The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Plan a flight · Mon 12:33 am MDT (06:33 UTC)

City Of Colorado Springs Municipal to Sacramento International COS → SMF

790 nautical miles (909 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 275°, about 267° magnetic at the departure end (variation 8E). At 120 knots that is 7 h 19 min at the quickest height in today's winds (8,500 ft, a 12-knot headwind), arriving about 6:52 am PDT (13:52 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: 5 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 C10C: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 34,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 1:55 am MDT (07:55 UTC). Near the route, at the departure end.
    as issued
    WSUS32 KKCI 120555
    MKCC WST 120555
    CONVECTIVE SIGMET 10C
    VALID UNTIL 0755Z
    CO NM
    FROM 20NNE PUB-40WSW LAA-30WSW CIM-50WSW ALS-50ESE HBU-20NNE PUB
    AREA TS MOV FROM 22040KT. TOPS TO FL340.
  • SIGMET W15W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 28,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 20 knots, until 1:55 am MDT (07:55 UTC). Over the route from 490 to 580 nm out.
    as issued
    WSUS33 KKCI 120555
    MKCW WST 120555
    CONVECTIVE SIGMET 15W
    VALID UNTIL 0755Z
    UT NV
    FROM 60WNW BVL-10NE BVL-80E OAL-40SE OAL-20W OAL-60WNW BVL
    AREA TS MOV FROM 24020KT. TOPS TO FL280.
  • 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 first 180 nm of the route.
  • AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 38,000 ft. Over the first 330 nm of the route.
  • AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the first 510 nm of the route.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 180 to 590 nm out.
  • AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Over the route from 220 to 590 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 39,000 ft. Over the last 80 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 8 forecast points nearest it (PUB, ALS, GJT, BCE, ELY, BAM, RNO, SAC). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

HeightAverage windHead- or tailwindTemperatureGround speedTime en routeArrival
8,500 ft210° at 23 kt+12 kt5 °C108 kt7 h 19 min6:52 am PDT (13:52 UTC)
10,500 ft220° at 26 kt+17 kt0 °C103 kt7 h 40 min7:13 am PDT (14:13 UTC)
12,500 ft220° at 30 kt+20 kt-3 °C100 kt7 h 54 min7:27 am PDT (14:27 UTC)
14,500 ft220° at 33 kt+21 kt-7 °C99 kt7 h 59 min7:32 am PDT (14:32 UTC)
16,500 ft220° at 37 kt+22 kt-11 °C98 kt8 h 04 min7:37 am PDT (14:37 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180220° at 40 kt+23 kt-14 °C97 kt8 h 09 min7:42 am PDT (14:42 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240220° at 48 kt+31 kt-23 °C89 kt8 h 53 min8:26 am PDT (15:26 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300220° at 53 kt+36 kt-28 °C84 kt9 h 24 min8:57 am PDT (15:57 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340230° at 56 kt+40 kt-33 °C80 kt9 h 52 min9:25 am PDT (16:25 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390220° at 51 kt+35 kt-44 °C85 kt9 h 18 min8:51 am PDT (15:51 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; 48 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; 90 nm from the line230/37 4°220/54 -9°230/62 -22°240/77 -26°240/74 -33°230/59 -45°
GJTused from 100 nm out; 55 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 300 nm out; 84 nm from the line220/27 -1°210/40 -13°220/54 -21°220/64 -30°220/64 -34°220/52 -44°
ELYused from 400 nm out; 51 nm from the line200/39 3°210/27 -2°210/45 -15°220/56 -24°210/60 -28°210/63 -34°220/61 -43°
BAMused from 550 nm out; 98 nm from the line310/7 0°270/19 -7°200/38 -17°190/49 -28°220/69 -29°220/63 -33°230/48 -41°
RNOused from 600 nm out; 86 nm from the line010/9320/10 -2°210/23 -9°210/34 -19°220/36 -25°230/31 -29°230/41 -33°230/38 -42°
SACused from 750 nm out; 20 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°

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, 6 nm southeast of the line no report just now 7,950 ft
ASE Aspen, CO 100 nm out, 18 nm north of the line, tower no report just now 7,837 ft
GJT Grand Junction, CO 180 nm out, 8 nm north of the line, tower no report just now 4,861 ft
CNY Moab, UT 240 nm out, 17 nm south of the line no report just now 4,579 ft
FOM Fillmore, UT 360 nm out, 6 nm south of the line no report just now 4,984 ft
ELY Ely, NV 470 nm out, 16 nm north of the line no report just now 6,259 ft
GAB Gabbs, NV 620 nm out, 1 nm east of the line no report just now 4,699 ft
TVL South Lake Tahoe, CA 710 nm out, 7 nm northwest of the line no report just now 6,268 ft
PVF Placerville, CA 750 nm out, 2 nm south of the line no report just now 2,585 ft
SMF Sacramento, CA destination no report just now 26 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 SMF when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 6:52 am PDT (13:52 UTC)

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

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

  • 6/8784 LAKE GEORGE, CO, Sunday, October 11, 2026 through Tuesday, October 13, 2026 UTC 5 nm from the route, at the departure end · a hazard on the ground (fire-fighting, a chemical spill, rescue work) · until 13 October · ZDV
  • 6/3475 BEALE AFB, CA, Sunday, March 8, 2026 through Sunday, November 1, 2026 Local 16 nm from the route, at the destination end · security · until 1 November · ZOA

Daylight

Sunset at COS 6:23 pm MDT (00:23 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 before sunrise there (7:12 am PDT (14:12 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, Sacramento International.