Los Angeles International to Santa Barbara Municipal LAX → SBA
77 nautical miles (88 statute miles) northwest on a straight line, true course 293°, about 281° magnetic at the departure end (variation 12E). At 120 knots that is 38 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 1-knot tailwind), arriving about 12:16 am PDT (07:16 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now LAX is VFR, wind from the south-southwest (210°) at 5 knots; SBA is VFR, wind from the northeast (050°) at 3 knots. 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: 1,373 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 TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 15,000 ft. Near the route, at the departure end.
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
- B38M at 3,000 ft, 46 nm east, 10:47 pm PDT (05:47 UTC): a broken layer from 2,900 ft to 8,000 ft, remarks: BASE030. At the departure end, 46 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
- A321 at 3,300 ft, 49 nm east, 9:59 pm PDT (04:59 UTC): a broken layer above 3,300 ft, remarks: during the descent. At the departure end, 49 nm east of the line.
as filed, and in English
ONT UA /OV ONT078008/TM 0459/FL033/TP A321/SK BKN033-TOPUNKN/RM DURD
- Report
- a routine report filed through ONT
- Where
- 8 nm east (078°) of ONT
- Time
- 04:59 UTC
- Height
- at 3,300 ft
- Aircraft
- A321
- Sky
- a broken layer from 3,300 ft, tops unknown
- Remarks
- during the descent
- GLF5 at 3,500 ft, 14 nm north, 9:54 pm PDT (04:54 UTC): overcast above 3,600 ft. 10 nm along the route, 14 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 2 forecast points nearest it (WJF, SBA). 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 | 200° at 20 kt | −1 kt | 6 °C | 121 kt | 38 min | 12:16 am PDT (07:16 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 200° at 23 kt | −1 kt | 5 °C | 121 kt | 38 min | 12:16 am PDT (07:16 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 210° at 24 kt | +2 kt | 3 °C | 118 kt | 39 min | 12:17 am PDT (07:17 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 210° at 26 kt | +4 kt | 0 °C | 116 kt | 40 min | 12:18 am PDT (07:18 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 210° at 26 kt | +5 kt | -5 °C | 115 kt | 40 min | 12:18 am PDT (07:18 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 220° at 25 kt | +6 kt | -8 °C | 114 kt | 41 min | 12:19 am PDT (07:19 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 220° at 24 kt | +7 kt | -11 °C | 113 kt | 41 min | 12:19 am PDT (07:19 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 220° at 23 kt | +8 kt | -14 °C | 112 kt | 41 min | 12:19 am PDT (07:19 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 220° at 39 kt | +14 kt | -21 °C | 106 kt | 44 min | 12:22 am PDT (07:22 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 220° at 46 kt | +14 kt | -29 °C | 106 kt | 44 min | 12:22 am PDT (07:22 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 220° at 46 kt | +14 kt | -37 °C | 106 kt | 44 min | 12:22 am PDT (07:22 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 220° at 50 kt | +15 kt | -44 °C | 105 kt | 44 min | 12:22 am PDT (07:22 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WJF | used from 0 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° | |
| SBA | used from 48 nm out; 14 nm from the line | L/V | 190/13 5° | 210/20 2° | 220/22 -3° | 260/19 -13° | 230/35 -22° | 220/43 -28° | 220/46 -36° | 220/45 -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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LAX Los Angeles, CA | departure | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 2,500 feet, a broken layer at 3,400 feet, overcast at 6,000 feet | from the south-southwest (210°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | 3,400 ft | 127 ft | 10:53 pm PDT (05:53 UTC) |
| CMA Camarillo, CA | 38 nm out, 2 nm northeast of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 3,800 feet, overcast at 6,000 feet | calm | 10+ mi | 6,000 ft | 76 ft | 05:55 UTC |
| SBA Santa Barbara, CA | destination | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 3,900 feet, overcast at 6,000 feet | from the northeast (050°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | 6,000 ft | 13 ft | 10:53 pm PDT (05:53 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 127 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At SBA when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 12:16 am PDT (07:16 UTC)
Wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 4,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for SBA
- From Sun 11:00 pm PDT (06:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 4,000 feet
- From Mon 12:00 pm PDT (19:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
The forecast for LAX, the departure
- From Sun 11:00 pm PDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 3,500 feet
- From Mon 10:00 am PDT (17:00 UTC): wind from the west-southwest at 15 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 3,500 feet
- From Mon 6:00 pm PDT (01:00 UTC): wind from the west at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 4,000 feet
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
Daylight
Sunset at LAX 6:23 pm PDT (01:23 UTC), at SBA 6:28 pm PDT (01:28 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:54 pm PDT (01:54 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at SBA is before sunrise there (7:02 am PDT (14:02 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, Santa Barbara Municipal.