Great Falls International to Van Nuys Airport GTF → VNY
859 nautical miles (989 statute miles) southwest on a straight line, true course 205°, about 192° magnetic at the departure end (variation 13E). At 120 knots that is 7 h 32 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 6-knot headwind), arriving about 7:41 am PDT (14:41 UTC). Right now GTF is marginal VFR, wind from the north-northwest (340°) at 8 knots; VNY is VFR, wind calm. 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: 1 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 SIERRA 4E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the first 250 nm of the route.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Over the first 160 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 36,000 ft. Over the first 380 nm of the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the first 599 nm of the route.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Over the route from 170 to 579 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Near the route, 669 nm along the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 15,000 ft. Over the route from 679 to 849 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: strong surface winds (30 knots or more) (due to sustained surface winds greater than 30 knots). Near the route, 719 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 GTF.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
- PC12 at 17,000 ft, 45 nm west, 10:52 pm MDT (04:52 UTC): moderate turbulence, moderate rime icing, -15 °C, remarks: entered by zoa fdcs. 629 nm along the route, 45 nm west of the line.
as filed, and in English
TPH UA /OV OAL/TM 0452/FL 170/TP PC12/TA M15/TB MOD/IC MOD RIME/RM ENTERED BY ZOA FDCS AWC-WEB
- Report
- a routine report filed through TPH
- Where
- over OAL
- Time
- 04:52 UTC
- Height
- at 17,000 ft
- Aircraft
- PC12
- Temperature
- −15 °C
- Turbulence
- moderate
- Icing
- moderate rime
- Remarks
- entered by zoa fdcs
- E175 at 6,300 ft, 18 nm northwest, 10:20 pm MDT (04:20 UTC): overcast above 6,300 ft, remarks: during the descent runway 31. 270 nm along the route, 18 nm northwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
SUN UA /OV KSUN/TM 0420/FL063/TP E175/SK OVC063-TOPUNKN/RM DURD RY31
- Report
- a routine report filed through SUN
- Where
- over KSUN
- Time
- 04:20 UTC
- Height
- at 6,300 ft
- Aircraft
- E175
- Sky
- overcast from 6,300 ft, tops unknown
- Remarks
- during the descent runway 31
- B38M at 3,000 ft, 49 nm east, 11:47 pm MDT (05:47 UTC): a broken layer from 2,900 ft to 8,000 ft, remarks: BASE030. At the destination end, 49 nm east of the line.
as filed, and in English
ONT UA /OV KONT080005/TM 0547/FL030/TP B38M/SK BKN029-TOP080/RM BASE030
- Report
- a routine report filed through ONT
- Where
- 5 nm east (080°) of KONT
- Time
- 05:47 UTC
- Height
- at 3,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B38M
- Sky
- a broken layer from 2,900 ft, tops 8,000 ft
- Remarks
- BASE030
- GLF5 at 3,500 ft, 1 nm north, 10:54 pm MDT (04:54 UTC): overcast above 3,600 ft. At the destination end, 1 nm north of the line.
as filed, and in English
VNY UA /OV VNY36006/TM 0454/FL035/TP GLF5/SK OVC036
- Report
- a routine report filed through VNY
- Where
- VNY36006
- Time
- 04:54 UTC
- Height
- at 3,500 ft
- Aircraft
- GLF5
- Sky
- overcast from 3,600 ft
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 7 forecast points nearest it (GTF, DLN, PIH, BAM, ELY, BIH, WJF). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.
| Height | Average wind | Head- or tailwind | Temperature | Ground speed | Time en route | Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4,500 ft | 190° at 6 kt | +6 kt | 6 °C | 114 kt | 7 h 32 min | 7:41 am PDT (14:41 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 200° at 7 kt | +7 kt | 6 °C | 113 kt | 7 h 36 min | 7:45 am PDT (14:45 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 210° at 9 kt | +9 kt | 0 °C | 111 kt | 7 h 44 min | 7:53 am PDT (14:53 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 220° at 13 kt | +12 kt | -2 °C | 108 kt | 7 h 57 min | 8:06 am PDT (15:06 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 220° at 18 kt | +17 kt | -5 °C | 103 kt | 8 h 20 min | 8:29 am PDT (15:29 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 210° at 24 kt | +23 kt | -9 °C | 97 kt | 8 h 51 min | 9:00 am PDT (16:00 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 210° at 30 kt | +30 kt | -13 °C | 90 kt | 9 h 33 min | 9:42 am PDT (16:42 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 210° at 35 kt | +34 kt | -16 °C | 86 kt | 9 h 59 min | 10:08 am PDT (17:08 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 210° at 52 kt | +52 kt | -25 °C | 68 kt | 12 h 38 min | 12:47 pm PDT (19:47 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 220° at 62 kt | +60 kt | -30 °C | 60 kt | 14 h 19 min | 2:28 pm PDT (21:28 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 220° at 63 kt | +61 kt | -35 °C | 59 kt | 14 h 34 min | 2:43 pm PDT (21:43 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 220° at 59 kt | +56 kt | -43 °C | 64 kt | 13 h 25 min | 1:34 pm PDT (20:34 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
| Point | From | 3,000 | 6,000 | 9,000 | 12,000 | 18,000 | 24,000 | 30,000 | 34,000 | 39,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GTF | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 070/11 | 080/15 -7° | 110/19 -9° | 190/25 -14° | 200/34 -23° | 200/54 -39° | 220/66 -40° | 220/77 -44° | |
| DLN | used from 50 nm out; 68 nm from the line | 090/6 -6° | 240/22 -4° | 210/34 -16° | 210/62 -25° | 210/66 -34° | 210/82 -36° | 220/77 -42° | ||
| PIH | used from 200 nm out; 80 nm from the line | L/V | 240/13 1° | 240/15 -3° | 210/42 -15° | 200/70 -25° | 220/74 -29° | 220/71 -36° | 220/62 -43° | |
| BAM | used from 350 nm out; 115 nm from the line | 310/7 0° | 270/19 -7° | 200/38 -17° | 190/49 -28° | 220/69 -29° | 220/63 -33° | 230/48 -41° | ||
| ELY | used from 499 nm out; 56 nm from the line | 200/39 3° | 210/27 -2° | 210/45 -15° | 220/56 -24° | 210/60 -28° | 210/63 -34° | 220/61 -43° | ||
| BIH | used from 599 nm out; 80 nm from the line | L/V | 240/7 1° | 190/13 -3° | 200/26 -16° | 210/43 -26° | 220/54 -28° | 220/51 -35° | 220/47 -43° | |
| WJF | used from 749 nm out; 50 nm from the line | 200/28 6° | 210/28 3° | 210/29 -4° | 210/28 -14° | 220/41 -20° | 220/47 -29° | 220/46 -37° | 220/53 -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
| Airport | Where | Conditions | Wind | Visibility | Ceiling | Elevation | Reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GTF Great Falls, MT | departure | marginal VFR Sky: a few clouds at 300 feet, overcast at 1,200 feet Weather: light snow, mist | from the north-northwest (340°) at 8 knots | 5 mi | 1,200 ft | 3,680 ft | 12:53 am MDT (06:53 UTC) |
| HLN Helena, MT | 60 nm out, 2 nm north of the line, tower | marginal VFR Sky: overcast at 4,500 feet Weather: light snow, mist | from the west-northwest (290°) at 7 knots | 4 mi | 4,500 ft | 3,877 ft | 06:53 UTC |
| BTM Butte, MT | 100 nm out, 6 nm west of the line | marginal VFR Sky: overcast at 1,000 feet Weather: light snow, mist | calm | 4 mi | 1,000 ft | 5,550 ft | 06:53 UTC |
| AOC Arco, ID | 250 nm out, 19 nm east of the line | no report just now | 5,334 ft | ||||
| TWF Twin Falls, ID | 330 nm out, 3 nm northwest of the line, tower | VFR Sky: overcast at 3,600 feet Weather: light rain | from the south-southwest (200°) at 9 knots | 7 mi | 3,600 ft | 4,153 ft | 06:53 UTC |
| LWL Wells, NV | 410 nm out, 11 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 5,769 ft | ||||
| EKO Elko, NV | 440 nm out, 20 nm west of the line | VFR Sky: overcast at 4,100 feet Weather: light rain | calm | 10+ mi | 4,100 ft | 5,139 ft | 06:56 UTC |
| TPH Tonopah, NV | 619 nm out, 16 nm northwest of the line | VFR Sky: overcast at 3,700 feet | from the north-northwest (340°) at 10 knots | 10+ mi | 3,700 ft | 5,430 ft | 06:56 UTC |
| IYK Inyokern, CA | 769 nm out, 3 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 2,457 ft | ||||
| MHV Mojave, CA | 809 nm out, 4 nm north of the line, tower | VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 2,300 feet | from the west-southwest (250°) at 15 knots, gusting to 22 | 10+ mi | none | 2,801 ft | 06:15 UTC |
| VNY Van Nuys, CA | destination | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 3,000 feet, scattered clouds at 4,500 feet, overcast at 5,500 feet | calm | 10+ mi | 5,500 ft | 802 ft | 11:51 pm PDT (06:51 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 5,769 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At VNY when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 7:41 am PDT (14:41 UTC)
Wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 3,000 feet, a broken layer at 5,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for VNY
- From Sun 11:00 pm PDT (06:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 3,000 feet, a broken layer at 5,000 feet
- 30% chance between Sun 11:00 pm PDT (06:00 UTC) and 5:00 am PDT (12:00 UTC): light rain showers
- From Mon 11:00 am PDT (18:00 UTC): wind from the south at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 3,500 feet
- From Mon 3:00 pm PDT (22:00 UTC): wind from the south at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 4,000 feet
The forecast for GTF, the departure
- From Mon 12:00 am MDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the north-northeast at 12 knots, visibility 3 miles, light snow, overcast at 600 feet
- At times between Mon 12:00 am MDT (06:00 UTC) and 3:00 am MDT (09:00 UTC): visibility 2 miles, light snow
- From Mon 3:00 am MDT (09:00 UTC): wind from the north at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 600 feet
- At times between Mon 3:00 am MDT (09:00 UTC) and 5:00 am MDT (11:00 UTC): visibility 2 miles, light snow, overcast at 300 feet
- From Mon 12:00 pm MDT (18:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 1,000 feet
- From Mon 9:00 pm MDT (03:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility 6 miles, mist, scattered clouds at 1,000 feet
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/8783 38NM NE BAKERSFIELD, CA, Saturday, October 10, 2026 through Friday, October 23, 2026 UTC 21 nm from the route, 769 nm along the route · a hazard on the ground (fire-fighting, a chemical spill, rescue work) · until 23 October · ZLA
Daylight
Sunset at GTF 6:41 pm MDT (00:41 UTC), at VNY 6:22 pm PDT (01:22 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:47 pm PDT (01:47 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: Great Falls International, Van Nuys Airport.