Santa Maria Pub/Capt G Allan Hancock Field to Reno/Tahoe International SMX → RNO
278 nautical miles (320 statute miles) north on a straight line, true course 007°, about 353° magnetic at the departure end (variation 14E). At 120 knots that is 1 h 48 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 35-knot tailwind), arriving about 1:02 am PDT (08:02 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now SMX is VFR, wind from the south-southeast (160°) at 5 knots; RNO is VFR, wind from the north (350°) at 9 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: 2 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 last 50 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 SMX.
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 02:00–09:00 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 3 forecast points nearest it (SBA, FAT, RNO). 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 | 140° at 8 kt | −6 kt | 126 kt | 2 h 12 min | 1:26 am PDT (08:26 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 170° at 11 kt | −10 kt | 4 °C | 130 kt | 2 h 08 min | 1:22 am PDT (08:22 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 200° at 15 kt | −15 kt | 0 °C | 135 kt | 2 h 04 min | 1:18 am PDT (08:18 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 210° at 20 kt | −19 kt | -3 °C | 139 kt | 2 h | 1:14 am PDT (08:14 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 210° at 24 kt | −22 kt | -7 °C | 142 kt | 1 h 57 min | 1:11 am PDT (08:11 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 220° at 25 kt | −22 kt | -10 °C | 142 kt | 1 h 57 min | 1:11 am PDT (08:11 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 220° at 26 kt | −22 kt | -13 °C | 142 kt | 1 h 57 min | 1:11 am PDT (08:11 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 220° at 27 kt | −22 kt | -16 °C | 142 kt | 1 h 57 min | 1:11 am PDT (08:11 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 230° at 28 kt | −21 kt | -25 °C | 141 kt | 1 h 58 min | 1:12 am PDT (08:12 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 220° at 39 kt | −32 kt | -29 °C | 152 kt | 1 h 50 min | 1:04 am PDT (08:04 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 220° at 43 kt | −35 kt | -35 °C | 155 kt | 1 h 48 min | 1:02 am PDT (08:02 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 220° at 42 kt | −34 kt | -43 °C | 154 kt | 1 h 48 min | 1:02 am PDT (08:02 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SBA | used from 0 nm out; 60 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° |
| FAT | used from 50 nm out; 47 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° |
| RNO | used from 199 nm out; 55 nm from the line | 010/9 | 320/10 -2° | 210/23 -9° | 210/34 -19° | 220/36 -25° | 230/31 -29° | 230/41 -33° | 230/38 -42° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SMX Santa Maria, CA | departure | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 3,800 feet, overcast at 6,000 feet | from the south-southeast (160°) at 5 knots | 7 mi | 6,000 ft | 261 ft | 10:51 pm PDT (05:51 UTC) |
| SBP San Luis Obispo, CA | 20 nm out, 11 nm west of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 4,500 feet, overcast at 6,000 feet | from the south-southwest (200°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | 6,000 ft | 212 ft | 05:56 UTC |
| PRB Paso Robles, CA | 50 nm out, 14 nm west of the line | VFR Sky: overcast at 5,000 feet | from the southwest (220°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | 5,000 ft | 838 ft | 05:53 UTC |
| FAT Fresno, CA | 119 nm out, 23 nm east of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a broken layer at 10,000 feet, a broken layer at 15,000 feet, a broken layer at 20,000 feet | from the southeast (130°) at 13 knots | 10+ mi | 10,000 ft | 335 ft | 05:53 UTC |
| MER Atwater, CA | 149 nm out, 22 nm west of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 190 ft | 23:55 UTC |
| MEV Minden, NV | 248 nm out, 4 nm east of the line | no report just now | 4,723 ft | ||||
| RNO Reno, NV | destination | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 7,500 feet | from the north (350°) at 9 knots | 10+ mi | none | 4,414 ft | 10:55 pm PDT (05:55 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 4,723 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At RNO when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 1:02 am PDT (08:02 UTC)
Wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 7,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for RNO
- From Sun 11:00 pm PDT (06:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 7,000 feet
- From Mon 6:00 am PDT (13:00 UTC): wind from the north-northwest at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 5,000 feet
- From Mon 2:00 pm PDT (21:00 UTC): wind from the north at 13 knots, gusting to 22, visibility more than 6 miles, showers nearby, a broken layer at 5,000 feet
- From Mon 9:00 pm PDT (04:00 UTC): wind from the north-northwest at 3 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 5,000 feet
The forecast for SMX, the departure
- From Sun 11:00 pm PDT (06:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 3,500 feet
- From Mon 1:00 pm PDT (20:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/7094 45NM NE MERCED, CA, Sunday, October 4, 2026 through Tuesday, October 20, 2026 UTC 15 nm from the route, 169 nm along the route · a hazard on the ground (fire-fighting, a chemical spill, rescue work) · until 20 October · ZOA
Daylight
Sunset at SMX 6:31 pm PDT (01:31 UTC), at RNO 6:24 pm PDT (01:24 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:51 pm PDT (01:51 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at RNO is before sunrise there (7:05 am PDT (14:05 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 Maria Pub/Capt G Allan Hancock Field, Reno/Tahoe International.