The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Plan a flight · Sun 5:28 pm PDT (00:28 UTC)

Los Angeles International to Columbia Metro Airport LAX → CAE

1,847 nautical miles (2,125 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 079°, about 067° magnetic at the departure end (variation 12E). At 120 knots that is 11 h 12 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 45-knot tailwind), arriving about 7:40 am EDT (11:40 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: 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 W69W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 34,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 6:55 pm PDT (01:55 UTC). Over the route from 280 to 469 nm out.
    as issued
    WSUS33 KKCI 112355
    MKCW WST 112355
    CONVECTIVE SIGMET 69W
    VALID UNTIL 0155Z
    TX NM AZ
    FROM 50ENE PGS-60SE ABQ-20ENE ELP-70SSW SSO-50SE BZA-50ENE PGS
    AREA TS MOV FROM 23040KT. TOPS TO FL340.
  • SIGMET W68W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 36,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 6:55 pm PDT (01:55 UTC). Over the route from 479 to 649 nm out.
    as issued
    WSUS33 KKCI 112355
    MKCW WST 112355
    CONVECTIVE SIGMET 68W
    VALID UNTIL 0155Z
    CO NM AZ UT
    FROM 30W CHE-20NNW TBE-60SE ABQ-40N SJN-30SW MTU-30W CHE
    AREA TS MOV FROM 23040KT. TOPS TO FL360.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 6E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 10 to 80 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 12,000 ft. Over the route from 20 to 170 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 36,000 ft. Over the route from 100 to 280 nm out.
  • AIRMET ZULU 3C: moderate icing up to 22,000 ft. Over the route from 120 to 250 nm out.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 220 to 529 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the route from 260 to 699 nm out.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 2E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 339 to 349 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 35,000 ft to 45,000 ft. Over the route from 539 to 639 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 6W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 28,000 ft to 40,000 ft. Over the route from 1507 to 1607 nm out.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 1667 to 1747 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 5W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 7,000 ft. Over the route from 1697 to 1707 nm out.

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 LAX.

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 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 17 forecast points nearest it (ONT, BLH, PRC, FMN, ABQ, TCC, AMA, GAG, OKC, TUL, FSM, LIT, MEM, HSV, ATL, GSP, CAE). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

HeightAverage windHead- or tailwindTemperatureGround speedTime en routeArrival
3,500 ft240° at 14 kt−12 kt132 kt14 h10:28 am EDT (14:28 UTC)
5,500 ft230° at 15 kt−13 kt19 °C133 kt13 h 53 min10:21 am EDT (14:21 UTC)
7,500 ft230° at 18 kt−16 kt11 °C136 kt13 h 35 min10:03 am EDT (14:03 UTC)
9,500 ft240° at 20 kt−19 kt10 °C139 kt13 h 17 min9:45 am EDT (13:45 UTC)
11,500 ft250° at 22 kt−22 kt6 °C142 kt13 h9:28 am EDT (13:28 UTC)
13,500 ft250° at 23 kt−23 kt2 °C143 kt12 h 55 min9:23 am EDT (13:23 UTC)
15,500 ft240° at 25 kt−25 kt-2 °C145 kt12 h 44 min9:12 am EDT (13:12 UTC)
17,500 ft240° at 27 kt−26 kt-6 °C146 kt12 h 39 min9:07 am EDT (13:07 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180240° at 27 kt−26 kt-7 °C146 kt12 h 39 min9:07 am EDT (13:07 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240250° at 35 kt−34 kt-18 °C154 kt12 h8:28 am EDT (12:28 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300250° at 43 kt−43 kt-30 °C163 kt11 h 20 min7:48 am EDT (11:48 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340250° at 45 kt−45 kt-38 °C165 kt11 h 12 min7:40 am EDT (11:40 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390250° at 39 kt−40 kt-49 °C160 kt11 h 33 min8:01 am EDT (12:01 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
PointFrom3,0006,0009,00012,00018,00024,00030,00034,00039,000
ONTused from 0 nm out; 16 nm from the line230/11200/17 6°230/27 4°230/32 -2°210/39 -12°220/51 -20°220/48 -29°210/51 -34°210/52 -44°
BLHused from 100 nm out; 73 nm from the line230/22210/24 11°230/23 5°230/26 0°220/38 -10°230/52 -19°220/58 -28°220/69 -34°220/59 -45°
PRCused from 250 nm out; 26 nm from the line200/36 6°210/46 0°220/60 -10°220/75 -19°220/66 -26°230/70 -33°230/59 -45°
FMNused from 449 nm out; 107 nm from the line220/25 13°220/28 4°210/51 -9°220/59 -21°230/78 -30°230/77 -36°230/66 -46°
ABQused from 499 nm out; 64 nm from the line200/28 13°210/28 5°210/44 -7°230/46 -20°230/80 -28°240/74 -35°240/58 -47°
TCCused from 649 nm out; 62 nm from the line200/26200/28 14°220/25 7°230/28 -7°240/41 -19°240/62 -28°250/61 -37°250/49 -49°
AMAused from 799 nm out; 10 nm from the line190/28220/26 14°230/27 7°250/24 -6°250/32 -16°240/51 -28°250/52 -38°250/51 -50°
GAGused from 898 nm out; 55 nm from the line190/34 19°240/27 14°240/26 8°240/24 -6°240/29 -16°250/50 -28°250/50 -39°260/46 -50°
OKCused from 948 nm out; 56 nm from the line190/29200/29 16°230/22 14°240/17 9°240/28 -6°250/35 -15°270/42 -29°270/43 -39°280/38 -51°
TULused from 1098 nm out; 54 nm from the line200/27210/28 15°240/24 13°250/19 8°250/28 -6°260/25 -16°270/34 -30°280/41 -39°280/41 -52°
FSMused from 1148 nm out; 15 nm from the line200/18210/19 15°230/22 13°250/18 7°270/20 -5°280/24 -16°280/35 -30°290/37 -40°300/40 -52°
LITused from 1248 nm out; 34 nm from the line220/12250/12 17°250/18 12°260/22 6°310/14 -5°310/25 -17°310/40 -31°310/38 -41°310/46 -52°
MEMused from 1348 nm out; 31 nm from the line240/9280/14 17°280/20 12°290/25 5°320/25 -6°330/31 -18°320/52 -32°330/58 -41°320/42 -50°
HSVused from 1497 nm out; 41 nm from the line290/15330/34 16°330/38 11°330/40 5°320/36 -7°320/31 -18°320/44 -34°330/53 -41°330/34 -48°
ATLused from 1647 nm out; 48 nm from the line300/23320/26 14°320/34 10°320/41 5°290/32 -6°290/31 -18°280/28 -33°260/32 -41°250/28 -50°
GSPused from 1747 nm out; 48 nm from the line300/22310/22 11°300/22 7°290/28 5°270/36 -5°250/42 -18°230/54 -31°230/59 -40°230/65 -50°
CAEused from 1797 nm out; 25 nm from the line260/27310/26 11°280/31 9°270/36 7°250/39 -4°230/57 -16°220/74 -30°220/83 -40°220/73 -51°

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
LAX Los Angeles, CA departure no report just now 127 ft
ONT Ontario, CA 40 nm out, 1 nm southeast of the line, tower no report just now 944 ft
PRC Prescott, AZ 299 nm out, 4 nm south of the line, tower no report just now 5,045 ft
XNI Zuni, NM 469 nm out, 4 nm northeast of the line no report just now 6,371 ft
AEG Albuquerque, NM 579 nm out, 2 nm south of the line, tower no report just now 5,837 ft
AMA Amarillo, TX 829 nm out, 9 nm south of the line, tower no report just now 3,606 ft
OKC Oklahoma City, OK 1028 nm out, 2 nm northeast of the line, tower no report just now 1,295 ft
FSM Fort Smith, AR 1188 nm out, 4 nm north of the line, tower no report just now 469 ft
OLV Olive Branch, MS 1418 nm out, 4 nm west of the line, tower no report just now 401 ft
HSV Huntsville, AL 1567 nm out, 5 nm southwest of the line, tower no report just now 628 ft
AHN Athens, GA 1737 nm out, 19 nm south of the line, tower no report just now 812 ft
CAE Columbia, SC destination no report just now 235 ft

The highest airport on this list sits at 6,371 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At CAE when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 7:40 am EDT (11:40 UTC)

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

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

  • 4/3635 DISNEYLAND THEME PARK, ANAHEIM,, CA 10 nm from the route, at the departure end · security · ZLA
  • 6/8891 Bullhead City, AZ, Wednesday, October 14, 2026 Local 10 nm from the route, 200 nm along the route · a VIP movement · starts Wednesday 14 October · ZLA

Daylight

Sunset at LAX 6:23 pm PDT (01:23 UTC), at CAE 6:54 pm EDT (22:54 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:19 pm EDT (23:19 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 Pacific Southwest
Radar now, the Pacific Southwest · loop National Weather Service
Radar now, the southern Rockies
Radar now, the southern Rockies · loop National Weather Service
Radar now, the southern Plains
Radar now, the southern Plains · 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: Los Angeles International, Columbia Metro Airport.