Lake Tahoe Airport to Boeing Fld/King County International TVL → BFI
528 nautical miles (608 statute miles) north on a straight line, true course 350°, about 334° magnetic at the departure end (variation 16E). At 120 knots that is 4 h 38 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 6-knot headwind), arriving about 3:31 am PDT (10:31 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now TVL is VFR, wind calm; BFI is VFR, wind calm. 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 1W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 39,000 ft. Over the whole route.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Near the route, 289 nm along 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 TVL.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
- B738 at 30,000 ft, 4 nm northwest, 8:45 pm PDT (03:45 UTC): light to moderate turbulence, remarks: zse. 179 nm along the route, 4 nm northwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
LKV UA /OV LKV180040/TM 0345/FL300/TP B738/TB CONS LGT OCNL MOD/RM ZSE
- Report
- a routine report filed through LKV
- Where
- 40 nm south (180°) of LKV
- Time
- 03:45 UTC
- Height
- at 30,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B738
- Turbulence
- continuous light occasional moderate
- Remarks
- zse
- B737 at 10,000 ft, 9 nm east, 9:25 pm PDT (04:25 UTC): no icing, remarks: during the descent runway 5. 329 nm along the route, 9 nm east of the line.
as filed, and in English
RDM UA /OV RDM/TM 0425/FL100/TP B737/TA UNKN/IC NEG/RM DURD RWY 5
- Report
- a routine report filed through RDM
- Where
- over RDM
- Time
- 04:25 UTC
- Height
- at 10,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B737
- Temperature
- UNKN
- Icing
- none
- Remarks
- during the descent runway 5
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 5 forecast points nearest it (RNO, LKV, RDM, PDX, SEA). 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 | 040° at 11 kt | +8 kt | -1 °C | 112 kt | 4 h 43 min | 3:36 am PDT (10:36 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 030° at 13 kt | +9 kt | -1 °C | 111 kt | 4 h 45 min | 3:38 am PDT (10:38 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 020° at 14 kt | +12 kt | -7 °C | 108 kt | 4 h 53 min | 3:46 am PDT (10:46 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 010° at 14 kt | +13 kt | -8 °C | 107 kt | 4 h 56 min | 3:49 am PDT (10:49 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 010° at 16 kt | +15 kt | -11 °C | 105 kt | 5 h 02 min | 3:55 am PDT (10:55 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 360° at 22 kt | +21 kt | -14 °C | 99 kt | 5 h 20 min | 4:13 am PDT (11:13 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 360° at 28 kt | +27 kt | -16 °C | 93 kt | 5 h 41 min | 4:34 am PDT (11:34 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 360° at 33 kt | +32 kt | -19 °C | 88 kt | 6 h | 4:53 am PDT (11:53 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 360° at 56 kt | +56 kt | -25 °C | 64 kt | 8 h 15 min | 7:08 am PDT (14:08 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 350° at 49 kt | +49 kt | -35 °C | 71 kt | 7 h 26 min | 6:19 am PDT (13:19 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 340° at 29 kt | +28 kt | -38 °C | 92 kt | 5 h 44 min | 4:37 am PDT (11:37 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 280° at 20 kt | +6 kt | -41 °C | 114 kt | 4 h 38 min | 3:31 am PDT (10:31 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RNO | used from 0 nm out; 19 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° | |
| LKV | used from 100 nm out; 74 nm from the line | 010/8 -8° | 350/13 -11° | 340/21 -21° | 360/60 -26° | 350/37 -32° | 310/26 -35° | 260/25 -39° | ||
| RDM | used from 249 nm out; 52 nm from the line | 040/17 -1° | 030/31 -8° | 010/29 -12° | 010/61 -19° | 360/95 -25° | 360/82 -36° | 360/40 -37° | 310/19 -40° | |
| PDX | used from 399 nm out; 37 nm from the line | L/V | 030/7 1° | 020/12 -6° | 020/29 -9° | 010/69 -16° | 010/81 -25° | 360/83 -40° | 360/67 -46° | 320/29 -42° |
| SEA | used from 448 nm out; 50 nm from the line | 050/7 | 050/11 1° | 050/12 -5° | 030/31 -7° | 010/61 -15° | 010/69 -26° | 360/73 -40° | 360/62 -47° | 330/21 -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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TVL South Lake Tahoe, CA | departure | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 6,268 ft | 9:53 pm PDT (04:53 UTC) |
| TRK Truckee, CA | 30 nm out, 4 nm south of the line, tower | VFR | from the southwest (230°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | none | 5,904 ft | 05:35 UTC |
| SVE Susanville, CA | 90 nm out, 11 nm west of the line | VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 8,000 feet | from the west-northwest (300°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 4,149 ft | 05:35 UTC |
| AAT Alturas, CA | 159 nm out, 3 nm southeast of the line | VFR | from the north (010°) at 14 knots, gusting to 25 | 10+ mi | none | 4,378 ft | 04:55 UTC |
| RDM Redmond, OR | 329 nm out, 9 nm east of the line, tower | VFR Sky: overcast at 7,500 feet | calm | 10+ mi | 7,500 ft | 3,081 ft | 04:56 UTC |
| CZK Cascade Locks, OR | 419 nm out, 6 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 151 ft | ||||
| PLU Puyallup, WA | 498 nm out, 7 nm northwest of the line | VFR Weather: light drizzle | calm | 10+ mi | none | 537 ft | 05:35 UTC |
| BFI Seattle, WA | destination | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 21 ft | 9:53 pm PDT (04:53 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 6,268 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At BFI when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 3:31 am PDT (10:31 UTC)
Wind calm, visibility more than 6 miles, patches of fog, clear skies VFR
The whole forecast for BFI
- From Sun 11:00 pm PDT (06:00 UTC): wind calm, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 3:00 am PDT (10:00 UTC): wind calm, visibility more than 6 miles, patches of fog, clear skies
- From Mon 9:00 am PDT (16:00 UTC): wind from the south-southeast at 3 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 12:00 pm PDT (19:00 UTC): wind from the west-southwest at 3 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 2:00 pm PDT (21:00 UTC): wind from the west at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 7:00 pm PDT (02:00 UTC): wind calm, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
The forecast for TVL, the departure
- From Sun 11:00 pm PDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 5,000 feet
- From Mon 5:00 am PDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the south at 3 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 3,000 feet
- From Mon 2:00 pm PDT (21:00 UTC): wind from the northeast at 8 knots, visibility 6 miles, light rain showers, a broken layer at 4,000 feet
- From Mon 8:00 pm PDT (03:00 UTC): wind from the north-northeast at 3 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 4,000 feet
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
No temporary flight restriction on or near this route right now.
Daylight
Sunset at TVL 6:26 pm PDT (01:26 UTC), at BFI 6:27 pm PDT (01:27 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:58 pm PDT (01:58 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at BFI is before sunrise there (7:23 am PDT (14:23 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: Lake Tahoe Airport, Boeing Fld/King County International.