Van Nuys Airport to Jackson Hole Airport VNY → JAC
670 nautical miles (771 statute miles) northeast on a straight line, true course 030°, about 018° magnetic at the departure end (variation 12E). At 120 knots that is 3 h 42 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 61-knot tailwind), arriving about 12:25 am MDT (06:25 UTC), after sunset at the destination. 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: 4 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 W10W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 30,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 20 knots, until 8:55 pm PDT (03:55 UTC). Near the route, 310 nm along the route.
as issued
WSUS33 KKCI 120155 MKCW WST 120155 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 10W VALID UNTIL 0355Z NV FROM 70SW TWF-40NNW BVL-40SW ELY-30ESE OAL-40WNW OAL-70SW TWF AREA TS MOV FROM 23020KT. TOPS TO FL300.
- AIRMET SIERRA 6E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the first 50 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 12,000 ft. Over the route from 10 to 160 nm out.
- AIRMET ZULU 3C: moderate icing up to 22,000 ft. Over the last 510 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 15,000 ft. Over the route from 170 to 180 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 36,000 ft. Over the last 480 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the last 480 nm of the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the last 420 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). Over the last 110 nm of the route.
- 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 last 20 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 VNY.
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 5 forecast points nearest it (WJF, LAS, ELY, SLC, PIH). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.
| Height | Average wind | Head- or tailwind | Temperature | Ground speed | Time en route | Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5,500 ft | 200° at 14 kt | −14 kt | 8 °C | 134 kt | 5 h | 1:43 am MDT (07:43 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 200° at 23 kt | −22 kt | 4 °C | 142 kt | 4 h 43 min | 1:26 am MDT (07:26 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 210° at 23 kt | −23 kt | 2 °C | 143 kt | 4 h 41 min | 1:24 am MDT (07:24 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 210° at 23 kt | −23 kt | -2 °C | 143 kt | 4 h 41 min | 1:24 am MDT (07:24 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 210° at 28 kt | −28 kt | -5 °C | 148 kt | 4 h 32 min | 1:15 am MDT (07:15 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 210° at 33 kt | −33 kt | -10 °C | 153 kt | 4 h 23 min | 1:06 am MDT (07:06 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 210° at 39 kt | −39 kt | -13 °C | 159 kt | 4 h 13 min | 12:56 am MDT (06:56 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 210° at 41 kt | −40 kt | -14 °C | 160 kt | 4 h 11 min | 12:54 am MDT (06:54 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 210° at 55 kt | −54 kt | -23 °C | 174 kt | 3 h 51 min | 12:34 am MDT (06:34 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 220° at 59 kt | −59 kt | -29 °C | 179 kt | 3 h 45 min | 12:28 am MDT (06:28 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 220° at 61 kt | −61 kt | -35 °C | 181 kt | 3 h 42 min | 12:25 am MDT (06:25 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 220° at 59 kt | −59 kt | -43 °C | 179 kt | 3 h 45 min | 12:28 am MDT (06:28 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WJF | used from 0 nm out; 10 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° | |
| LAS | used from 150 nm out; 82 nm from the line | 210/21 10° | 200/18 5° | 200/23 -2° | 210/49 -14° | 210/63 -21° | 220/58 -30° | 220/61 -35° | 210/56 -44° | |
| ELY | used from 250 nm out; 78 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° | ||
| SLC | used from 450 nm out; 57 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° | |
| PIH | used from 550 nm out; 46 nm from the line | L/V | 240/13 1° | 240/15 -3° | 210/42 -15° | 200/70 -25° | 220/74 -29° | 220/71 -36° | 220/62 -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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VNY Van Nuys, CA | departure | no report just now | 802 ft | ||||
| PMD Palmdale, CA | 30 nm out, 5 nm east of the line, tower | no report just now | 2,542 ft | ||||
| IYK Inyokern, CA | 90 nm out, 16 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 2,457 ft | ||||
| BTY Beatty, NV | 180 nm out, 10 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 3,169 ft | ||||
| ELY Ely, NV | 350 nm out, 10 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 6,259 ft | ||||
| ENV Wendover, UT | 440 nm out, 24 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 4,236 ft | ||||
| MLD Malad City, ID | 560 nm out, 7 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 4,503 ft | ||||
| AFO Afton, WY | 620 nm out, 24 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 6,220 ft | ||||
| JAC Jackson, WY | destination | no report just now | 6,451 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 6,451 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At JAC when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 12:25 am MDT (06:25 UTC)
JAC has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
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 VNY 6:23 pm PDT (01:23 UTC), at JAC 6:44 pm MDT (00:44 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:13 pm MDT (01:13 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at JAC is before sunrise there (7:33 am MDT (13:33 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: Van Nuys Airport, Jackson Hole Airport.