San Francisco International to Meadows Field SFO → BFL
207 nautical miles (238 statute miles) southeast on a straight line, true course 128°, about 114° magnetic at the departure end (variation 14E). At 120 knots that is 1 h 34 min at the quickest height in today's winds (18,000 ft, a 12-knot tailwind), arriving about 8:24 pm PDT (03:24 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now SFO is VFR, wind from the west-southwest (240°) at 13 knots; BFL is VFR, wind from the northwest (320°) at 14 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: 1,156 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 1W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 39,000 ft. Over the first 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 SFO.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
- C680 descending, 33 nm southwest, 5:46 pm PDT (00:46 UTC): a broken layer from 3,000 ft to 3,500 ft. 59 nm along the route, 33 nm southwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
MRY UA /OV MRY/TM 0046/FLDURD/TP C680/SK BKN030-TOP035
- Report
- a routine report filed through MRY
- Where
- over MRY
- Time
- 00:46 UTC
- Height
- during the descent
- Aircraft
- C680
- Sky
- a broken layer from 3,000 ft, tops 3,500 ft
- SR22 at 10,000 ft, 41 nm southwest, 4:26 pm PDT (23:26 UTC): remarks: mountain wave 5-10 knots zlawc. 197 nm along the route, 41 nm southwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
FAT UA /OV FLW115010/TM 2326/FL100/TP SR22/RM MTN WAVE /- 5-10 KTS /ZLAWC AWC-WEB
- Report
- a routine report filed through FAT
- Where
- 10 nm southeast (115°) of FLW
- Time
- 23:26 UTC
- Height
- at 10,000 ft
- Aircraft
- SR22
- Remarks
- mountain wave 5-10 knots zlawc
Winds aloft along the route, and the time en route the forecast for use 20:00–03:00 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 3 forecast points nearest it (SFO, FAT, WJF). 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 | 190° at 7 kt | +4 kt | 116 kt | 1 h 47 min | 8:37 pm PDT (03:37 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 180° at 8 kt | +5 kt | 8 °C | 115 kt | 1 h 48 min | 8:38 pm PDT (03:38 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 200° at 11 kt | +4 kt | 5 °C | 116 kt | 1 h 47 min | 8:37 pm PDT (03:37 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 210° at 17 kt | +2 kt | 2 °C | 118 kt | 1 h 45 min | 8:35 pm PDT (03:35 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 220° at 22 kt | +1 kt | -2 °C | 119 kt | 1 h 44 min | 8:34 pm PDT (03:34 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 230° at 23 kt | −3 kt | -6 °C | 123 kt | 1 h 41 min | 8:31 pm PDT (03:31 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 240° at 23 kt | −7 kt | -9 °C | 127 kt | 1 h 38 min | 8:28 pm PDT (03:28 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 250° at 24 kt | −11 kt | -13 °C | 131 kt | 1 h 35 min | 8:25 pm PDT (03:25 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 250° at 25 kt | −12 kt | -14 °C | 132 kt | 1 h 34 min | 8:24 pm PDT (03:24 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 240° at 31 kt | −12 kt | -24 °C | 132 kt | 1 h 34 min | 8:24 pm PDT (03:24 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 230° at 46 kt | −6 kt | -27 °C | 126 kt | 1 h 39 min | 8:29 pm PDT (03:29 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 230° at 39 kt | −9 kt | -33 °C | 129 kt | 1 h 36 min | 8:26 pm PDT (03:26 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 230° at 40 kt | −10 kt | -44 °C | 130 kt | 1 h 36 min | 8:26 pm PDT (03:26 UTC) |
Based on data from the 11th at 18:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 00:00 UTC for use 20:00 to 03:00 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 220/11 | L/V 5° | 280/7 1° | 270/15 -3° | 290/23 -14° | 310/29 -24° | 280/26 -28° | 250/30 -34° | 250/36 -43° |
| FAT | used from 49 nm out; 70 nm from the line | 180/7 | 170/9 7° | 200/20 3° | 210/27 -3° | 240/27 -14° | 230/38 -24° | 220/57 -27° | 230/42 -33° | 230/41 -44° |
| WJF | used from 197 nm out; 63 nm from the line | 220/30 8° | 240/28 5° | 230/34 -2° | 220/34 -13° | 220/48 -20° | 220/47 -29° | 210/48 -34° | 220/52 -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
| Airport | Where | Conditions | Wind | Visibility | Ceiling | Elevation | Reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO San Francisco, CA | departure | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 2,000 feet, a few clouds at 5,000 feet | from the west-southwest (240°) at 13 knots | 10+ mi | none | 13 ft | 5:56 pm PDT (00:56 UTC) |
| RHV San Jose, CA | 30 nm out, 4 nm east of the line, tower | VFR | from the northwest (320°) at 12 knots | 10+ mi | none | 135 ft | 23:47 UTC |
| SNS Salinas, CA | 69 nm out, 22 nm southwest of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 3,100 feet | from the west-northwest (300°) at 9 knots | 10+ mi | none | 84 ft | 00:53 UTC |
| HJO Hanford, CA | 148 nm out, 23 nm northeast of the line | VFR | from the southwest (230°) at 9 knots | 10+ mi | none | 239 ft | 00:53 UTC |
| DLO Delano, CA | 187 nm out, 9 nm northeast of the line | reported, no category | from the northwest (310°) at 8 knots, gusting to 16 | 10+ mi | none | 314 ft | 23:35 UTC |
| BFL Bakersfield, CA | destination | VFR Weather: haze | from the northwest (320°) at 14 knots | 6 mi | none | 509 ft | 5:54 pm PDT (00:54 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 509 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At BFL when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 8:24 pm PDT (03:24 UTC)
Wind from the northwest at 15 knots, gusting to 24, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies VFR
The whole forecast for BFL
- From Sun 5:00 pm PDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 15 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Sun 7:00 pm PDT (02:00 UTC): wind from the northwest at 15 knots, gusting to 24, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Sun 9:00 pm PDT (04:00 UTC): wind from the north at 12 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 3:00 am PDT (10:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
The forecast for SFO, the departure
- From Sun 5:00 pm PDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the west-southwest at 16 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 2,000 feet
- From Sun 7:00 pm PDT (02:00 UTC): wind from the west-southwest at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 2,000 feet
- From Mon 1:00 am PDT (08:00 UTC): wind from the south-southeast at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 11:00 am PDT (18:00 UTC): wind from the east-northeast at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 3:00 pm PDT (22:00 UTC): wind from the west at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/7231 Santa Clara, CA, Sunday, October 11, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 UTC 3 nm from the route, 20 nm along the route · drones kept away from a public gathering · until 12 October · ZOA
Daylight
Sunset at SFO 6:36 pm PDT (01:36 UTC), at BFL 6:25 pm PDT (01:25 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:50 pm PDT (01:50 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at BFL is after sunset there (6:26 pm PDT (01:26 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: San Francisco International, Meadows Field.