Lihue Airport to Sacramento International LIH → SMF
2,178 nautical miles (2,506 statute miles) northeast on a straight line, true course 054°, about 043° magnetic at the departure end (variation 11E). At 120 knots that is 17 h 51 min at the quickest height in today's winds (24,000 ft, a 2-knot tailwind), arriving about 10:28 pm PDT (05:28 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now LIH is VFR, wind from the west-southwest (250°) at 4 knots; SMF is VFR, wind from the south (190°) at 4 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: 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 2W: strong surface winds (30 knots or more) (due to sustained surface winds greater than 30 knots). Over the route from 1988 to 1998 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 39,000 ft. Over the last 110 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 LIH.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
- A35K at 32,000 ft, 25 nm southeast, 10:39 pm HST (08:39 UTC): moderate chop turbulence, remarks: fdcs zoa. At the destination end, 25 nm southeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
OAK UA /OV OAK348024/TM 0839/FL320/TP A35K/TB MOD CHOP/RM FDCS ZOA
- Report
- a routine report filed through OAK
- Where
- 24 nm north (348°) of OAK
- Time
- 08:39 UTC
- Height
- at 32,000 ft
- Aircraft
- A35K
- Turbulence
- moderate chop
- Remarks
- fdcs zoa
- UAL1685 at 37,000 ft, 5 nm northwest, 11:36 pm HST (09:36 UTC): -46 °C, wind 210° at 30 knots. 280 nm along the route, 5 nm northwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
ARP UAL1685 2443N 15516W 0936 F370 MS46 210/030KT
- Report
- a routine report filed through ARP
- UAL1685 at 37,000 ft, 7 nm north, 12:27 am HST (10:27 UTC): -47 °C, wind 220° at 20 knots. 689 nm along the route, 7 nm north of the line.
as filed, and in English
ARP UAL1685 2831N 14849W 1027 F370 MS47 220/020KT
- Report
- a routine report filed through ARP
- UAL1685 at 37,000 ft, 8 nm northwest, 1:18 am HST (11:18 UTC): -48 °C, wind 320° at 35 knots. 1109 nm along the route, 8 nm northwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
ARP UAL1685 3159N 14155W 1118 F370 MS48 320/035KT
- Report
- a routine report filed through ARP
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 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 4 forecast points nearest it (LIH, HNL, OGG, ITO). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.
| Height | Average wind | Head- or tailwind | Temperature | Ground speed | Time en route | Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3,500 ft | 130° at 10 kt | +4 kt | 116 kt | 18 h 47 min | 11:24 pm PDT (06:24 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 110° at 9 kt | +5 kt | 115 kt | 18 h 56 min | 11:33 pm PDT (06:33 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 090° at 6 kt | +6 kt | 11 °C | 114 kt | 19 h 06 min | 11:43 pm PDT (06:43 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 040° at 6 kt | +6 kt | 8 °C | 114 kt | 19 h 06 min | 11:43 pm PDT (06:43 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 010° at 13 kt | +9 kt | 7 °C | 111 kt | 19 h 37 min | 12:14 am PDT (07:14 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 010° at 18 kt | +12 kt | 5 °C | 108 kt | 20 h 10 min | 12:47 am PDT (07:47 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 010° at 20 kt | +13 kt | 3 °C | 107 kt | 20 h 21 min | 12:58 am PDT (07:58 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 010° at 17 kt | +11 kt | -1 °C | 109 kt | 19 h 59 min | 12:36 am PDT (07:36 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 010° at 17 kt | +11 kt | -2 °C | 109 kt | 19 h 59 min | 12:36 am PDT (07:36 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 320° at 10 kt | −2 kt | -15 °C | 122 kt | 17 h 51 min | 10:28 pm PDT (05:28 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 | 1,000 | 1,500 | 2,000 | 3,000 | 6,000 | 9,000 | 12,000 | 15,000 | 18,000 | 24,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LIH | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 090/7 | 090/9 | 100/11 | 110/13 | 040/12 17° | 020/6 11° | 300/9 5° | 290/14 3° | 250/13 -3° | 280/17 -16° |
| HNL | used from 100 nm out; 115 nm from the line | 080/8 | 080/9 | 090/10 | 090/11 | 070/14 16° | 030/17 11° | 010/18 5° | 340/14 4° | L/V -3° | 270/14 -15° |
| OGG | used from 200 nm out; 196 nm from the line | 110/11 | 110/12 | 110/12 | 110/12 | 090/14 15° | 050/19 11° | 030/26 5° | 020/25 4° | 030/16 -2° | 330/13 -16° |
| ITO | used from 949 nm out; 891 nm from the line | L/V | L/V | L/V | 150/11 | 150/7 11° | 200/5 7° | 350/11 7° | 010/21 4° | 010/21 -2° | 320/8 -14° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LIH Lihue, HI | departure | VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 2,800 feet | from the west-southwest (250°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 152 ft | 12:53 am HST (10:53 UTC) |
| STS Santa Rosa, CA | 2118 nm out, 6 nm north of the line, tower | VFR | from the northwest (310°) at 4 knots | 9 mi | none | 128 ft | 10:53 UTC |
| SMF Sacramento, CA | destination | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 11,000 feet | from the south (190°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 26 ft | 3:53 am PDT (10:53 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 152 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At SMF when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 10:28 pm PDT (05:28 UTC)
Wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies VFR
The whole forecast for SMF
- From Mon 5:00 am PDT (12:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 5:00 pm PDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the north-northwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 10:00 pm PDT (05:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
The forecast for LIH, the departure
- From Mon 2:00 am HST (12:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 2,500 feet
- From Mon 10:00 am HST (20:00 UTC): wind from the east-northeast at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 2,500 feet, scattered clouds at 4,000 feet
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/3475 BEALE AFB, CA, Sunday, March 8, 2026 through Sunday, November 1, 2026 Local 17 nm from the route, at the destination end · security · until 1 November · ZOA
Daylight
Sunset at LIH 6:14 pm HST (04:14 UTC), at SMF 6:31 pm PDT (01:31 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:57 pm PDT (01:57 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at SMF is after sunset there (6:32 pm PDT (01:32 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: Lihue Airport, Sacramento International.