Sacramento International to Benton Field SMF → O85
119 nautical miles (137 statute miles) north on a straight line, true course 342°, about 329° magnetic at the departure end (variation 13E). At 120 knots that is 1 h 02 min at the quickest height in today's winds (6,500 ft, a 5-knot headwind), arriving about 6:14 am PDT (13:14 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now SMF is VFR, wind from the south-southwest (210°) at 3 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 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 whole 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 SMF.
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 2 forecast points nearest it (SAC, RBL). 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 | 340° at 6 kt | +6 kt | 114 kt | 1 h 03 min | 6:15 am PDT (13:15 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 320° at 6 kt | +5 kt | 3 °C | 115 kt | 1 h 02 min | 6:14 am PDT (13:14 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 310° at 7 kt | +6 kt | -2 °C | 114 kt | 1 h 03 min | 6:15 am PDT (13:15 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 340° at 14 kt | +14 kt | -5 °C | 106 kt | 1 h 07 min | 6:19 am PDT (13:19 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 350° at 26 kt | +26 kt | -8 °C | 94 kt | 1 h 16 min | 6:28 am PDT (13:28 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 360° at 43 kt | +42 kt | -10 °C | 78 kt | 1 h 32 min | 6:44 am PDT (13:44 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 360° at 60 kt | +58 kt | -12 °C | 62 kt | 1 h 55 min | 7:07 am PDT (14:07 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 360° at 73 kt | +70 kt | -13 °C | 50 kt | 2 h 23 min | 7:35 am PDT (14:35 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 350° at 80 kt | +78 kt | -24 °C | 42 kt | 2 h 50 min | 8:02 am PDT (15:02 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 350° at 67 kt | +67 kt | -38 °C | 53 kt | 2 h 15 min | 7:27 am PDT (14:27 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 330° at 40 kt | +39 kt | -42 °C | 81 kt | 1 h 28 min | 6:40 am PDT (13:40 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 280° at 24 kt | +10 kt | -43 °C | 110 kt | 1 h 05 min | 6:17 am PDT (13:17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAC | used from 0 nm out; 37 nm from the line | L/V | L/V 4° | 340/9 -4° | 340/22 -8° | 360/71 -12° | 360/82 -23° | 350/58 -37° | 310/30 -40° | 270/25 -44° |
| RBL | used from 50 nm out; 18 nm from the line | 350/14 | 320/9 4° | 290/7 -3° | 350/22 -7° | 360/75 -13° | 350/79 -24° | 350/74 -39° | 340/49 -43° | 280/23 -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
| Airport | Where | Conditions | Wind | Visibility | Ceiling | Elevation | Reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SMF Sacramento, CA | departure | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 11,000 feet | from the south-southwest (210°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 26 ft | 4:53 am PDT (11:53 UTC) |
| MYV Marysville, CA | 20 nm out, 9 nm northeast of the line | VFR | variable at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 64 ft | 19:53 UTC |
| CIC Chico, CA | 69 nm out, 9 nm east of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 240 ft | 11:55 UTC |
| O85 Redding, CA | destination | no report just now | 723 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 723 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At O85 when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 6:14 am PDT (13:14 UTC)
O85 has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
The forecast for SMF, the departure
- From Mon 5:00 am PDT (12:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 5:00 pm PDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the north-northwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 10:00 pm PDT (05:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
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 5 nm from the route, 20 nm along the route · security · until 1 November · ZOA
Daylight
Sunset at SMF 6:31 pm PDT (01:31 UTC), at O85 6:32 pm PDT (01:32 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:00 pm PDT (02:00 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at O85 is before sunrise there (7:17 am PDT (14:17 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: Sacramento International, Benton Field.