John Wayne/Orange County to Missoula Montana Airport SNA → MSO
813 nautical miles (936 statute miles) north on a straight line, true course 011°, about 359° magnetic at the departure end (variation 12E). At 120 knots that is 4 h 40 min at the quickest height in today's winds (30,000 ft, a 54-knot tailwind), arriving about 6:24 am MDT (12:24 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now SNA is VFR, wind calm; MSO is VFR, wind from the west-northwest (300°) at 4 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: 55 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
- SIGMET W16W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 27,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 20 knots, until 1:55 am PDT (08:55 UTC). Over the route from 258 to 357 nm out.
as issued
WSUS33 KKCI 120655 MKCW WST 120655 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 16W VALID UNTIL 0855Z UT NV FROM 50NW BVL-20NE BVL-40SE OAL-20N OAL-50NW BVL AREA TS MOV FROM 24020KT. TOPS TO FL270.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 15,000 ft, from 11:00 pm PDT (06:00 UTC). Over the route from 10 to 208 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: strong surface winds (30 knots or more) (due to sustained surface winds greater than 30 knots), from 11:00 pm PDT (06:00 UTC). Over the route from 159 to 179 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft, from 11:00 pm PDT (06:00 UTC). Near the route, 218 nm along the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist), from 11:00 pm PDT (06:00 UTC). Over the last 536 nm of the route.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft, from 11:00 pm PDT (06:00 UTC). Over the route from 298 to 704 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 36,000 ft, from 11:00 pm PDT (06:00 UTC). Over the last 327 nm of the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist), from 11:00 pm PDT (06:00 UTC). Over the last 188 nm of the route.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft, from 11:00 pm PDT (06:00 UTC). Over the last 99 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
- PC12 at 17,000 ft, 45 nm west, 9:52 pm PDT (04:52 UTC): moderate turbulence, moderate rime icing, -15 °C, remarks: entered by zoa fdcs. 258 nm along the route, 45 nm west of the line.
as filed, and in English
TPH UA /OV OAL/TM 0452/FL 170/TP PC12/TA M15/TB MOD/IC MOD RIME/RM ENTERED BY ZOA FDCS AWC-WEB
- Report
- a routine report filed through TPH
- Where
- over OAL
- Time
- 04:52 UTC
- Height
- at 17,000 ft
- Aircraft
- PC12
- Temperature
- −15 °C
- Turbulence
- moderate
- Icing
- moderate rime
- Remarks
- entered by zoa fdcs
- B38M at 3,000 ft, 14 nm southeast, 10:47 pm PDT (05:47 UTC): a broken layer from 2,900 ft to 8,000 ft, remarks: BASE030. At the departure end, 14 nm southeast 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
- A321 at 3,300 ft, 17 nm east, 9:59 pm PDT (04:59 UTC): a broken layer above 3,300 ft, remarks: during the descent. At the departure end, 17 nm east of the line.
as filed, and in English
ONT UA /OV ONT078008/TM 0459/FL033/TP A321/SK BKN033-TOPUNKN/RM DURD
- Report
- a routine report filed through ONT
- Where
- 8 nm east (078°) of ONT
- Time
- 04:59 UTC
- Height
- at 3,300 ft
- Aircraft
- A321
- Sky
- a broken layer from 3,300 ft, tops unknown
- Remarks
- during the descent
- GLF5 at 3,500 ft, 37 nm west, 9:54 pm PDT (04:54 UTC): overcast above 3,600 ft. At the departure end, 37 nm west of the line.
as filed, and in English
VNY UA /OV VNY36006/TM 0454/FL035/TP GLF5/SK OVC036
- Report
- a routine report filed through VNY
- Where
- VNY36006
- Time
- 04:54 UTC
- Height
- at 3,500 ft
- Aircraft
- GLF5
- Sky
- overcast from 3,600 ft
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 8 forecast points nearest it (ONT, WJF, BIH, ELY, BAM, BOI, DLN, GPI). 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 | 220° at 6 kt | −5 kt | 3 °C | 125 kt | 6 h 30 min | 8:14 am MDT (14:14 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 220° at 7 kt | −6 kt | 3 °C | 126 kt | 6 h 27 min | 8:11 am MDT (14:11 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 220° at 8 kt | −7 kt | -1 °C | 127 kt | 6 h 24 min | 8:08 am MDT (14:08 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 220° at 13 kt | −11 kt | -3 °C | 131 kt | 6 h 12 min | 7:56 am MDT (13:56 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 220° at 19 kt | −17 kt | -6 °C | 137 kt | 5 h 56 min | 7:40 am MDT (13:40 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 210° at 26 kt | −25 kt | -10 °C | 145 kt | 5 h 36 min | 7:20 am MDT (13:20 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 210° at 34 kt | −32 kt | -14 °C | 152 kt | 5 h 21 min | 7:05 am MDT (13:05 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 210° at 39 kt | −38 kt | -17 °C | 158 kt | 5 h 09 min | 6:53 am MDT (12:53 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 210° at 54 kt | −52 kt | -26 °C | 172 kt | 4 h 44 min | 6:28 am MDT (12:28 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 220° at 59 kt | −54 kt | -30 °C | 174 kt | 4 h 40 min | 6:24 am MDT (12:24 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 220° at 60 kt | −54 kt | -34 °C | 174 kt | 4 h 40 min | 6:24 am MDT (12:24 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 220° at 54 kt | −47 kt | -42 °C | 167 kt | 4 h 52 min | 6:36 am MDT (12:36 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; 9 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° |
| WJF | used from 50 nm out; 33 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° | |
| BIH | used from 149 nm out; 77 nm from the line | L/V | 240/7 1° | 190/13 -3° | 200/26 -16° | 210/43 -26° | 220/54 -28° | 220/51 -35° | 220/47 -43° | |
| ELY | used from 298 nm out; 82 nm from the line | 200/39 3° | 210/27 -2° | 210/45 -15° | 220/56 -24° | 210/60 -28° | 210/63 -34° | 220/61 -43° | ||
| BAM | used from 347 nm out; 57 nm from the line | 310/7 0° | 270/19 -7° | 200/38 -17° | 190/49 -28° | 220/69 -29° | 220/63 -33° | 230/48 -41° | ||
| BOI | used from 496 nm out; 88 nm from the line | 300/7 2° | 280/5 -4° | 210/16 -9° | 210/60 -20° | 210/75 -29° | 210/63 -32° | 220/64 -32° | 220/54 -39° | |
| DLN | used from 694 nm out; 87 nm from the line | 090/6 -6° | 240/22 -4° | 210/34 -16° | 210/62 -25° | 210/66 -34° | 210/82 -36° | 220/77 -42° | ||
| GPI | used from 793 nm out; 93 nm from the line | 070/19 -5° | 100/16 -7° | 080/10 -8° | 130/8 -19° | 170/37 -28° | 200/50 -40° | 210/43 -40° | 220/41 -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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SNA Santa Ana, CA | departure | VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 4,100 feet, overcast at 7,000 feet | calm | 10+ mi | 7,000 ft | 55 ft | 11:53 pm PDT (06:53 UTC) |
| POC La Verne, CA | 30 nm out, 4 nm south of the line, tower | VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 2,500 feet, overcast at 5,500 feet | calm | 7 mi | 5,500 ft | 1,013 ft | 02:47 UTC |
| IYK Inyokern, CA | 119 nm out, 21 nm west of the line | no report just now | 2,457 ft | ||||
| BTY Beatty, NV | 198 nm out, 14 nm east of the line | no report just now | 3,169 ft | ||||
| TPH Tonopah, NV | 268 nm out, 14 nm west of the line | VFR Sky: overcast at 3,700 feet | from the north-northwest (340°) at 10 knots | 10+ mi | 3,700 ft | 5,430 ft | 06:56 UTC |
| EKO Elko, NV | 436 nm out, 11 nm east of the line | marginal VFR Sky: a broken layer at 2,900 feet, overcast at 3,900 feet Weather: light rain | from the north (360°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | 2,900 ft | 5,139 ft | 07:28 UTC |
| HRF Hamilton, MT | 774 nm out, 8 nm east of the line | low IFR Sky: a broken layer at 300 feet, overcast at 1,900 feet Weather: light snow, mist | from the west-northwest (300°) at 4 knots | 1.5 mi | 300 ft | 3,635 ft | 07:30 UTC |
| MSO Missoula, MT | destination | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 1,300 feet, overcast at 8,000 feet | from the west-northwest (300°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | 8,000 ft | 3,205 ft | 12:53 am MDT (06:53 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 5,430 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At MSO when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 6:24 am MDT (12:24 UTC)
Wind from the east at 4 knots, visibility 4 miles, light snow, mist, overcast at 1,500 feet marginal VFR
The whole forecast for MSO
- From Mon 1:00 am MDT (07:00 UTC): wind from the east at 2 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, showers nearby, scattered clouds at 1,500 feet, a broken layer at 4,000 feet
- From Mon 2:00 am MDT (08:00 UTC): wind from the east at 4 knots, visibility 4 miles, light snow, mist, overcast at 1,500 feet
- From Mon 8:00 am MDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the east-southeast at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 5,000 feet
- From Mon 2:00 pm MDT (20:00 UTC): wind from the east-southeast at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 10,000 feet
The forecast for SNA, the departure
- From Sun 11:00 pm PDT (06:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, showers nearby, scattered clouds at 2,500 feet, a broken layer at 5,000 feet
- At times between Mon 2:00 am PDT (09:00 UTC) and 5:00 am PDT (12:00 UTC): a broken layer at 2,500 feet, a broken layer at 5,000 feet
- From Mon 12:00 pm PDT (19:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 5,000 feet
- From Mon 7:00 pm PDT (02:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 3,000 feet, a broken layer at 5,000 feet
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 4/3635 DISNEYLAND THEME PARK, ANAHEIM,, CA 2 nm from the route, at the departure end · security · ZLA
Daylight
Sunset at SNA 6:20 pm PDT (01:20 UTC), at MSO 6:53 pm MDT (00:53 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:23 pm MDT (01:23 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at MSO is before sunrise there (7:49 am MDT (13:49 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, Missoula Montana Airport.
