Los Angeles International to South Bend International LAX → SBN
1,581 nautical miles (1,820 statute miles) northeast on a straight line, true course 063°, about 051° magnetic at the departure end (variation 12E). At 120 knots that is 8 h 53 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 58-knot tailwind), arriving about 1:00 pm EDT (17:00 UTC). Right now LAX is marginal VFR, wind from the west (270°) at 13 knots; SBN 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: 6 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. Over the route from 60 to 229 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 35,000 ft to 45,000 ft. Over the route from 90 to 328 nm out.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Near the route, 229 nm along the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the route from 239 to 796 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 239 to 557 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 269 to 348 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 42,000 ft. Over the route from 328 to 776 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: low-level wind shear (due to air speed loss or gain of 20 knots or more below 2,000 ft above the ground). Over the route from 607 to 736 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: low-level wind shear (due to air speed loss or gain of 20 knots or more below 2,000 ft above the ground). Over the route from 855 to 1412 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 02:00–09:00 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 12 forecast points nearest it (ONT, LAS, BCE, FMN, ALS, PUB, GLD, GRI, OMA, DSM, BRL, JOT). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.
| Height | Average wind | Head- or tailwind | Temperature | Ground speed | Time en route | Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5,500 ft | 230° at 28 kt | −27 kt | 15 °C | 147 kt | 10 h 45 min | 2:52 pm EDT (18:52 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 230° at 25 kt | −23 kt | 11 °C | 143 kt | 11 h 03 min | 3:10 pm EDT (19:10 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 230° at 21 kt | −20 kt | 9 °C | 140 kt | 11 h 18 min | 3:25 pm EDT (19:25 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 220° at 23 kt | −21 kt | 4 °C | 141 kt | 11 h 13 min | 3:20 pm EDT (19:20 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 230° at 26 kt | −24 kt | 0 °C | 144 kt | 10 h 59 min | 3:06 pm EDT (19:06 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 230° at 29 kt | −27 kt | -4 °C | 147 kt | 10 h 45 min | 2:52 pm EDT (18:52 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 230° at 32 kt | −31 kt | -8 °C | 151 kt | 10 h 28 min | 2:35 pm EDT (18:35 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 230° at 33 kt | −32 kt | -9 °C | 152 kt | 10 h 24 min | 2:31 pm EDT (18:31 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 230° at 42 kt | −40 kt | -20 °C | 160 kt | 9 h 53 min | 2:00 pm EDT (18:00 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 240° at 52 kt | −52 kt | -31 °C | 172 kt | 9 h 12 min | 1:19 pm EDT (17:19 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 240° at 57 kt | −58 kt | -37 °C | 178 kt | 8 h 53 min | 1:00 pm EDT (17:00 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 250° at 53 kt | −55 kt | -47 °C | 175 kt | 9 h 02 min | 1:09 pm EDT (17:09 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ONT | used from 0 nm out; 18 nm from the line | 190/8 | 190/19 6° | 210/23 4° | 210/29 -3° | 210/47 -13° | 210/49 -19° | 220/47 -30° | 220/50 -36° | 220/55 -43° |
| LAS | used from 149 nm out; 53 nm from the line | 210/21 10° | 200/18 5° | 200/23 -2° | 210/49 -14° | 210/63 -21° | 220/58 -30° | 220/61 -35° | 210/56 -44° | |
| BCE | used from 298 nm out; 91 nm from the line | 220/27 -1° | 210/40 -13° | 220/54 -21° | 220/64 -30° | 220/64 -34° | 220/52 -44° | |||
| FMN | used from 448 nm out; 69 nm from the line | 220/28 9° | 220/40 2° | 220/53 -10° | 220/62 -22° | 230/79 -28° | 240/91 -34° | 230/71 -45° | ||
| ALS | used from 597 nm out; 51 nm from the line | 230/37 4° | 220/54 -9° | 230/62 -22° | 240/77 -26° | 240/74 -33° | 230/59 -45° | |||
| PUB | used from 696 nm out; 18 nm from the line | 230/25 13° | 230/32 6° | 220/44 -8° | 230/49 -21° | 240/70 -28° | 240/67 -34° | 240/58 -46° | ||
| GLD | used from 796 nm out; 46 nm from the line | 230/49 | 230/42 15° | 220/26 8° | 240/18 -7° | 230/27 -21° | 240/62 -30° | 240/61 -35° | 250/57 -47° | |
| GRI | used from 945 nm out; 91 nm from the line | 230/35 21° | 230/23 13° | 220/20 7° | 240/25 -8° | 240/37 -20° | 250/49 -33° | 260/57 -38° | 260/58 -47° | |
| OMA | used from 1094 nm out; 60 nm from the line | 220/47 | 240/33 19° | 250/18 11° | 230/17 6° | 260/29 -8° | 250/33 -19° | 250/51 -33° | 260/61 -40° | 270/62 -49° |
| DSM | used from 1193 nm out; 55 nm from the line | 230/40 | 250/33 17° | 250/18 12° | 240/17 5° | 260/28 -8° | 270/34 -19° | 260/41 -33° | 260/55 -41° | 270/62 -51° |
| BRL | used from 1293 nm out; 47 nm from the line | 230/24 | 240/29 15° | 290/16 10° | 280/15 4° | 260/23 -7° | 260/32 -19° | 260/36 -33° | 280/48 -41° | 280/59 -52° |
| JOT | used from 1442 nm out; 30 nm from the line | 250/23 | 270/22 15° | 250/16 10° | 240/9 4° | 280/22 -7° | 280/29 -19° | 300/29 -34° | 290/50 -43° | 300/64 -52° |
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 | marginal VFR Sky: a few clouds at 1,600 feet, a broken layer at 2,200 feet, overcast at 3,200 feet Weather: light rain | from the west (270°) at 13 knots | 8 mi | 2,200 ft | 127 ft | 12:53 am PDT (07:53 UTC) |
| EMT El Monte, CA | 20 nm out, 1 nm east of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 4,400 feet, overcast at 5,500 feet | from the south (170°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | 5,500 ft | 295 ft | 02:45 UTC |
| IFP Bullhead City, AZ | 199 nm out, 17 nm southeast of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a broken layer at 11,000 feet | from the southwest (220°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | 11,000 ft | 707 ft | 07:50 UTC |
| GCN Grand Canyon, AZ | 328 nm out, 20 nm southeast of the line, tower | low IFR Sky: overcast at 400 feet | from the south-southwest (210°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | 400 ft | 6,608 ft | 07:54 UTC |
| CEZ Cortez, CO | 517 nm out, 8 nm southeast of the line | VFR Sky: overcast at 7,000 feet | from the south-southwest (200°) at 18 knots, gusting to 26 | 10+ mi | 7,000 ft | 5,917 ft | 07:53 UTC |
| COS Colorado Springs, CO | 726 nm out, 14 nm northwest of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 20,000 feet | from the south (170°) at 13 knots | 10+ mi | none | 6,187 ft | 07:54 UTC |
| CBK Colby, KS | 895 nm out, 2 nm east of the line | VFR | from the south-southwest (200°) at 12 knots, gusting to 20 | 10+ mi | none | 3,188 ft | 07:55 UTC |
| HJH Hebron, NE | 1064 nm out, 2 nm southwest of the line | VFR | from the south (190°) at 11 knots, gusting to 16 | 10+ mi | none | 1,468 ft | 07:55 UTC |
| ICL Clarinda, IA | 1183 nm out, 6 nm north of the line | VFR | from the south-southwest (200°) at 10 knots | 10+ mi | none | 995 ft | 07:55 UTC |
| MLI Moline, IL | 1392 nm out, 11 nm north of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southwest (200°) at 9 knots | 10+ mi | none | 589 ft | 07:52 UTC |
| GYY Gary/Chicago, IN | 1532 nm out, 1 nm north of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (190°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 596 ft | 07:55 UTC |
| SBN South Bend, IN | destination | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 798 ft | 3:54 am EDT (07:54 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 6,608 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At SBN when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 1:00 pm EDT (17:00 UTC)
Wind from the south at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for SBN
- From Mon 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- At times between Mon 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC) and 5:00 am EDT (09:00 UTC): visibility 2 miles, mist
- From Mon 6:00 am EDT (10:00 UTC): wind from the south at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 2:00 pm EDT (18:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 12 knots, gusting to 20, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 10,000 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 16 nm from the route, at the departure end · security · ZLA
- 6/8891 Bullhead City, AZ, Wednesday, October 14, 2026 Local 7 nm from the route, 199 nm along the route · a VIP movement · starts Wednesday 14 October · ZLA
- 6/8890 LAS VEGAS, NV, Tuesday, October 13, 2026 Local 18 nm from the route, 199 nm along the route · a VIP movement · starts tomorrow · ZLA
Daylight
Sunset at LAX 6:22 pm PDT (01:22 UTC), at SBN 7:09 pm EDT (23:09 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:36 pm EDT (23:36 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, South Bend International.