Charles M Schulz/Sonoma County to Los Angeles International STS → LAX
347 nautical miles (400 statute miles) southeast on a straight line, true course 141°, about 125° magnetic at the departure end (variation 16E). At 120 knots that is 2 h 38 min at the quickest height in today's winds (24,000 ft, a 12-knot tailwind), arriving about 3:07 am PDT (10:07 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now STS is VFR, wind from the west (260°) at 6 knots; LAX is marginal VFR, wind from the south (190°) at 6 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: 1,662 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 first 129 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 15,000 ft. Near the route, at the destination end.
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 STS.
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 4 forecast points nearest it (SFO, FAT, SBA, WJF). 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 | 130° at 10 kt | +10 kt | 110 kt | 3 h 09 min | 3:38 am PDT (10:38 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 160° at 13 kt | +12 kt | 6 °C | 108 kt | 3 h 13 min | 3:42 am PDT (10:42 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 180° at 13 kt | +10 kt | 3 °C | 110 kt | 3 h 09 min | 3:38 am PDT (10:38 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 200° at 14 kt | +7 kt | -1 °C | 113 kt | 3 h 04 min | 3:33 am PDT (10:33 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 220° at 14 kt | +3 kt | -3 °C | 117 kt | 2 h 58 min | 3:27 am PDT (10:27 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 240° at 13 kt | −1 kt | -7 °C | 121 kt | 2 h 52 min | 3:21 am PDT (10:21 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 250° at 12 kt | −4 kt | -10 °C | 124 kt | 2 h 48 min | 3:17 am PDT (10:17 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 270° at 12 kt | −8 kt | -13 °C | 128 kt | 2 h 43 min | 3:12 am PDT (10:12 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 280° at 12 kt | −9 kt | -14 °C | 129 kt | 2 h 41 min | 3:10 am PDT (10:10 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 280° at 16 kt | −12 kt | -23 °C | 132 kt | 2 h 38 min | 3:07 am PDT (10:07 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 240° at 25 kt | −3 kt | -30 °C | 123 kt | 2 h 49 min | 3:18 am PDT (10:18 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 230° at 34 kt | +2 kt | -36 °C | 118 kt | 2 h 56 min | 3:25 am PDT (10:25 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 220° at 38 kt | +5 kt | -44 °C | 115 kt | 3 h 01 min | 3:30 am PDT (10:30 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | used from 0 nm out; 35 nm from the line | 120/13 | 090/14 5° | 040/14 -1° | 350/17 -5° | 360/42 -14° | 360/64 -23° | 350/38 -32° | 300/19 -37° | 250/18 -44° |
| FAT | used from 99 nm out; 71 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° |
| SBA | used from 198 nm out; 70 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° |
| WJF | used from 298 nm out; 37 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° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STS Santa Rosa, CA | departure | VFR | from the west (260°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 128 ft | 11:53 pm PDT (06:53 UTC) |
| APC Napa, CA | 30 nm out, 8 nm northeast of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 8,000 feet | calm | 10+ mi | none | 35 ft | 06:54 UTC |
| LVK Livermore, CA | 69 nm out, 6 nm northeast of the line, tower | VFR | from the northwest (320°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 399 ft | 06:53 UTC |
| RHV San Jose, CA | 89 nm out, 9 nm west of the line, tower | VFR | from the northwest (320°) at 12 knots | 10+ mi | none | 135 ft | 23:47 UTC |
| KIC King City, CA | 159 nm out, 23 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 374 ft | ||||
| PRB Paso Robles, CA | 198 nm out, 24 nm southwest of the line | VFR Sky: overcast at 5,500 feet | from the south (190°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | 5,500 ft | 838 ft | 06:53 UTC |
| VNY Van Nuys, CA | 327 nm out, 8 nm east of the line, tower | marginal VFR Sky: a broken layer at 2,900 feet, a broken layer at 3,600 feet, overcast at 4,600 feet | from the south-southwest (210°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | 2,900 ft | 802 ft | 07:15 UTC |
| LAX Los Angeles, CA | destination | marginal VFR Sky: a few clouds at 1,700 feet, scattered clouds at 2,300 feet, overcast at 2,800 feet Weather: light rain | from the south (190°) at 6 knots | 8 mi | 2,800 ft | 127 ft | 11:53 pm PDT (06:53 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 838 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At LAX when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 3:07 am PDT (10:07 UTC)
Wind from the southwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 3,500 feet VFR
The whole forecast for LAX
- From Sun 11:00 pm PDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 3,500 feet
- From Mon 10:00 am PDT (17:00 UTC): wind from the west-southwest at 15 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 3,500 feet
- From Mon 6:00 pm PDT (01:00 UTC): wind from the west at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 4,000 feet
The forecast for STS, the departure
- From Sun 11:00 pm PDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 2 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 1:00 pm PDT (20:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 7:00 pm PDT (02:00 UTC): wind from the south-southeast at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 4/3635 DISNEYLAND THEME PARK, ANAHEIM,, CA 23 nm from the route, at the destination end · security · ZLA
Daylight
Sunset at STS 6:36 pm PDT (01:36 UTC), at LAX 6:22 pm PDT (01:22 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:47 pm PDT (01:47 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at LAX is before sunrise there (6:56 am PDT (13:56 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: Charles M Schulz/Sonoma County, Los Angeles International.