Los Angeles International to Fairbanks International LAX → FAI
2,140 nautical miles (2,462 statute miles) north on a straight line, true course 339°, about 327° magnetic at the departure end (variation 12E). At 120 knots that is 18 h 08 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 2-knot headwind), arriving about 9:46 pm AKDT (05:46 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 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 2E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the first 290 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 39,000 ft. Over the route from 110 to 590 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 08:00–15:00 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 (WJF, FAT, SAC, RBL, SIY, OTH, AST, SEA). 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 | 360° at 3 kt | +2 kt | 2 °C | 118 kt | 18 h 08 min | 9:46 pm AKDT (05:46 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 360° at 4 kt | +3 kt | 0 °C | 117 kt | 18 h 17 min | 9:55 pm AKDT (05:55 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 360° at 7 kt | +6 kt | -3 °C | 114 kt | 18 h 46 min | 10:24 pm AKDT (06:24 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 360° at 16 kt | +13 kt | -4 °C | 107 kt | 20 h | 11:38 pm AKDT (07:38 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 360° at 25 kt | +21 kt | -6 °C | 99 kt | 21 h 37 min | 1:15 am AKDT (09:15 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 360° at 33 kt | +27 kt | -9 °C | 93 kt | 23 h 01 min | 2:39 am AKDT (10:39 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 360° at 41 kt | +34 kt | -12 °C | 86 kt | 24 h 53 min | 4:31 am AKDT (12:31 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 360° at 47 kt | +39 kt | -14 °C | 81 kt | 26 h 25 min | 6:03 am AKDT (14:03 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 350° at 54 kt | +49 kt | -25 °C | 71 kt | 30 h 08 min | 9:46 am AKDT (17:46 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 350° at 53 kt | +48 kt | -39 °C | 72 kt | 29 h 43 min | 9:21 am AKDT (17:21 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 340° at 46 kt | +44 kt | -46 °C | 76 kt | 28 h 09 min | 7:47 am AKDT (15:47 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 320° at 25 kt | +24 kt | -45 °C | 96 kt | 22 h 18 min | 1:56 am AKDT (09:56 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WJF | used from 0 nm out; 31 nm from the line | 210/26 4° | 210/28 2° | 230/23 -4° | 240/28 -13° | 220/47 -23° | 220/57 -30° | 220/65 -37° | 220/59 -45° | |
| FAT | used from 100 nm out; 57 nm from the line | 140/11 | 180/15 3° | 150/14 -3° | 200/14 -6° | 240/17 -16° | 320/25 -23° | 270/22 -31° | 240/29 -37° | 230/36 -44° |
| SAC | used from 250 nm out; 50 nm from the line | L/V | L/V 4° | 340/9 -4° | 340/22 -8° | 360/71 -12° | 360/82 -23° | 350/58 -37° | 310/30 -40° | 270/25 -44° |
| RBL | used from 350 nm out; 50 nm from the line | 350/14 | 320/9 4° | 290/7 -3° | 350/22 -7° | 360/75 -13° | 350/79 -24° | 350/74 -39° | 340/49 -43° | 280/23 -43° |
| SIY | used from 450 nm out; 33 nm from the line | 060/14 -1° | 030/21 -4° | 010/29 -8° | 360/75 -13° | 350/77 -24° | 350/74 -39° | 340/57 -45° | 300/20 -42° | |
| OTH | used from 550 nm out; 63 nm from the line | 020/7 | 020/13 1° | 010/26 -4° | 360/41 -4° | 350/60 -13° | 350/65 -24° | 350/72 -40° | 350/68 -48° | 340/43 -47° |
| AST | used from 700 nm out; 71 nm from the line | L/V | 340/6 1° | 350/17 -2° | 360/32 -3° | 360/50 -14° | 350/55 -26° | 350/58 -40° | 350/62 -49° | 340/40 -47° |
| SEA | used from 1000 nm out; 251 nm from the line | 350/5 | 010/6 0° | 010/9 -4° | 010/27 -6° | 010/51 -15° | 360/58 -26° | 360/60 -41° | 350/55 -48° | 340/30 -45° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LAX Los Angeles, CA | departure | no report just now | 127 ft | ||||
| FAT Fresno, CA | 180 nm out, 3 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 335 ft | ||||
| MER Atwater, CA | 230 nm out, 22 nm west of the line, tower | no report just now | 190 ft | ||||
| MFR Medford, OR | 550 nm out, 3 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,335 ft | ||||
| ONP Newport, OR | 690 nm out, 5 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 160 ft | ||||
| HYG Hydaburg, AK | 1410 nm out, 4 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 0 ft | ||||
| PEC Pelican, AK | 1610 nm out, 2 nm west of the line | no report just now | 0 ft | ||||
| FAI Fairbanks, AK | destination | no report just now | 439 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,335 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At FAI when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 9:46 pm AKDT (05:46 UTC)
FAI 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 23 nm from the route, at the departure end · security · ZLA
- 6/7094 45NM NE MERCED, CA, Sunday, October 4, 2026 through Tuesday, October 20, 2026 UTC 17 nm from the route, 220 nm along the route · a hazard on the ground (fire-fighting, a chemical spill, rescue work) · until 20 October · ZOA
- 6/3475 BEALE AFB, CA, Sunday, March 8, 2026 through Sunday, November 1, 2026 Local 9 nm from the route, 340 nm along the route · security · until 1 November · ZOA
Daylight
Sunset at LAX 6:22 pm PDT (01:22 UTC), at FAI 6:36 pm AKDT (02:36 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:25 pm AKDT (03:25 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at FAI is after sunset there (6:39 pm AKDT (02:39 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: Los Angeles International, Fairbanks International.