St. Louis Lambert International to John Wayne/Orange County STL → SNA
1,361 nautical miles (1,566 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 266°, about 267° magnetic at the departure end (variation 1W). At 120 knots that is 12 h 58 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 15-knot headwind), arriving about 7:04 am PDT (14:04 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: 7 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 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the route from 646 to 1172 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 36,000 ft. Over the route from 795 to 1272 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 884 to 1172 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: strong surface winds (30 knots or more) (due to sustained surface winds greater than 30 knots). Over the route from 954 to 964 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 1023 to 1073 nm out.
- AIRMET ZULU 3C: moderate icing up to 22,000 ft. Over the route from 1073 to 1252 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 12,000 ft. Over the route from 1212 to 1351 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 6E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the last 70 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 STL.
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 20:00–03:00 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 11 forecast points nearest it (STL, COU, MKC, ICT, GCK, PUB, ALS, FMN, PRC, BLH, ONT). 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 | 210° at 25 kt | +15 kt | 21 °C | 105 kt | 12 h 58 min | 7:04 am PDT (14:04 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 210° at 26 kt | +19 kt | 15 °C | 101 kt | 13 h 29 min | 7:35 am PDT (14:35 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 220° at 27 kt | +22 kt | 11 °C | 98 kt | 13 h 53 min | 7:59 am PDT (14:59 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 230° at 27 kt | +24 kt | 7 °C | 96 kt | 14 h 11 min | 8:17 am PDT (15:17 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 230° at 28 kt | +26 kt | 3 °C | 94 kt | 14 h 29 min | 8:35 am PDT (15:35 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 230° at 31 kt | +28 kt | -1 °C | 92 kt | 14 h 48 min | 8:54 am PDT (15:54 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 230° at 33 kt | +30 kt | -5 °C | 90 kt | 15 h 07 min | 9:13 am PDT (16:13 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 230° at 35 kt | +32 kt | -8 °C | 88 kt | 15 h 28 min | 9:34 am PDT (16:34 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 230° at 41 kt | +39 kt | -19 °C | 81 kt | 16 h 48 min | 10:54 am PDT (17:54 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 240° at 53 kt | +51 kt | -30 °C | 69 kt | 19 h 43 min | 1:49 pm PDT (20:49 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 240° at 55 kt | +55 kt | -37 °C | 65 kt | 20 h 56 min | 3:02 pm PDT (22:02 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 250° at 51 kt | +52 kt | -48 °C | 68 kt | 20 h 01 min | 2:07 pm PDT (21:07 UTC) |
Based on data from the 11th at 18:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 00:00 UTC for use 20:00 to 03:00 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STL | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 210/13 | 260/16 17° | 270/21 10° | 280/24 5° | 310/20 -7° | 320/22 -18° | 320/44 -33° | 320/59 -43° | 310/69 -51° |
| COU | used from 50 nm out; 16 nm from the line | 210/16 | 220/19 15° | 240/33 10° | 250/29 7° | 280/21 -6° | 280/19 -18° | 300/34 -31° | 300/40 -42° | 300/60 -52° |
| MKC | used from 149 nm out; 47 nm from the line | 200/28 | 220/30 16° | 270/20 11° | 280/22 7° | 260/27 -6° | 270/27 -18° | 280/38 -32° | 270/38 -40° | 280/50 -52° |
| ICT | used from 248 nm out; 71 nm from the line | 190/34 | 210/34 18° | 240/28 13° | 260/23 7° | 250/23 -6° | 240/29 -17° | 260/40 -30° | 260/47 -40° | 270/42 -51° |
| GCK | used from 397 nm out; 69 nm from the line | 200/35 21° | 220/34 14° | 240/30 8° | 240/27 -6° | 240/31 -17° | 240/53 -30° | 250/55 -39° | 250/60 -50° | |
| PUB | used from 596 nm out; 84 nm from the line | 210/24 16° | 210/28 8° | 230/43 -8° | 240/42 -21° | 240/77 -30° | 240/72 -36° | 250/51 -47° | ||
| ALS | used from 695 nm out; 42 nm from the line | 210/32 5° | 230/48 -8° | 230/49 -20° | 230/78 -30° | 240/74 -36° | 240/61 -47° | |||
| FMN | used from 795 nm out; 45 nm from the line | 220/25 13° | 220/28 4° | 210/51 -9° | 220/59 -21° | 230/78 -30° | 230/77 -36° | 230/66 -46° | ||
| PRC | used from 993 nm out; 76 nm from the line | 200/36 6° | 210/46 0° | 220/60 -10° | 220/75 -19° | 220/66 -26° | 230/70 -33° | 230/59 -45° | ||
| BLH | used from 1142 nm out; 74 nm from the line | 230/22 | 210/24 11° | 230/23 5° | 230/26 0° | 220/38 -10° | 230/52 -19° | 220/58 -28° | 220/69 -34° | 220/59 -45° |
| ONT | used from 1242 nm out; 76 nm from the line | 230/11 | 200/17 6° | 230/27 4° | 230/32 -2° | 210/39 -12° | 220/51 -20° | 220/48 -29° | 210/51 -34° | 210/52 -44° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STL St Louis, MO | departure | no report just now | 617 ft | ||||
| JEF Jefferson City, MO | 79 nm out, 5 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 549 ft | ||||
| UKL Burlington, KS | 248 nm out, 5 nm west of the line | no report just now | 1,174 ft | ||||
| HUT Hutchinson, KS | 358 nm out, 3 nm east of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,542 ft | ||||
| GCK Garden City, KS | 487 nm out, 16 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 2,890 ft | ||||
| TAD Trinidad, CO | 666 nm out, 12 nm north of the line | no report just now | 5,761 ft | ||||
| RTN Raton, NM | 685 nm out, 17 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 6,352 ft | ||||
| RQE Window Rock, AZ | 914 nm out, 25 nm south of the line | no report just now | 6,742 ft | ||||
| FLG Flagstaff, AZ | 1043 nm out, 18 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 7,014 ft | ||||
| EED Needles, CA | 1192 nm out, 8 nm north of the line | no report just now | 983 ft | ||||
| RIV Riverside, CA | 1331 nm out, 3 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,536 ft | ||||
| SNA Santa Ana, CA | destination | no report just now | 55 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 7,014 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At SNA when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 7:04 am PDT (14:04 UTC)
SNA has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/8891 Bullhead City, AZ, Wednesday, October 14, 2026 Local 18 nm from the route, 1172 nm along the route · a VIP movement · starts Wednesday 14 October · ZLA
- 4/3635 DISNEYLAND THEME PARK, ANAHEIM,, CA 5 nm from the route, at the destination end · security · ZLA
Daylight
Sunset at STL 6:27 pm CDT (23:27 UTC), at SNA 6:21 pm PDT (01:21 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:46 pm PDT (01:46 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: St. Louis Lambert International, John Wayne/Orange County.