Fairbanks International to Seattle-Tacoma International FAI → SEA
1,329 nautical miles (1,529 statute miles) southeast on a straight line, true course 129°, about 114° magnetic at the departure end (variation 15E). At 120 knots that is 8 h 41 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 33-knot tailwind), arriving about 2:00 pm PDT (21:00 UTC). 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: 4,541 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
No SIGMET or AIRMET covers any part of this route right now.
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 FAI.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
- BE20 at 800 ft, 5 nm southwest, 2:25 am AKDT (10:25 UTC): remarks: during the descent 1M fna runway 02L fis at 800 ft fai approach akfss. At the departure end, 5 nm southwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
FAI UA /OV FAI180001 /TM 1025 /FL008 /TP BE20 /RM DURD 1M FNA RWY02L FIS 008 FAI APCH AKFSS
- Report
- a routine report filed through FAI
- Where
- 1 nm south (180°) of FAI
- Time
- 10:25 UTC
- Height
- at 800 ft
- Aircraft
- BE20
- Remarks
- during the descent 1M fna runway 02L fis at 800 ft fai approach akfss
- B737 at 1,000 ft, 4 nm west, 1:30 am AKDT (09:30 UTC): no turbulence, light rime icing, -9 °C, remarks: during the climb zan. At the departure end, 4 nm west of the line.
as filed, and in English
FAI UA /OV FAI/TM 0930/FL010/TP B737/SK BASE010-TOP160/TA M09/TB NEG/IC LGT RIME/RM DURC/ ZAN
- Report
- a routine report filed through FAI
- Where
- over FAI
- Time
- 09:30 UTC
- Height
- at 1,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B737
- Sky
- BASE010-TOP160
- Temperature
- −9 °C
- Turbulence
- none
- Icing
- light rime
- Remarks
- during the climb zan
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 5 forecast points nearest it (FAI, ORT, YAK, JNU, ANN). 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 | 200° at 13 kt | +7 kt | 113 kt | 11 h 46 min | 5:05 pm PDT (00:05 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 250° at 15 kt | −5 kt | -5 °C | 125 kt | 10 h 38 min | 3:57 pm PDT (22:57 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 260° at 19 kt | −8 kt | -4 °C | 128 kt | 10 h 23 min | 3:42 pm PDT (22:42 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 260° at 22 kt | −8 kt | -7 °C | 128 kt | 10 h 23 min | 3:42 pm PDT (22:42 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 250° at 27 kt | −8 kt | -10 °C | 128 kt | 10 h 23 min | 3:42 pm PDT (22:42 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 250° at 31 kt | −9 kt | -14 °C | 129 kt | 10 h 18 min | 3:37 pm PDT (22:37 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 250° at 35 kt | −11 kt | -17 °C | 131 kt | 10 h 09 min | 3:28 pm PDT (22:28 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 250° at 39 kt | −13 kt | -21 °C | 133 kt | 10 h | 3:19 pm PDT (22:19 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 250° at 40 kt | −14 kt | -22 °C | 134 kt | 9 h 55 min | 3:14 pm PDT (22:14 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 250° at 52 kt | −12 kt | -33 °C | 132 kt | 10 h 04 min | 3:23 pm PDT (22:23 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 250° at 62 kt | −21 kt | -45 °C | 141 kt | 9 h 26 min | 2:45 pm PDT (21:45 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 260° at 67 kt | −33 kt | -49 °C | 153 kt | 8 h 41 min | 2:00 pm PDT (21:00 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 250° at 62 kt | −21 kt | -53 °C | 141 kt | 9 h 26 min | 2:45 pm PDT (21:45 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FAI | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 260/11 | 280/16 -6° | 270/14 -12° | 250/12 -18° | 230/5 -31° | 200/5 -43° | 300/8 -54° | 240/14 -55° | 230/25 -49° |
| ORT | used from 100 nm out; 70 nm from the line | 280/8 -5° | 260/14 -11° | 260/15 -18° | 250/14 -32° | 250/16 -44° | 240/25 -52° | 250/33 -49° | 240/41 -47° | |
| YAK | used from 300 nm out; 97 nm from the line | 230/10 | 240/14 -5° | 250/18 -11° | 260/22 -18° | 250/33 -30° | 250/51 -38° | 250/57 -46° | 250/60 -47° | 240/62 -47° |
| JNU | used from 450 nm out; 66 nm from the line | 190/12 | 240/16 -3° | 240/21 -9° | 240/36 -13° | 240/58 -23° | 240/79 -34° | 240/92 -46° | 250/92 -47° | 250/80 -49° |
| ANN | used from 650 nm out; 96 nm from the line | 180/18 | 260/21 0° | 260/25 -2° | 250/33 -5° | 260/49 -16° | 250/62 -27° | 260/74 -41° | 270/82 -50° | 260/69 -57° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FAI Fairbanks, AK | departure | no report just now | 439 ft | ||||
| 6K8 Tok, AK | 160 nm out, 19 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 1,642 ft | ||||
| CYDB Burwash, | 320 nm out, 14 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 2,645 ft | ||||
| HNS Haines, AK | 480 nm out, 8 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 29 ft | ||||
| JNU Juneau, AK | 540 nm out, 3 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 25 ft | ||||
| WRG Wrangell, AK | 670 nm out, 17 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 44 ft | ||||
| CYXT Terrace, | 849 nm out, 19 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 713 ft | ||||
| CYBD Bella Coola, | 989 nm out, 9 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 117 ft | ||||
| CYPW Powell River, | 1159 nm out, 5 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 425 ft | ||||
| CYYJ Victoria, | 1249 nm out, 6 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 64 ft | ||||
| SEA Seattle, WA | destination | no report just now | 432 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 2,645 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At SEA when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 2:00 pm PDT (21:00 UTC)
SEA has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
No temporary flight restriction on or near this route right now.
Daylight
Sunset at FAI 6:36 pm AKDT (02:36 UTC), at SEA 6:25 pm PDT (01:25 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:56 pm PDT (01:56 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: Fairbanks International, Seattle-Tacoma International.