Cherry Capital Airport to Sacramento International TVC → SMF
1,640 nautical miles (1,887 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 270°, about 275° magnetic at the departure end (variation 5W). At 120 knots that is 15 h 03 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 11-knot headwind), arriving about 2:11 pm PDT (21:11 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 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 120 to 280 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 440 to 780 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 38,000 ft. Over the route from 770 to 1100 nm out.
- 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). Over the route from 790 to 1010 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the route from 820 to 1070 nm out.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Over the route from 880 to 1430 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 940 to 1400 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 5W: strong surface winds (30 knots or more) (due to sustained surface winds greater than 30 knots). Over the route from 940 to 1010 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 39,000 ft. Over the last 100 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 TVC.
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 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 14 forecast points nearest it (TVC, GRB, LSE, MSP, FSD, PIR, RAP, BFF, LND, RKS, SLC, BAM, RNO, SAC). 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 14 kt | +11 kt | 16 °C | 109 kt | 15 h 03 min | 2:11 pm PDT (21:11 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 220° at 14 kt | +11 kt | 15 °C | 109 kt | 15 h 03 min | 2:11 pm PDT (21:11 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 220° at 15 kt | +12 kt | 10 °C | 108 kt | 15 h 11 min | 2:19 pm PDT (21:19 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 230° at 19 kt | +16 kt | 4 °C | 104 kt | 15 h 46 min | 2:54 pm PDT (21:54 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 230° at 23 kt | +20 kt | 0 °C | 100 kt | 16 h 24 min | 3:32 pm PDT (22:32 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 230° at 24 kt | +22 kt | -4 °C | 98 kt | 16 h 44 min | 3:52 pm PDT (22:52 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 230° at 26 kt | +24 kt | -8 °C | 96 kt | 17 h 05 min | 4:13 pm PDT (23:13 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 230° at 27 kt | +25 kt | -12 °C | 95 kt | 17 h 16 min | 4:24 pm PDT (23:24 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 230° at 31 kt | +29 kt | -23 °C | 91 kt | 18 h 01 min | 5:09 pm PDT (00:09 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 240° at 41 kt | +40 kt | -33 °C | 80 kt | 20 h 30 min | 7:38 pm PDT (02:38 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 240° at 48 kt | +48 kt | -39 °C | 72 kt | 22 h 47 min | 9:55 pm PDT (04:55 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 250° at 52 kt | +54 kt | -47 °C | 66 kt | 24 h 51 min | 11:59 pm PDT (06:59 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TVC | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 260/31 | 280/22 15° | 290/18 10° | 270/13 2° | 290/25 -10° | 300/35 -21° | 310/52 -37° | 320/59 -47° | 300/84 -54° |
| GRB | used from 50 nm out; 37 nm from the line | 250/36 | 270/23 16° | 270/14 9° | 240/18 4° | 280/26 -9° | 280/29 -20° | 290/42 -36° | 290/51 -45° | 290/72 -55° |
| LSE | used from 200 nm out; 48 nm from the line | 230/40 | 240/24 17° | 240/13 10° | 250/13 6° | 280/22 -9° | 250/28 -21° | 250/41 -34° | 260/42 -44° | 270/62 -53° |
| MSP | used from 300 nm out; 24 nm from the line | 230/26 | 240/30 17° | 240/24 12° | 250/22 5° | 250/35 -10° | 260/36 -21° | 250/41 -36° | 250/49 -45° | 260/58 -52° |
| FSD | used from 400 nm out; 69 nm from the line | 190/9 | 230/30 18° | 240/23 13° | 240/20 6° | 260/22 -9° | 250/31 -21° | 250/43 -36° | 260/49 -43° | 270/53 -47° |
| PIR | used from 550 nm out; 64 nm from the line | 170/22 19° | 190/25 13° | 210/32 6° | 240/23 -9° | 250/32 -21° | 250/38 -36° | 260/44 -40° | 260/52 -47° | |
| RAP | used from 700 nm out; 46 nm from the line | 180/23 12° | 200/38 13° | 210/38 6° | 220/28 -10° | 230/34 -21° | 230/37 -36° | 250/52 -38° | 250/59 -46° | |
| BFF | used from 850 nm out; 112 nm from the line | 180/28 | 220/33 15° | 210/31 7° | 230/32 -9° | 220/41 -21° | 220/40 -33° | 240/47 -36° | 250/54 -46° | |
| LND | used from 900 nm out; 86 nm from the line | 200/23 6° | 220/31 1° | 220/39 -11° | 230/39 -23° | 220/51 -28° | 220/66 -37° | 230/68 -45° | ||
| RKS | used from 1050 nm out; 51 nm from the line | 200/41 | 220/44 1° | 220/35 -11° | 220/46 -24° | 210/53 -27° | 220/62 -35° | 230/61 -44° | ||
| SLC | used from 1100 nm out; 72 nm from the line | 200/5 | 230/8 2° | 220/20 -2° | 210/40 -12° | 190/53 -25° | 210/62 -30° | 220/69 -34° | 220/64 -43° | |
| BAM | used from 1300 nm out; 73 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° | ||
| RNO | used from 1450 nm out; 69 nm from the line | 010/9 | 320/10 -2° | 210/23 -9° | 210/34 -19° | 220/36 -25° | 230/31 -29° | 230/41 -33° | 230/38 -42° | |
| SAC | used from 1600 nm out; 24 nm from the line | 110/6 | L/V 4° | 010/11 -2° | 350/11 -7° | 340/24 -16° | 360/44 -23° | 330/24 -30° | 270/21 -35° | 230/23 -43° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TVC Traverse City, MI | departure | no report just now | 623 ft | ||||
| GRB Green Bay, WI | 110 nm out, 14 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 695 ft | ||||
| CWA Mosinee, WI | 170 nm out, 8 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,277 ft | ||||
| FCM Minneapolis, MN | 330 nm out, 22 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 906 ft | ||||
| MDS Madison, SD | 500 nm out, 10 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 1,718 ft | ||||
| HSR Hot Springs, SD | 770 nm out, 3 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 3,150 ft | ||||
| CPR Casper, WY | 910 nm out, 7 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 5,344 ft | ||||
| EMM Kemmerer, WY | 1100 nm out, 6 nm south of the line | no report just now | 7,288 ft | ||||
| OGD Ogden, UT | 1180 nm out, 22 nm southeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 4,472 ft | ||||
| EKO Elko, NV | 1340 nm out, 15 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 5,139 ft | ||||
| TRK Truckee, CA | 1560 nm out, 7 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 5,904 ft | ||||
| SMF Sacramento, CA | destination | no report just now | 26 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 7,288 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At SMF when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 2:11 pm PDT (21:11 UTC)
SMF has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/3475 BEALE AFB, CA, Sunday, March 8, 2026 through Sunday, November 1, 2026 Local 11 nm from the route, at the destination end · security · until 1 November · ZOA
Daylight
Sunset at TVC 7:03 pm EDT (23:03 UTC), at SMF 6:32 pm PDT (01:32 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:59 pm PDT (01:59 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: Cherry Capital Airport, Sacramento International.