,000 ft. Over the last 99 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 COS.

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 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 9 forecast points nearest it (PUB, ALS, GJT, BCE, ELY, BIH, FAT, SAC, SFO). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

HeightAverage windHead- or tailwindTemperatureGround speedTime en routeArrival
8,500 ft210° at 23 kt+11 kt4 °C109 kt7 h 40 min4:17 am PDT (11:17 UTC)
10,500 ft220° at 24 kt+16 kt1 °C104 kt8 h 02 min4:39 am PDT (11:39 UTC)
12,500 ft220° at 25 kt+17 kt-2 °C103 kt8 h 07 min4:44 am PDT (11:44 UTC)
14,500 ft220° at 28 kt+19 kt-6 °C101 kt8 h 17 min4:54 am PDT (11:54 UTC)
16,500 ft220° at 31 kt+20 kt-11 °C100 kt8 h 22 min4:59 am PDT (11:59 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180220° at 33 kt+21 kt-14 °C99 kt8 h 27 min5:04 am PDT (12:04 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240230° at 42 kt+31 kt-23 °C89 kt9 h 24 min6:01 am PDT (13:01 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300220° at 51 kt+38 kt-29 °C82 kt10 h 12 min6:49 am PDT (13:49 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340220° at 54 kt+41 kt-34 °C79 kt10 h 35 min7:12 am PDT (14:12 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390220° at 50 kt+36 kt-44 °C84 kt9 h 57 min6:34 am PDT (13:34 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
PointFrom3,0006,0009,00012,00018,00024,00030,00034,00039,000
PUBused from 0 nm out; 46 nm from the line230/25 13°230/32 6°220/44 -8°230/49 -21°240/70 -28°240/67 -34°240/58 -46°
ALSused from 50 nm out; 85 nm from the line230/37 4°220/54 -9°230/62 -22°240/77 -26°240/74 -33°230/59 -45°
GJTused from 99 nm out; 58 nm from the line210/43 7°230/45 1°220/49 -12°220/62 -22°220/59 -28°230/60 -33°220/55 -45°
BCEused from 249 nm out; 97 nm from the line220/27 -1°210/40 -13°220/54 -21°220/64 -30°220/64 -34°220/52 -44°
ELYused from 398 nm out; 70 nm from the line200/39 3°210/27 -2°210/45 -15°220/56 -24°210/60 -28°210/63 -34°220/61 -43°
BIHused from 547 nm out; 89 nm from the lineL/V240/7 1°190/13 -3°200/26 -16°210/43 -26°220/54 -28°220/51 -35°220/47 -43°
FATused from 696 nm out; 71 nm from the line130/16160/20 5°190/28 -1°210/25 -5°220/27 -15°230/21 -26°220/42 -29°220/44 -35°220/44 -44°
SACused from 746 nm out; 48 nm from the line110/6L/V 4°010/11 -2°350/11 -7°340/24 -16°360/44 -23°330/24 -30°270/21 -35°230/23 -43°
SFOused from 796 nm out; 20 nm from the line120/13090/14 5°040/14 -1°350/17 -5°360/42 -14°360/64 -23°350/38 -32°300/19 -37°250/18 -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

AirportWhereConditionsWindVisibilityCeilingElevationReported
COS Colorado Springs, CO departure no report just now 6,187 ft
AEJ Buena Vista, CO 70 nm out, 3 nm east of the line no report just now 7,950 ft
AJZ Delta, CO 159 nm out, 2 nm east of the line no report just now 5,193 ft
GJT Grand Junction, CO 179 nm out, 21 nm north of the line, tower no report just now 4,861 ft
HVE Hanksville, UT 279 nm out, 17 nm south of the line no report just now 4,453 ft
RIF Richfield, UT 348 nm out, 6 nm north of the line no report just now 5,318 ft
TPH Tonopah, NV 587 nm out, 12 nm south of the line no report just now 5,430 ft
CPU San Andreas, CA 746 nm out, 18 nm north of the line no report just now 1,327 ft
LVK Livermore, CA 806 nm out, 3 nm west of the line, tower no report just now 399 ft
SFO San Francisco, CA destination no report just now 13 ft

The highest airport on this list sits at 7,950 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At SFO when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 4:17 am PDT (11:17 UTC)

SFO has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.

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

  • 6/8770 COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, Saturday, October 10, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 UTC 9 nm from the route, at the departure end · a hazard on the ground (fire-fighting, a chemical spill, rescue work) · until 12 October · ZDV
  • 6/8784 LAKE GEORGE, CO, Sunday, October 11, 2026 through Tuesday, October 13, 2026 UTC 7 nm from the route, at the departure end · a hazard on the ground (fire-fighting, a chemical spill, rescue work) · until 13 October · ZDV
  • 6/7094 45NM NE MERCED, CA, Sunday, October 4, 2026 through Tuesday, October 20, 2026 UTC 16 nm from the route, 706 nm along the route · a hazard on the ground (fire-fighting, a chemical spill, rescue work) · until 20 October · ZOA
  • 6/7231 Santa Clara, CA, Sunday, October 11, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 UTC 15 nm from the route, at the destination end · drones kept away from a public gathering · until 12 October · ZOA

Daylight

Sunset at COS 6:25 pm MDT (00:25 UTC), at SFO 6:36 pm PDT (01:36 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:02 pm PDT (02:02 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at SFO is before sunrise there (7:14 am PDT (14:14 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 southern Rockies
Radar now, the southern Rockies · loop National Weather Service
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: City Of Colorado Springs Municipal, San Francisco International.