Mineta San Jose International to Los Angeles International SJC → LAX
268 nautical miles (308 statute miles) southeast on a straight line, true course 139°, about 126° magnetic at the departure end (variation 13E). At 120 knots that is 2 h 07 min at the quickest height in today's winds (24,000 ft, a 7-knot tailwind), arriving about 3:28 am PDT (10:28 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now SJC is VFR, wind from the southeast (140°) at 9 knots; LAX is marginal VFR, wind from the west (270°) at 13 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: 9,536 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 109 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 SJC.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
- B38M at 3,000 ft, 46 nm east, 10:47 pm PDT (05:47 UTC): a broken layer from 2,900 ft to 8,000 ft, remarks: BASE030. At the destination end, 46 nm east of the line.
as filed, and in English
ONT UA /OV KONT080005/TM 0547/FL030/TP B38M/SK BKN029-TOP080/RM BASE030
- Report
- a routine report filed through ONT
- Where
- 5 nm east (080°) of KONT
- Time
- 05:47 UTC
- Height
- at 3,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B38M
- Sky
- a broken layer from 2,900 ft, tops 8,000 ft
- Remarks
- BASE030
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 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 4 forecast points nearest it (SFO, FAT, SBA, 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 | 130° at 12 kt | +11 kt | 109 kt | 2 h 28 min | 3:49 am PDT (10:49 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 170° at 16 kt | +14 kt | 6 °C | 106 kt | 2 h 32 min | 3:53 am PDT (10:53 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 190° at 17 kt | +12 kt | 3 °C | 108 kt | 2 h 29 min | 3:50 am PDT (10:50 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 200° at 18 kt | +9 kt | 0 °C | 111 kt | 2 h 25 min | 3:46 am PDT (10:46 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 220° at 18 kt | +5 kt | -3 °C | 115 kt | 2 h 20 min | 3:41 am PDT (10:41 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 220° at 17 kt | +2 kt | -7 °C | 118 kt | 2 h 16 min | 3:37 am PDT (10:37 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 230° at 16 kt | 0 | -10 °C | 120 kt | 2 h 14 min | 3:35 am PDT (10:35 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 240° at 15 kt | −3 kt | -13 °C | 123 kt | 2 h 11 min | 3:32 am PDT (10:32 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 240° at 15 kt | −3 kt | -14 °C | 123 kt | 2 h 11 min | 3:32 am PDT (10:32 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 250° at 19 kt | −7 kt | -23 °C | 127 kt | 2 h 07 min | 3:28 am PDT (10:28 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 230° at 32 kt | 0 | -29 °C | 120 kt | 2 h 14 min | 3:35 am PDT (10:35 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 230° at 38 kt | +3 kt | -36 °C | 117 kt | 2 h 17 min | 3:38 am PDT (10:38 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 220° at 41 kt | +6 kt | -44 °C | 114 kt | 2 h 21 min | 3:42 am PDT (10:42 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
| 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; 51 nm from the line | 120/13 | 090/14 5° | 040/14 -1° | 350/17 -5° | 360/42 -14° | 360/64 -23° | 350/38 -32° | 300/19 -37° | 250/18 -44° |
| FAT | used from 50 nm out; 62 nm from the line | 130/16 | 160/20 5° | 190/28 -1° | 210/25 -5° | 220/27 -15° | 230/21 -26° | 220/42 -29° | 220/44 -35° | 220/44 -44° |
| SBA | used from 149 nm out; 45 nm from the line | L/V | 190/13 5° | 210/20 2° | 220/22 -3° | 260/19 -13° | 230/35 -22° | 220/43 -28° | 220/46 -36° | 220/45 -44° |
| WJF | used from 198 nm out; 40 nm from the line | 200/28 6° | 210/28 3° | 210/29 -4° | 210/28 -14° | 220/41 -20° | 220/47 -29° | 220/46 -37° | 220/53 -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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SJC San Jose, CA | departure | VFR | from the southeast (140°) at 9 knots | 10+ mi | none | 62 ft | 12:53 am PDT (07:53 UTC) |
| SNS Salinas, CA | 40 nm out, 16 nm southwest of the line, tower | VFR Sky: overcast at 4,700 feet | calm | 10+ mi | 4,700 ft | 84 ft | 07:53 UTC |
| KIC King City, CA | 79 nm out, 15 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 374 ft | ||||
| PRB Paso Robles, CA | 119 nm out, 18 nm southwest of the line | VFR Sky: overcast at 5,000 feet | from the south (190°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | 5,000 ft | 838 ft | 07:53 UTC |
| VNY Van Nuys, CA | 248 nm out, 8 nm east of the line, tower | marginal VFR Sky: overcast at 2,800 feet | from the west-southwest (250°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | 2,800 ft | 802 ft | 08:14 UTC |
| LAX Los Angeles, CA | destination | marginal VFR Sky: a few clouds at 1,600 feet, a broken layer at 2,200 feet, overcast at 3,200 feet Weather: light rain | from the west (270°) at 13 knots | 8 mi | 2,200 ft | 127 ft | 12:53 am PDT (07:53 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 838 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, 3:28 am PDT (10:28 UTC)
Wind from the west-southwest at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 3,000 feet marginal VFR
At times between Mon 3:00 am PDT (10:00 UTC) and 7:00 am PDT (14:00 UTC): visibility 5 miles, light rain, overcast at 2,500 feet marginal VFR
The whole forecast for LAX
- From Mon 1:00 am PDT (08:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 12 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, light rain, overcast at 2,500 feet
- From Mon 3:00 am PDT (10:00 UTC): wind from the west-southwest at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 3,000 feet
- At times between Mon 3:00 am PDT (10:00 UTC) and 7:00 am PDT (14:00 UTC): visibility 5 miles, light rain, overcast at 2,500 feet
- From Mon 10:00 am PDT (17:00 UTC): wind from the west-southwest at 15 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer 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, scattered clouds at 4,000 feet
The forecast for SJC, the departure
- From Sun 11:00 pm PDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the southeast at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 1:00 pm PDT (20:00 UTC): wind from the northwest at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 4/3635 DISNEYLAND THEME PARK, ANAHEIM,, CA 23 nm from the route, at the destination end · security · ZLA
Daylight
Sunset at SJC 6:33 pm PDT (01:33 UTC), at LAX 6:22 pm PDT (01:22 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:47 pm PDT (01:47 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at LAX is before sunrise there (6:56 am PDT (13:56 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: Mineta San Jose International, Los Angeles International.