John Wayne/Orange County to Lake Charles Regional SNA → LCH
1,271 nautical miles (1,463 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 093°, about 081° magnetic at the departure end (variation 12E). At 120 knots that is 8 h 03 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 38-knot tailwind), arriving about 12:08 pm CDT (17:08 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: 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 SIERRA 2E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the first 60 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 12,000 ft. Over the route from 50 to 477 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Near the route, 268 nm along the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: low-level wind shear (due to air speed loss or gain of 20 knots or more below 2,000 ft above the ground). Near the route, 407 nm along the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 2W: 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 824 to 854 nm out.
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 08:00–15:00 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 12 forecast points nearest it (ONT, SAN, BLH, PHX, TUS, ELP, ROW, INK, ABI, CLL, HOU, LCH). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.
| Height | Average wind | Head- or tailwind | Temperature | Ground speed | Time en route | Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5,500 ft | 200° at 16 kt | −4 kt | 18 °C | 124 kt | 10 h 15 min | 2:20 pm CDT (19:20 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 200° at 17 kt | −4 kt | 13 °C | 124 kt | 10 h 15 min | 2:20 pm CDT (19:20 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 210° at 18 kt | −6 kt | 10 °C | 126 kt | 10 h 05 min | 2:10 pm CDT (19:10 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 210° at 21 kt | −8 kt | 6 °C | 128 kt | 9 h 56 min | 2:01 pm CDT (19:01 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 220° at 24 kt | −12 kt | 2 °C | 132 kt | 9 h 38 min | 1:43 pm CDT (18:43 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 220° at 29 kt | −17 kt | -2 °C | 137 kt | 9 h 17 min | 1:22 pm CDT (18:22 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 230° at 34 kt | −21 kt | -6 °C | 141 kt | 9 h 01 min | 1:06 pm CDT (18:06 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 230° at 35 kt | −22 kt | -7 °C | 142 kt | 8 h 57 min | 1:02 pm CDT (18:02 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 230° at 45 kt | −31 kt | -16 °C | 151 kt | 8 h 25 min | 12:30 pm CDT (17:30 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 230° at 50 kt | −34 kt | -28 °C | 154 kt | 8 h 15 min | 12:20 pm CDT (17:20 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 240° at 49 kt | −38 kt | -38 °C | 158 kt | 8 h 03 min | 12:08 pm CDT (17:08 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 240° at 44 kt | −36 kt | -49 °C | 156 kt | 8 h 09 min | 12:14 pm CDT (17:14 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ONT | used from 0 nm out; 27 nm from the line | 250/11 | 200/20 4° | 210/27 3° | 220/26 -4° | 240/32 -13° | 220/52 -21° | 220/67 -30° | 220/72 -37° | 220/65 -46° |
| SAN | used from 50 nm out; 66 nm from the line | 240/10 | 220/19 6° | 230/26 2° | 230/29 -3° | 230/43 -11° | 220/61 -20° | 220/72 -29° | 220/75 -38° | 220/71 -48° |
| BLH | used from 99 nm out; 34 nm from the line | 240/19 | 210/20 10° | 200/27 4° | 210/34 -2° | 220/59 -10° | 220/67 -20° | 220/75 -29° | 230/78 -38° | 220/90 -47° |
| PHX | used from 248 nm out; 22 nm from the line | 190/15 | 210/25 12° | 200/34 4° | 200/34 2° | 220/58 -9° | 220/75 -19° | 220/91 -28° | 220/100 -35° | 220/95 -47° |
| TUS | used from 348 nm out; 66 nm from the line | 200/12 13° | 200/34 7° | 210/41 4° | 230/53 -7° | 220/69 -19° | 220/84 -27° | 220/88 -36° | 220/83 -48° | |
| ELP | used from 447 nm out; 127 nm from the line | 300/8 | 210/14 12° | 210/28 6° | 230/47 -6° | 230/56 -14° | 220/58 -27° | 230/60 -38° | 230/56 -50° | |
| ROW | used from 645 nm out; 54 nm from the line | 230/12 | 230/17 13° | 220/30 7° | 230/41 -5° | 240/52 -17° | 230/66 -28° | 240/63 -38° | 240/60 -50° | |
| INK | used from 695 nm out; 37 nm from the line | 220/17 21° | 230/12 14° | 210/13 7° | 220/29 -5° | 240/41 -14° | 230/43 -28° | 250/41 -38° | 250/33 -51° | |
| ABI | used from 844 nm out; 69 nm from the line | 200/30 19° | 220/12 16° | 220/11 9° | 230/15 -5° | 250/26 -15° | 250/39 -28° | 270/36 -38° | 280/30 -51° | |
| CLL | used from 993 nm out; 90 nm from the line | 180/24 | 170/21 19° | 180/10 14° | 230/7 8° | 230/16 -6° | 260/20 -13° | 290/23 -29° | 320/21 -39° | 340/35 -51° |
| HOU | used from 1142 nm out; 57 nm from the line | 180/22 | 180/20 16° | 170/7 15° | L/V 8° | 220/11 -6° | 260/15 -13° | 310/20 -30° | 320/20 -40° | 350/32 -51° |
| LCH | used from 1192 nm out; 55 nm from the line | 170/21 | 160/23 18° | 170/13 13° | 170/6 8° | 300/12 -7° | 280/16 -14° | 320/27 -30° | 330/23 -41° | 340/38 -51° |
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 | ||||
| PSP Palm Springs, CA | 70 nm out, 13 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 476 ft | ||||
| BLH Blythe, CA | 159 nm out, 7 nm north of the line | no report just now | 399 ft | ||||
| CHD Chandler, AZ | 308 nm out, 4 nm west of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,243 ft | ||||
| CFT Clifton/Morenci, AZ | 437 nm out, 3 nm south of the line | no report just now | 3,797 ft | ||||
| ALM Alamogordo, NM | 596 nm out, 14 nm north of the line | no report just now | 4,199 ft | ||||
| CNM Carlsbad, NM | 685 nm out, 4 nm east of the line | no report just now | 3,294 ft | ||||
| MAF Midland, TX | 794 nm out, 5 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 2,872 ft | ||||
| SJT San Angelo, TX | 894 nm out, 21 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,918 ft | ||||
| GRK Fort Hood (Killeen), TX | 1023 nm out, 8 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,015 ft | ||||
| CXO Houston, TX | 1162 nm out, 18 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 244 ft | ||||
| LCH Lake Charles, LA | destination | no report just now | 14 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 4,199 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At LCH when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 12:08 pm CDT (17:08 UTC)
LCH 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
- 6/8887 Indio, CA, Sunday, October 11, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local 4 nm from the route, 79 nm along the route · security · until 12 October · ZLA
- 6/8722 ALAMOGORDO, NM, Tuesday, October 13, 2026 Local 19 nm from the route, 596 nm along the route · security · starts tomorrow · ZAB
- 6/4240 SAN ANGELO, TX, Sunday, March 8, 2026 through Sunday, November 1, 2026 Local 19 nm from the route, 894 nm along the route · security · until 1 November · ZFW
- 6/0543 MCGREGOR, TX 17 nm from the route, 1043 nm along the route · security · ZFW
Daylight
Sunset at SNA 6:20 pm PDT (01:20 UTC), at LCH 6:45 pm CDT (23:45 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:09 pm CDT (00:09 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, Lake Charles Regional.