Van Nuys Airport to Mineta San Jose International VNY → SJC
253 nautical miles (291 statute miles) northwest on a straight line, true course 319°, about 307° magnetic at the departure end (variation 12E). At 120 knots that is 2 h 01 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 5-knot tailwind), arriving about 7:54 pm PDT (02:54 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: 14 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 below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 12,000 ft. Near the route, at the departure end.
- AIRMET SIERRA 6E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Near the route, at the departure 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 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 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 4 forecast points nearest it (WJF, SBA, FAT, SFO). 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 | 200° at 10 kt | −5 kt | 8 °C | 125 kt | 2 h 01 min | 7:54 pm PDT (02:54 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 200° at 12 kt | −5 kt | 6 °C | 125 kt | 2 h 01 min | 7:54 pm PDT (02:54 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 220° at 16 kt | −3 kt | 4 °C | 123 kt | 2 h 03 min | 7:56 pm PDT (02:56 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 220° at 21 kt | −2 kt | 0 °C | 122 kt | 2 h 04 min | 7:57 pm PDT (02:57 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 230° at 25 kt | −1 kt | -4 °C | 121 kt | 2 h 05 min | 7:58 pm PDT (02:58 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 230° at 25 kt | +1 kt | -8 °C | 119 kt | 2 h 08 min | 8:01 pm PDT (03:01 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 240° at 25 kt | +4 kt | -11 °C | 116 kt | 2 h 11 min | 8:04 pm PDT (03:04 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 240° at 25 kt | +6 kt | -14 °C | 114 kt | 2 h 13 min | 8:06 pm PDT (03:06 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 240° at 32 kt | +6 kt | -22 °C | 114 kt | 2 h 13 min | 8:06 pm PDT (03:06 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 230° at 42 kt | −1 kt | -28 °C | 121 kt | 2 h 05 min | 7:58 pm PDT (02:58 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 230° at 38 kt | −1 kt | -34 °C | 121 kt | 2 h 05 min | 7:58 pm PDT (02:58 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 230° at 42 kt | +1 kt | -44 °C | 119 kt | 2 h 08 min | 8:01 pm PDT (03:01 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WJF | used from 0 nm out; 32 nm from the line | 220/30 8° | 240/28 5° | 230/34 -2° | 220/34 -13° | 220/48 -20° | 220/47 -29° | 210/48 -34° | 220/52 -44° | |
| SBA | used from 49 nm out; 46 nm from the line | L/V | 170/13 7° | 220/23 4° | 220/30 -2° | 230/26 -14° | 230/34 -20° | 220/38 -28° | 220/37 -35° | 220/43 -44° |
| FAT | used from 97 nm out; 65 nm from the line | 180/7 | 170/9 7° | 200/20 3° | 210/27 -3° | 240/27 -14° | 230/38 -24° | 220/57 -27° | 230/42 -33° | 230/41 -44° |
| SFO | used from 194 nm out; 60 nm from the line | 220/11 | L/V 5° | 280/7 1° | 270/15 -3° | 290/23 -14° | 310/29 -24° | 280/26 -28° | 250/30 -34° | 250/36 -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 | ||||
| CMA Camarillo, CA | 19 nm out, 23 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 76 ft | ||||
| MIT Shafter, CA | 78 nm out, 25 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 424 ft | ||||
| PRB Paso Robles, CA | 136 nm out, 21 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 838 ft | ||||
| KIC King City, CA | 175 nm out, 17 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 374 ft | ||||
| SNS Salinas, CA | 214 nm out, 17 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 84 ft | ||||
| SJC San Jose, CA | destination | no report just now | 62 ft |
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 SJC when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 7:54 pm PDT (02:54 UTC)
SJC has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/7231 Santa Clara, CA, Sunday, October 11, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 UTC 2 nm from the route, at the destination end · drones kept away from a public gathering · until 12 October · ZOA
Daylight
Sunset at VNY 6:23 pm PDT (01:23 UTC), at SJC 6:35 pm PDT (01:35 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:01 pm PDT (02:01 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at SJC is after sunset there (6:36 pm PDT (01:36 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, Mineta San Jose International.