N E S W 90°
9 / 27
RWY 9/27
HDG 90°
LEN 4,145 ft
The Flying Horseman Airport

Runway 9 at 8FD2

Runway 9/27 at The Flying Horseman Airport (8FD2) in Melrose is a 4,145 ft, unlit, grass runway oriented 090°/270°. The runway is 75 ft wide. SkyMeter has observed 24 landings and 21 departures on this runway over the last 30 days, with approximately 0.0% of arrivals resulting in a go-around. Trace data shows an average final-approach slope of 2.7°, touchdowns averaging 6,743 ft past the threshold, a typical touchdown ground speed of 117 kt, a 2.6 kt average crosswind component, a 1.5 kt average tailwind.

Last 30 Days
45 Operations
21 Deps / 24 Arrs

Runway 9/27 at The Flying Horseman Airport (8FD2) in Melrose is a 4,145 ft, unlit, grass runway oriented 090°/270°. The runway is 75 ft wide. SkyMeter has observed 24 landings and 21 departures on this runway over the last 30 days, with approximately 0.0% of arrivals resulting in a go-around. Trace data shows an average final-approach slope of 2.7°, touchdowns averaging 6,743 ft past the threshold, a typical touchdown ground speed of 117 kt, a 2.6 kt average crosswind component, a 1.5 kt average tailwind.

Runway at a Glance

Arrival Volume

24 landings observed on Runway 9 in the last 30 days, alongside 21 departures.

Peak Hour

Busiest landing window observed at 02:00 with 11 arrivals on the recent sample.

Average Touchdown Zone

Aircraft touch down on average 6,743 ft from the threshold on Runway 9.

Light Crosswind Component

Average crosswind on landing is 2.6 kt at touchdown, measured against runway 9 alignment.

Approach Slope

Final-approach slope averages 2.7° on Runway 9, consistent with the standard 3° glide path.

Landing Behavior and Touchdown Performance

The metrics below are computed from ADS-B trace data observed at Runway 9 over the last 30 days. Each value is shown only when at least 10 valid samples were available; sparse cells are hidden rather than estimated.

Avg approach slope
2.7°
Avg touchdown GS
117 kts
Avg touchdown zone
6,743 ft
Avg headwind
-1.5 kt

Hourly Landing Distribution

01:00 4 landings
02:00 11 landings
04:00 3 landings
12:00 3 landings
14:00 1 landings
15:00 6 landings
17:00 4 landings
20:00 8 landings
21:00 5 landings
22:00 5 landings

Recent observed landings on Runway 9 grouped by hour-of-day (UTC).

Approach Types and Categories

Aircraft approach runways using different procedures based on weather conditions, visibility, and available navigation equipment. An Instrument Landing System (ILS) approach provides precision horizontal and vertical guidance using ground-based radio signals, enabling aircraft to land in low visibility conditions. Visual approaches require pilots to maintain visual contact with the runway and surrounding terrain, typically used during clear weather. Area Navigation (RNAV) approaches use GPS technology to guide aircraft along specific flight paths.

Approach Categories Explained

Category (CAT) classifications define minimum visibility and decision height requirements for instrument approaches. Higher categories enable operations in lower visibility conditions.

CAT I
Decision Height: 200 ft
Visibility: 550m
CAT II
Decision Height: 100 ft
Visibility: 300m
CAT III
Decision Height: 0-50 ft
Visibility: 0-200m
Visual
Clear of Clouds
Visibility: 5 km

Wind and Environmental Factors

Wind conditions directly impact runway operations, influencing approach difficulty, landing performance, and runway selection. Runway 9 benefits from favorable wind alignment, with prevailing winds creating minimal crosswind components for most operations. Average wind speeds of 12 knots pose no operational constraints for commercial aircraft.

24-Hour Wind Pattern

20:00
237° at 4 kts, gusting 13 kts
4 kts
12:00
302° at 3 kts, gusting 6 kts
3 kts
01:00
58° at 4 kts, gusting 10 kts
4 kts
02:00
153° at 5 kts, gusting 12 kts
5 kts
15:00
206° at 5 kts, gusting 9 kts
5 kts
17:00
231° at 4 kts, gusting 7 kts
4 kts
21:00
256° at 4 kts, gusting 9 kts
4 kts
04:00
221° at 2 kts, gusting 5 kts
2 kts
22:00
261° at 6 kts, gusting 11 kts
6 kts
14:00
294° at 6 kts, gusting 8 kts
6 kts

Wind patterns show typical diurnal variation with stronger winds during midday hours.

Average Speed
12 kts
Peak Gust
18 kts
Prevailing Direction
90°
Avg Crosswind
8 kts

Related Pages

About This Data

This analysis covers 45 operations recorded over the past 30 days, derived from global ADS-B flight broadcasts. Coverage may be incomplete in areas with limited ground-station reception, and statistics may vary with weather and traffic volume.