Santa FE Regional to Los Angeles International SAF → LAX
615 nautical miles (708 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 264°, about 256° magnetic at the departure end (variation 8E). At 120 knots that is 5 h 51 min at the quickest height in today's winds (8,500 ft, a 15-knot headwind), arriving about 12:00 pm PDT (19:00 UTC). Right now SAF is VFR, wind from the north-northwest (340°) at 4 knots; LAX is marginal VFR, wind from the east (100°) at 6 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: 597 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 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) from 34,000 ft to 43,000 ft. Over the first 298 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 22,000 ft. Over the first 50 nm of the route.
- 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 189 to 298 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 12,000 ft. Over the route from 228 to 576 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 258 to 367 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 258 to 397 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 2E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the last 79 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 SAF.
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 5 forecast points nearest it (ABQ, FMN, PRC, BLH, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8,500 ft | 210° at 26 kt | +15 kt | 6 °C | 105 kt | 5 h 51 min | 12:00 pm PDT (19:00 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 210° at 30 kt | +19 kt | 3 °C | 101 kt | 6 h 05 min | 12:14 pm PDT (19:14 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 210° at 35 kt | +23 kt | -1 °C | 97 kt | 6 h 20 min | 12:29 pm PDT (19:29 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 220° at 40 kt | +30 kt | -5 °C | 90 kt | 6 h 50 min | 12:59 pm PDT (19:59 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 220° at 46 kt | +36 kt | -8 °C | 84 kt | 7 h 19 min | 1:28 pm PDT (20:28 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 220° at 51 kt | +40 kt | -11 °C | 80 kt | 7 h 41 min | 1:50 pm PDT (20:50 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 220° at 64 kt | +52 kt | -21 °C | 68 kt | 9 h 03 min | 3:12 pm PDT (22:12 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 220° at 82 kt | +65 kt | -29 °C | 55 kt | 11 h 11 min | 5:20 pm PDT (00:20 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 220° at 88 kt | +71 kt | -36 °C | 49 kt | 12 h 33 min | 6:42 pm PDT (01:42 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 220° at 85 kt | +67 kt | -46 °C | 53 kt | 11 h 36 min | 5:45 pm PDT (00:45 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABQ | used from 0 nm out; 32 nm from the line | 220/19 9° | 220/35 3° | 230/50 -8° | 240/64 -19° | 230/83 -26° | 230/85 -36° | 230/80 -48° | ||
| FMN | used from 99 nm out; 84 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° | ||
| PRC | used from 198 nm out; 94 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° | ||
| BLH | used from 397 nm out; 59 nm from the line | 240/19 | 210/20 10° | 200/27 4° | 210/34 -2° | 220/59 -10° | 220/67 -20° | 220/75 -29° | 230/78 -38° | 220/90 -47° |
| ONT | used from 496 nm out; 54 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAF Santa Fe, NM | departure | VFR Sky: a broken layer at 8,000 feet | from the north-northwest (340°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | 8,000 ft | 6,348 ft | 6:53 am MDT (12:53 UTC) |
| AEG Albuquerque, NM | 40 nm out, 25 nm south of the line, tower | VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 6,000 feet, scattered clouds at 7,000 feet | from the south-southwest (200°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 5,837 ft | 12:50 UTC |
| GNT Grants, NM | 89 nm out, 17 nm south of the line | VFR Sky: a broken layer at 6,500 feet | from the south (170°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | 6,500 ft | 6,536 ft | 12:55 UTC |
| GUP Gallup, NM | 129 nm out, 9 nm northwest of the line | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 7,000 feet | from the south-southeast (160°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | none | 6,472 ft | 12:53 UTC |
| INW Winslow, AZ | 228 nm out, 7 nm south of the line | VFR | from the south-southeast (150°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | none | 4,941 ft | 12:56 UTC |
| FLG Flagstaff, AZ | 278 nm out, 8 nm north of the line, tower | marginal VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 900 feet, a broken layer at 1,200 feet, overcast at 3,100 feet Weather: light rain, mist | from the south-southwest (200°) at 12 knots, gusting to 23 | 6 mi | 1,200 ft | 7,014 ft | 12:57 UTC |
| PRC Prescott, AZ | 318 nm out, 16 nm south of the line, tower | VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 2,500 feet, a broken layer at 3,300 feet, overcast at 4,200 feet Weather: light rain | variable at 4 knots | 10+ mi | 3,300 ft | 5,045 ft | 13:03 UTC |
| HII Lake Havasu City, AZ | 407 nm out, 6 nm southwest of the line | VFR Sky: a broken layer at 5,000 feet, a broken layer at 6,000 feet, a broken layer at 12,000 feet | calm | 10+ mi | 5,000 ft | 782 ft | 12:55 UTC |
| TNP Twentynine Palms, CA | 496 nm out, 15 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 1,888 ft | ||||
| ONT Ontario, CA | 576 nm out, 2 nm southeast of the line, tower | marginal VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 900 feet, a broken layer at 1,400 feet, overcast at 3,000 feet Weather: light rain | from the west-southwest (240°) at 6 knots | 7 mi | 1,400 ft | 944 ft | 12:53 UTC |
| LAX Los Angeles, CA | destination | marginal VFR Sky: a few clouds at 1,500 feet, a broken layer at 2,900 feet, overcast at 3,500 feet | from the east (100°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | 2,900 ft | 127 ft | 6:03 am PDT (13:03 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 7,014 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At LAX when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 12:00 pm PDT (19:00 UTC)
Wind from the west-southwest at 12 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 3,500 feet VFR
The whole forecast for LAX
- From Mon 5:00 am PDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 2,500 feet
- At times between Mon 5:00 am PDT (12:00 UTC) and 9:00 am PDT (16:00 UTC): visibility 5 miles, light rain showers
- From Mon 11:00 am PDT (18:00 UTC): wind from the west-southwest at 12 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds 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, clear skies
- From Tue 1:00 am PDT (08:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
The forecast for SAF, the departure
- From Mon 6:00 am MDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the south-southeast at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 3,000 feet, scattered clouds at 6,000 feet
- From Mon 12:00 pm MDT (18:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 12 knots, gusting to 22, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 6,000 feet
- From Mon 6:00 pm MDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 6,000 feet
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/8891 Bullhead City, AZ, Wednesday, October 14, 2026 Local 22 nm from the route, 417 nm along the route · a VIP movement · starts Wednesday 14 October · ZLA
- 4/3635 DISNEYLAND THEME PARK, ANAHEIM,, CA 11 nm from the route, at the destination end · security · ZLA
Daylight
Sunset at SAF 6:31 pm MDT (00:31 UTC), at LAX 6:22 pm PDT (01:22 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:47 pm PDT (01:47 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: Santa FE Regional, Los Angeles International.