John Wayne/Orange County to Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International SNA → CVG
1,628 nautical miles (1,873 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 069°, about 057° magnetic at the departure end (variation 12E). At 120 knots that is 8 h 57 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 62-knot tailwind), arriving about 1:03 pm EDT (17:03 UTC). 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: 40 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 below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 15,000 ft. Over the route from 40 to 140 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 35,000 ft to 45,000 ft. Over the route from 50 to 300 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 200 to 419 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the route from 260 to 739 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 290 to 330 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 42,000 ft. Over the route from 310 to 729 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: 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 809 to 1288 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 3E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist, fog). 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 SNA.
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 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 14 forecast points nearest it (ONT, BLH, PRC, FMN, ALS, PUB, GCK, ICT, MKC, COU, STL, EVV, IND, CVG). 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 | 230° at 23 kt | −19 kt | 139 kt | 11 h 43 min | 3:49 pm EDT (19:49 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 230° at 26 kt | −24 kt | 21 °C | 144 kt | 11 h 18 min | 3:24 pm EDT (19:24 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 230° at 23 kt | −22 kt | 12 °C | 142 kt | 11 h 28 min | 3:34 pm EDT (19:34 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 240° at 21 kt | −20 kt | 9 °C | 140 kt | 11 h 38 min | 3:44 pm EDT (19:44 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 230° at 22 kt | −21 kt | 5 °C | 141 kt | 11 h 33 min | 3:39 pm EDT (19:39 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 230° at 25 kt | −24 kt | 1 °C | 144 kt | 11 h 18 min | 3:24 pm EDT (19:24 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 230° at 29 kt | −28 kt | -3 °C | 148 kt | 11 h | 3:06 pm EDT (19:06 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 230° at 34 kt | −32 kt | -7 °C | 152 kt | 10 h 43 min | 2:49 pm EDT (18:49 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 230° at 35 kt | −33 kt | -8 °C | 153 kt | 10 h 38 min | 2:44 pm EDT (18:44 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 240° at 39 kt | −38 kt | -20 °C | 158 kt | 10 h 18 min | 2:24 pm EDT (18:24 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 240° at 54 kt | −55 kt | -30 °C | 175 kt | 9 h 18 min | 1:24 pm EDT (17:24 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 250° at 60 kt | −62 kt | -37 °C | 182 kt | 8 h 57 min | 1:03 pm EDT (17:03 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 250° at 52 kt | −55 kt | -47 °C | 175 kt | 9 h 18 min | 1:24 pm EDT (17:24 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ONT | used from 0 nm out; 17 nm from the line | 190/8 | 190/19 6° | 210/23 4° | 210/29 -3° | 210/47 -13° | 210/49 -19° | 220/47 -30° | 220/50 -36° | 220/55 -43° |
| BLH | used from 100 nm out; 61 nm from the line | 210/13 | 200/21 11° | 200/22 5° | 210/25 -1° | 210/51 -10° | 220/61 -20° | 220/81 -29° | 220/92 -34° | 220/79 -45° |
| PRC | used from 200 nm out; 61 nm from the line | 210/25 5° | 200/30 1° | 220/55 -10° | 220/61 -21° | 220/84 -28° | 230/90 -34° | 230/73 -45° | ||
| FMN | used from 399 nm out; 86 nm from the line | 220/28 9° | 220/40 2° | 220/53 -10° | 220/62 -22° | 230/79 -28° | 240/91 -34° | 230/71 -45° | ||
| ALS | used from 549 nm out; 64 nm from the line | 230/37 4° | 220/54 -9° | 230/62 -22° | 240/77 -26° | 240/74 -33° | 230/59 -45° | |||
| PUB | used from 699 nm out; 75 nm from the line | 230/25 13° | 230/32 6° | 220/44 -8° | 230/49 -21° | 240/70 -28° | 240/67 -34° | 240/58 -46° | ||
| GCK | used from 749 nm out; 98 nm from the line | 220/48 21° | 230/37 14° | 250/30 8° | 230/37 -6° | 240/37 -20° | 240/69 -28° | 250/67 -37° | 260/58 -48° | |
| ICT | used from 949 nm out; 58 nm from the line | 200/48 | 230/39 19° | 240/24 14° | 240/20 8° | 240/22 -6° | 250/31 -18° | 250/61 -29° | 260/58 -38° | 270/54 -49° |
| MKC | used from 1099 nm out; 58 nm from the line | 220/44 | 250/28 18° | 250/18 13° | 240/12 6° | 280/24 -6° | 240/34 -18° | 260/47 -30° | 260/51 -40° | 270/58 -50° |
| COU | used from 1198 nm out; 52 nm from the line | 230/31 | 230/30 15° | 260/16 11° | 270/14 6° | 260/24 -6° | 270/27 -18° | 270/37 -32° | 280/49 -41° | 290/56 -51° |
| STL | used from 1298 nm out; 38 nm from the line | 250/24 | 250/24 16° | 260/23 9° | 270/16 6° | 260/25 -6° | 270/29 -19° | 290/34 -33° | 290/48 -41° | 290/54 -51° |
| EVV | used from 1448 nm out; 59 nm from the line | 280/15 | 290/12 17° | 310/16 10° | 320/13 5° | 310/22 -6° | 320/26 -18° | 320/38 -33° | 310/56 -41° | 320/55 -51° |
| IND | used from 1498 nm out; 52 nm from the line | 290/16 | 310/20 16° | 320/21 10° | 330/13 3° | 300/25 -7° | 320/32 -19° | 330/46 -34° | 320/61 -43° | 320/63 -50° |
| CVG | used from 1598 nm out; 15 nm from the line | 320/18 | 350/32 16° | 350/35 10° | 350/30 3° | 330/30 -7° | 340/44 -20° | 340/58 -35° | 330/72 -41° | 320/36 -49° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SNA Santa Ana, CA | departure | no report just now | 55 ft | ||||
| RIV Riverside, CA | 30 nm out, 3 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,536 ft | ||||
| FLG Flagstaff, AZ | 320 nm out, 19 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 7,014 ft | ||||
| SKX Taos, NM | 619 nm out, 23 nm south of the line | no report just now | 7,094 ft | ||||
| TAD Trinidad, CO | 699 nm out, 10 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 5,761 ft | ||||
| GCK Garden City, KS | 869 nm out, 13 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 2,890 ft | ||||
| HUT Hutchinson, KS | 1009 nm out, 4 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,542 ft | ||||
| JEF Jefferson City, MO | 1278 nm out, 7 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 549 ft | ||||
| ALN Alton/St Louis, IL | 1378 nm out, 3 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 543 ft | ||||
| BMG Bloomington, IN | 1538 nm out, 8 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 845 ft | ||||
| CVG Covington, KY | destination | no report just now | 896 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 7,094 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At CVG when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 1:03 pm EDT (17:03 UTC)
CVG has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 4/3635 DISNEYLAND THEME PARK, ANAHEIM,, CA 5 nm from the route, at the departure end · security · ZLA
- 6/8891 Bullhead City, AZ, Wednesday, October 14, 2026 Local 17 nm from the route, 180 nm along the route · a VIP movement · starts Wednesday 14 October · ZLA
- 6/7634 CENTRALIA, MO, Monday, October 12, 2026 UTC 25 nm from the route, 1278 nm along the route · a hazard on the ground (fire-fighting, a chemical spill, rescue work) · today · ZKC
- 6/8029 Cincinnati, OH, Friday, October 9, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local on the route, at the destination end · a VIP movement · until 12 October · ZID
Daylight
Sunset at SNA 6:20 pm PDT (01:20 UTC), at CVG 7:04 pm EDT (23:04 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:31 pm EDT (23:31 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: John Wayne/Orange County, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International.