Los Angeles International to Charles M Schulz/Sonoma County LAX → STS
347 nautical miles (400 statute miles) northwest on a straight line, true course 323°, about 311° magnetic at the departure end (variation 12E). At 120 knots that is 2 h 38 min at the quickest height in today's winds (6,500 ft, a 12-knot tailwind), arriving about 3:58 am PDT (10:58 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now LAX is marginal VFR, wind from the west (270°) at 13 knots; STS is VFR, wind from the north-northeast (020°) 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: 1,662 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 above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 39,000 ft. Over the last 189 nm of 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 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
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 4 forecast points nearest it (WJF, SBA, FAT, SFO). 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 | 160° at 12 kt | −11 kt | 6 °C | 131 kt | 2 h 39 min | 3:59 am PDT (10:59 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 170° at 13 kt | −12 kt | 4 °C | 132 kt | 2 h 38 min | 3:58 am PDT (10:58 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 190° at 13 kt | −9 kt | 1 °C | 129 kt | 2 h 41 min | 4:01 am PDT (11:01 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 210° at 14 kt | −5 kt | -2 °C | 125 kt | 2 h 47 min | 4:07 am PDT (11:07 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 230° at 14 kt | −1 kt | -5 °C | 121 kt | 2 h 52 min | 4:12 am PDT (11:12 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 250° at 12 kt | +3 kt | -8 °C | 117 kt | 2 h 58 min | 4:18 am PDT (11:18 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 260° at 12 kt | +6 kt | -11 °C | 114 kt | 3 h 03 min | 4:23 am PDT (11:23 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 280° at 12 kt | +9 kt | -14 °C | 111 kt | 3 h 08 min | 4:28 am PDT (11:28 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 280° at 16 kt | +12 kt | -23 °C | 108 kt | 3 h 13 min | 4:33 am PDT (11:33 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 240° at 25 kt | +3 kt | -30 °C | 117 kt | 2 h 58 min | 4:18 am PDT (11:18 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 230° at 34 kt | −2 kt | -36 °C | 122 kt | 2 h 51 min | 4:11 am PDT (11:11 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 220° at 38 kt | −6 kt | -44 °C | 126 kt | 2 h 45 min | 4:05 am PDT (11:05 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; 37 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 50 nm out; 40 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° |
| FAT | used from 149 nm out; 51 nm from the line | 130/16 | 160/20 5° | 190/28 -1° | 210/25 -5° | 220/27 -15° | 230/21 -26° | 220/42 -29° | 220/44 -35° | 220/44 -44° |
| SFO | used from 248 nm out; 27 nm from the line | 120/13 | 090/14 5° | 040/14 -1° | 350/17 -5° | 360/42 -14° | 360/64 -23° | 350/38 -32° | 300/19 -37° | 250/18 -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 | 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) |
| VNY Van Nuys, CA | 20 nm out, 8 nm east of the line, tower | marginal VFR Sky: overcast at 2,800 feet | from the west-southwest (250°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | 2,800 ft | 802 ft | 08:14 UTC |
| PRB Paso Robles, CA | 149 nm out, 24 nm southwest of the line | VFR Sky: overcast at 5,000 feet | from the south (190°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | 5,000 ft | 838 ft | 07:53 UTC |
| KIC King City, CA | 189 nm out, 23 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 374 ft | ||||
| RHV San Jose, CA | 258 nm out, 9 nm west of the line, tower | VFR | from the northwest (320°) at 12 knots | 10+ mi | none | 135 ft | 23:47 UTC |
| LVK Livermore, CA | 278 nm out, 6 nm northeast of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 399 ft | 07:53 UTC |
| APC Napa, CA | 318 nm out, 8 nm northeast of the line, tower | marginal VFR Sky: a broken layer at 2,100 feet, overcast at 10,000 feet | from the north (350°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | 2,100 ft | 35 ft | 07:54 UTC |
| STS Santa Rosa, CA | destination | VFR | from the north-northeast (020°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 128 ft | 12:53 am PDT (07:53 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 838 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At STS when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 3:58 am PDT (10:58 UTC)
Wind from the west-northwest at 2 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies VFR
The whole forecast for STS
- From Sun 11:00 pm PDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 2 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 1:00 pm PDT (20:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 7:00 pm PDT (02:00 UTC): wind from the south-southeast at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
The forecast for LAX, the departure
- From Mon 1:00 am PDT (08:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 12 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, light rain, overcast at 2,500 feet
- From Mon 3:00 am PDT (10:00 UTC): wind from the west-southwest at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 3,000 feet
- At times between Mon 3:00 am PDT (10:00 UTC) and 7:00 am PDT (14:00 UTC): visibility 5 miles, light rain, overcast at 2,500 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 6:22 pm PDT (01:22 UTC), at STS 6:36 pm PDT (01:36 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:02 pm PDT (02:02 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at STS is before sunrise there (7:17 am PDT (14:17 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, Charles M Schulz/Sonoma County.