The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Plan a flight · Mon 1:32 am CDT (06:32 UTC)

Frederick W Smith Intl/Memphis Airport to San Francisco International MEM → SFO

1,567 nautical miles (1,803 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 285°, about 286° magnetic at the departure end (variation 1W). At 120 knots that is 14 h 15 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 10-knot headwind), arriving about 1:47 pm PDT (20:47 UTC). 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: 508 flights in the DOT's last twelve reported months, the route's page.

The return flight

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

  • SIGMET C10C: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 34,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 2:55 am CDT (07:55 UTC). Over the route from 709 to 808 nm out.
    as issued
    WSUS32 KKCI 120555
    MKCC WST 120555
    CONVECTIVE SIGMET 10C
    VALID UNTIL 0755Z
    CO NM
    FROM 20NNE PUB-40WSW LAA-30WSW CIM-50WSW ALS-50ESE HBU-20NNE PUB
    AREA TS MOV FROM 22040KT. TOPS TO FL340.
  • SIGMET W15W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 28,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 20 knots, until 2:55 am CDT (07:55 UTC). Over the route from 1287 to 1347 nm out.
    as issued
    WSUS33 KKCI 120555
    MKCW WST 120555
    CONVECTIVE SIGMET 15W
    VALID UNTIL 0755Z
    UT NV
    FROM 60WNW BVL-10NE BVL-80E OAL-40SE OAL-20W OAL-60WNW BVL
    AREA TS MOV FROM 24020KT. TOPS TO FL280.
  • 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 230 to 659 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the route from 659 to 1287 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 35,000 ft to 45,000 ft. Over the route from 689 to 888 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 729 to 828 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 38,000 ft. Over the route from 888 to 1078 nm out.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 898 to 1218 nm out.
  • AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Over the route from 1018 to 1238 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 39,000 ft. Over the last 90 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 MEM.

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 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 15 forecast points nearest it (MEM, LIT, FSM, TUL, OKC, GAG, GCK, PUB, ALS, FMN, BCE, ELY, BIH, FAT, SFO). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

HeightAverage windHead- or tailwindTemperatureGround speedTime en routeArrival
4,500 ft220° at 21 kt+10 kt20 °C110 kt14 h 15 min1:47 pm PDT (20:47 UTC)
6,500 ft230° at 19 kt+12 kt15 °C108 kt14 h 31 min2:03 pm PDT (21:03 UTC)
8,500 ft230° at 20 kt+13 kt11 °C107 kt14 h 39 min2:11 pm PDT (21:11 UTC)
10,500 ft230° at 21 kt+15 kt5 °C105 kt14 h 55 min2:27 pm PDT (21:27 UTC)
12,500 ft230° at 22 kt+15 kt2 °C105 kt14 h 55 min2:27 pm PDT (21:27 UTC)
14,500 ft230° at 24 kt+16 kt-2 °C104 kt15 h 04 min2:36 pm PDT (21:36 UTC)
16,500 ft230° at 26 kt+17 kt-6 °C103 kt15 h 13 min2:45 pm PDT (21:45 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180220° at 28 kt+18 kt-10 °C102 kt15 h 22 min2:54 pm PDT (21:54 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240230° at 36 kt+27 kt-21 °C93 kt16 h 51 min4:23 pm PDT (23:23 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300240° at 52 kt+44 kt-29 °C76 kt20 h 37 min8:09 pm PDT (03:09 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340240° at 53 kt+46 kt-36 °C74 kt21 h 11 min8:43 pm PDT (03:43 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390240° at 44 kt+39 kt-47 °C81 kt19 h 21 min6:53 pm PDT (01:53 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
PointFrom3,0006,0009,00012,00018,00024,00030,00034,00039,000
MEMused from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line230/19260/16 15°270/17 12°300/13 6°300/15 -5°300/26 -18°300/34 -32°300/41 -40°310/46 -52°
LITused from 50 nm out; 54 nm from the line220/21230/17 16°250/24 12°260/15 7°260/13 -5°280/25 -16°290/35 -30°300/42 -40°300/40 -52°
FSMused from 150 nm out; 52 nm from the line210/27250/23 16°250/20 13°240/17 8°250/18 -6°260/31 -16°280/42 -30°280/44 -40°290/38 -51°
TULused from 250 nm out; 22 nm from the line210/37240/29 17°260/15 14°260/11 7°240/22 -6°250/29 -16°270/45 -29°270/47 -40°280/44 -50°
OKCused from 349 nm out; 64 nm from the line200/44230/32 18°240/13 15°240/10 9°240/20 -5°250/27 -16°260/47 -28°270/48 -39°270/45 -50°
GAGused from 399 nm out; 65 nm from the line220/40 19°230/28 14°240/23 8°230/21 -6°240/31 -19°250/66 -29°260/58 -38°260/47 -49°
GCKused from 549 nm out; 68 nm from the line220/48 21°230/37 14°250/30 8°230/37 -6°240/37 -20°240/69 -28°250/67 -37°260/58 -48°
PUBused from 649 nm out; 76 nm from the line230/25 13°230/32 6°220/44 -8°230/49 -21°240/70 -28°240/67 -34°240/58 -46°
ALSused from 749 nm out; 8 nm from the line230/37 4°220/54 -9°230/62 -22°240/77 -26°240/74 -33°230/59 -45°
FMNused from 848 nm out; 55 nm from the line220/28 9°220/40 2°220/53 -10°220/62 -22°230/79 -28°240/91 -34°230/71 -45°
BCEused from 998 nm out; 58 nm from the line220/27 -1°210/40 -13°220/54 -21°220/64 -30°220/64 -34°220/52 -44°
ELYused from 1198 nm out; 90 nm from the line200/39 3°210/27 -2°210/45 -15°220/56 -24°210/60 -28°210/63 -34°220/61 -43°
BIHused from 1248 nm out; 107 nm from the lineL/V240/7 1°190/13 -3°200/26 -16°210/43 -26°220/54 -28°220/51 -35°220/47 -43°
FATused from 1447 nm out; 65 nm from the line130/16160/20 5°190/28 -1°210/25 -5°220/27 -15°230/21 -26°220/42 -29°220/44 -35°220/44 -44°
SFOused from 1497 nm out; 45 nm from the line120/13090/14 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

AirportWhereConditionsWindVisibilityCeilingElevationReported
MEM Memphis, TN departure no report just now 340 ft
HBZ Heber Springs, AR 100 nm out, 4 nm northwest of the line no report just now 632 ft
TUL Tulsa, OK 299 nm out, 3 nm east of the line, tower no report just now 677 ft
WDG Enid, OK 389 nm out, 8 nm south of the line, tower no report just now 1,167 ft
EHA Elkhart, KS 589 nm out, 3 nm south of the line no report just now 3,621 ft
TAD Trinidad, CO 709 nm out, 3 nm south of the line no report just now 5,761 ft
MVI Monte Vista, CO 788 nm out, 5 nm northwest of the line no report just now 7,611 ft
BCE Bryce Canyon, UT 1078 nm out, 5 nm southwest of the line no report just now 7,589 ft
CDC Cedar City, UT 1128 nm out, 6 nm south of the line no report just now 5,622 ft
MMH Mammoth Lakes, CA 1397 nm out, 9 nm south of the line no report just now 7,134 ft
LVK Livermore, CA 1537 nm out, 4 nm northwest of the line, tower no report just now 399 ft
SFO San Francisco, CA destination no report just now 13 ft

The highest airport on this list sits at 7,611 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At SFO when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 1:47 pm PDT (20:47 UTC)

SFO has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.

Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it

  • 6/7094 45NM NE MERCED, CA, Sunday, October 4, 2026 through Tuesday, October 20, 2026 UTC 2 nm from the route, 1427 nm along the route · a hazard on the ground (fire-fighting, a chemical spill, rescue work) · until 20 October · ZOA
  • 6/7231 Santa Clara, CA, Sunday, October 11, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 UTC 13 nm from the route, at the destination end · drones kept away from a public gathering · until 12 October · ZOA

Daylight

Sunset at MEM 6:29 pm CDT (23:29 UTC), at SFO 6:36 pm PDT (01:36 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:02 pm PDT (02:02 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

Radar now, the lower Mississippi valley
Radar now, the lower Mississippi valley · loop National Weather Service
Radar now, the southern Plains
Radar now, the southern Plains · loop National Weather Service
Radar now, the southern Rockies
Radar now, the southern Rockies · loop National Weather Service
Radar, the whole country
Radar, the whole country · loop National Weather Service
Surface analysis now
Surface analysis now Weather Prediction Center
Forecast chart, 12 hours ahead
Forecast chart, 12 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center
Forecast chart, 24 hours ahead
Forecast chart, 24 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center

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: Frederick W Smith Intl/Memphis Airport, San Francisco International.