General Mitchell International to John Wayne/Orange County MKE → SNA
1,508 nautical miles (1,735 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 258°, about 262° magnetic at the departure end (variation 4W). At 120 knots that is 15 h 42 min at the quickest height in today's winds (8,500 ft, a 24-knot headwind), arriving about 9:02 pm PDT (04:02 UTC), after sunset at the destination. 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 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: 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 150 to 589 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 719 to 819 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) from 34,000 ft to 43,000 ft. Over the route from 739 to 1208 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 22,000 ft. Over the route from 789 to 1018 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 949 to 1288 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 12,000 ft. Over the route from 1028 to 1478 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 1178 to 1278 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 2E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the last 60 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 MKE.
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 08:00–15:00 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 14 forecast points nearest it (JOT, DBQ, DSM, OMA, GRI, GLD, DEN, PUB, ALS, FMN, BCE, PRC, LAS, ONT). 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 | 240° at 28 kt | +28 kt | 16 °C | 92 kt | 16 h 23 min | 9:43 pm PDT (04:43 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 240° at 26 kt | +26 kt | 14 °C | 94 kt | 16 h 03 min | 9:23 pm PDT (04:23 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 230° at 24 kt | +24 kt | 10 °C | 96 kt | 15 h 42 min | 9:02 pm PDT (04:02 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 230° at 26 kt | +25 kt | 6 °C | 95 kt | 15 h 52 min | 9:12 pm PDT (04:12 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 230° at 29 kt | +27 kt | 2 °C | 93 kt | 16 h 13 min | 9:33 pm PDT (04:33 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 230° at 32 kt | +31 kt | -3 °C | 89 kt | 16 h 57 min | 10:17 pm PDT (05:17 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 230° at 36 kt | +34 kt | -7 °C | 86 kt | 17 h 32 min | 10:52 pm PDT (05:52 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 230° at 38 kt | +37 kt | -10 °C | 83 kt | 18 h 10 min | 11:30 pm PDT (06:30 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 230° at 49 kt | +49 kt | -21 °C | 71 kt | 21 h 14 min | 2:34 am PDT (09:34 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 240° at 62 kt | +62 kt | -31 °C | 58 kt | 26 h | 7:20 am PDT (14:20 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 240° at 67 kt | +69 kt | -37 °C | 51 kt | 29 h 34 min | 10:54 am PDT (17:54 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 250° at 63 kt | +65 kt | -46 °C | 55 kt | 27 h 25 min | 8:45 am PDT (15:45 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 | 3,000 | 6,000 | 9,000 | 12,000 | 18,000 | 24,000 | 30,000 | 34,000 | 39,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JOT | used from 0 nm out; 82 nm from the line | 250/25 | 260/22 14° | 250/17 9° | 270/21 5° | 280/28 -8° | 280/36 -20° | 270/41 -35° | 280/57 -42° | 290/65 -50° |
| DBQ | used from 50 nm out; 54 nm from the line | 250/27 | 260/23 17° | 240/26 10° | 260/30 4° | 280/26 -9° | 280/36 -21° | 270/41 -36° | 280/52 -41° | 290/67 -48° |
| DSM | used from 200 nm out; 50 nm from the line | 250/47 | 260/25 20° | 240/19 11° | 240/31 5° | 250/26 -9° | 260/38 -20° | 260/47 -34° | 270/58 -37° | 270/61 -47° |
| OMA | used from 300 nm out; 45 nm from the line | 230/47 | 240/33 21° | 230/22 13° | 220/27 5° | 240/35 -8° | 250/43 -21° | 260/47 -33° | 260/59 -36° | 270/58 -46° |
| GRI | used from 399 nm out; 56 nm from the line | 230/39 23° | 230/32 15° | 210/29 7° | 230/31 -8° | 230/43 -21° | 250/52 -31° | 260/59 -35° | 260/59 -46° | |
| GLD | used from 549 nm out; 90 nm from the line | 260/37 | 260/25 14° | 250/27 8° | 230/36 -8° | 230/49 -21° | 250/71 -30° | 260/82 -36° | 250/73 -48° | |
| DEN | used from 699 nm out; 69 nm from the line | 270/24 11° | 230/13 5° | 230/48 -8° | 230/46 -20° | 230/63 -30° | 240/78 -36° | 240/78 -48° | ||
| PUB | used from 799 nm out; 48 nm from the line | 260/45 11° | 240/38 6° | 230/47 -8° | 230/51 -19° | 240/74 -29° | 240/82 -35° | 250/72 -48° | ||
| ALS | used from 849 nm out; 66 nm from the line | 240/35 3° | 230/54 -9° | 240/66 -19° | 230/85 -26° | 240/87 -34° | 240/70 -47° | |||
| FMN | used from 949 nm out; 65 nm from the line | 220/16 6° | 220/39 1° | 220/50 -10° | 230/67 -23° | 230/94 -29° | 230/102 -35° | 230/90 -46° | ||
| BCE | used from 1098 nm out; 81 nm from the line | 200/32 -2° | 210/57 -15° | 220/71 -22° | 220/69 -30° | 220/64 -38° | 220/67 -44° | |||
| PRC | used from 1198 nm out; 82 nm from the line | 200/37 6° | 200/35 0° | 220/60 -11° | 220/71 -20° | 220/88 -29° | 220/98 -35° | 220/94 -45° | ||
| LAS | used from 1248 nm out; 75 nm from the line | 210/20 8° | 210/29 4° | 200/32 -3° | 200/51 -15° | 210/64 -21° | 220/70 -30° | 220/66 -38° | 220/55 -44° | |
| ONT | used from 1398 nm out; 63 nm from the line | 250/11 | 200/20 4° | 210/27 3° | 220/26 -4° | 240/32 -13° | 220/52 -21° | 220/67 -30° | 220/72 -37° | 220/65 -46° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MKE Milwaukee, WI | departure | no report just now | 728 ft | ||||
| DBQ Dubuque, IA | 130 nm out, 5 nm southeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,076 ft | ||||
| DSM Des Moines, IA | 270 nm out, 22 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 957 ft | ||||
| OMA Omaha, NE | 369 nm out, 8 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 984 ft | ||||
| GRI Grand Island, NE | 479 nm out, 7 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,847 ft | ||||
| LIC Limon, CO | 749 nm out, 5 nm east of the line | no report just now | 5,374 ft | ||||
| COS Colorado Springs, CO | 799 nm out, 11 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 6,187 ft | ||||
| TEX Telluride, CO | 959 nm out, 3 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 9,069 ft | ||||
| GCN Grand Canyon, AZ | 1198 nm out, 17 nm southeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 6,608 ft | ||||
| IFP Bullhead City, AZ | 1318 nm out, 5 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 707 ft | ||||
| RIV Riverside, CA | 1478 nm out, 5 nm southeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,536 ft | ||||
| SNA Santa Ana, CA | destination | no report just now | 55 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 SNA when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 9:02 pm PDT (04:02 UTC)
SNA has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/8784 LAKE GEORGE, CO, Sunday, October 11, 2026 through Tuesday, October 13, 2026 UTC 7 nm from the route, 829 nm along the route · a hazard on the ground (fire-fighting, a chemical spill, rescue work) · until 13 October · ZDV
- 6/8891 Bullhead City, AZ, Wednesday, October 14, 2026 Local on the route, 1318 nm along the route · a VIP movement · starts Wednesday 14 October · ZLA
- 4/3635 DISNEYLAND THEME PARK, ANAHEIM,, CA 5 nm from the route, at the destination end · security · ZLA
Daylight
Sunset at MKE 6:14 pm CDT (23:14 UTC), at SNA 6:20 pm PDT (01:20 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:45 pm PDT (01:45 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at SNA is after sunset there (6:21 pm PDT (01:21 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: General Mitchell International, John Wayne/Orange County.