The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Plan a flight · Sun 9:41 pm CDT (02:41 UTC)

Frederick W Smith Intl/Memphis Airport to Sacramento International MEM → SMF

1,527 nautical miles (1,757 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 288°, about 289° magnetic at the departure end (variation 1W). At 120 knots that is 14 h 01 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 11-knot headwind), arriving about 9:42 am PDT (16:42 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: 522 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 6W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 34,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 10:55 pm CDT (03:55 UTC). Over the route from 669 to 888 nm out.
    as issued
    WSUS33 KKCI 120155
    MKCW WST 120155
    CONVECTIVE SIGMET 6W
    VALID UNTIL 0355Z
    CO NM
    FROM 50SSW DEN-30NNE TBE-50SSW CME-50E SJN-20NE DVC-50SSW DEN
    AREA TS MOV FROM 23040KT. TOPS TO FL340.
  • SIGMET W10W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 30,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 20 knots, until 10:55 pm CDT (03:55 UTC). Over the route from 1257 to 1357 nm out.
    as issued
    WSUS33 KKCI 120155
    MKCW WST 120155
    CONVECTIVE SIGMET 10W
    VALID UNTIL 0355Z
    NV
    FROM 70SW TWF-40NNW BVL-40SW ELY-30ESE OAL-40WNW OAL-70SW TWF
    AREA TS MOV FROM 23020KT. TOPS TO FL300.
  • 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 389 to 649 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the route from 669 to 1287 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 36,000 ft. Over the route from 698 to 1357 nm out.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 758 to 868 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 768 to 958 nm out.
  • AIRMET ZULU 3C: moderate icing up to 22,000 ft. Over the route from 948 to 1377 nm out.
  • AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 958 to 1317 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 1028 to 1118 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 15,000 ft. Over the route from 1297 to 1407 nm out.
  • AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 39,000 ft. Over the last 30 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, ICT, GAG, GCK, PUB, ALS, GJT, BCE, ELY, BIH, RNO, SAC). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

HeightAverage windHead- or tailwindTemperatureGround speedTime en routeArrival
4,500 ft220° at 24 kt+11 kt20 °C109 kt14 h 01 min9:42 am PDT (16:42 UTC)
6,500 ft230° at 22 kt+14 kt16 °C106 kt14 h 24 min10:05 am PDT (17:05 UTC)
8,500 ft230° at 23 kt+14 kt11 °C106 kt14 h 24 min10:05 am PDT (17:05 UTC)
10,500 ft230° at 23 kt+16 kt5 °C104 kt14 h 41 min10:22 am PDT (17:22 UTC)
12,500 ft230° at 23 kt+16 kt2 °C104 kt14 h 41 min10:22 am PDT (17:22 UTC)
14,500 ft230° at 26 kt+17 kt-2 °C103 kt14 h 50 min10:31 am PDT (17:31 UTC)
16,500 ft230° at 28 kt+18 kt-7 °C102 kt14 h 58 min10:39 am PDT (17:39 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180220° at 30 kt+18 kt-10 °C102 kt14 h 58 min10:39 am PDT (17:39 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240230° at 38 kt+28 kt-21 °C92 kt16 h 36 min12:17 pm PDT (19:17 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300240° at 50 kt+40 kt-29 °C80 kt19 h 05 min2:46 pm PDT (21:46 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340240° at 50 kt+43 kt-36 °C77 kt19 h 50 min3:31 pm PDT (22:31 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390250° at 44 kt+38 kt-47 °C82 kt18 h 37 min2:18 pm PDT (21:18 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; 56 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; 57 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 249 nm out; 25 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°
ICTused from 349 nm out; 57 nm from the line200/48230/39 19°240/24 14°240/20 8°240/22 -6°250/31 -18°250/61 -29°260/58 -38°270/54 -49°
GAGused from 449 nm out; 50 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 499 nm out; 43 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; 58 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 748 nm out; 34 nm from the line230/37 4°220/54 -9°230/62 -22°240/77 -26°240/74 -33°230/59 -45°
GJTused from 848 nm out; 69 nm from the line210/43 7°230/45 1°220/49 -12°220/62 -22°220/59 -28°230/60 -33°220/55 -45°
BCEused from 998 nm out; 75 nm from the line220/27 -1°210/40 -13°220/54 -21°220/64 -30°220/64 -34°220/52 -44°
ELYused from 1147 nm out; 56 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 1297 nm out; 97 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°
RNOused from 1397 nm out; 50 nm from the line010/9320/10 -2°210/23 -9°210/34 -19°220/36 -25°230/31 -29°230/41 -33°230/38 -42°
SACused from 1447 nm out; 52 nm from the line110/6L/V 4°010/11 -2°350/11 -7°340/24 -16°360/44 -23°330/24 -30°270/21 -35°230/23 -43°

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, 5 nm west of the line no report just now 632 ft
FYV Fayetteville, AR 210 nm out, 4 nm west of the line, tower no report just now 1,252 ft
WDG Enid, OK 389 nm out, 24 nm south of the line, tower no report just now 1,167 ft
MEJ Meade, KS 519 nm out, 3 nm north of the line no report just now 2,527 ft
LHX La Junta, CO 678 nm out, 21 nm north of the line no report just now 4,228 ft
TEX Telluride, CO 878 nm out, 15 nm south of the line no report just now 9,069 ft
HVE Hanksville, UT 1018 nm out, 2 nm southeast of the line no report just now 4,453 ft
MLF Milford, UT 1127 nm out, 9 nm south of the line no report just now 5,042 ft
GAB Gabbs, NV 1357 nm out, 12 nm north of the line no report just now 4,699 ft
PVF Placerville, CA 1487 nm out, 1 nm northwest of the line no report just now 2,585 ft
SMF Sacramento, CA destination no report just now 26 ft

The highest airport on this list sits at 9,069 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, 9:42 am PDT (16:42 UTC)

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

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 16 nm from the route, at the destination end · security · until 1 November · ZOA
  • 6/6740 SACRAMENTO, CA, Thursday, October 8, 2026 through Sunday, October 11, 2026 Local 3 nm from the route, at the destination end · air shows/sports · ended 11 October · ZOA

Daylight

Sunset at MEM 6:29 pm CDT (23:29 UTC), at SMF 6:32 pm PDT (01:32 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:59 pm PDT (01:59 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, Sacramento International.