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 9 landings and 13 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 2.3°, a typical touchdown ground speed of 114 kt, a 2.2 kt average crosswind component, a 1.0 kt average tailwind.

Last 30 Days
22 Operations
13 Deps / 9 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 9 landings and 13 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 2.3°, a typical touchdown ground speed of 114 kt, a 2.2 kt average crosswind component, a 1.0 kt average tailwind.

Runway at a Glance

Arrival Volume

9 landings observed on Runway 9 in the last 30 days, alongside 13 departures.

Limited Traffic Observed

SkyMeter has observed very few flights using Runway 9 in the last 30 days. Statistical breakdowns (go-around rate, crosswind averages) need more observations to be meaningful.

Peak Hour

Busiest landing window observed at 02:00 with 2 arrivals on the recent sample.

Light Crosswind Component

Average crosswind on landing is 2.2 kt at touchdown, measured against runway 9 alignment.

Approach Slope

Final-approach slope averages 2.3° on Runway 9, shallower than the standard 3°.

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
2.3°
Avg touchdown GS
114 kts
Avg headwind
-1.0 kt

Hourly Landing Distribution

02:00 2 landings
11:00 2 landings
14:00 2 landings
15:00 2 landings
18:00 1 landings
19:00 2 landings
20:00 2 landings
21:00 1 landings
22:00 1 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

14:00
314° at 2 kts, gusting 3 kts
2 kts
22:00
237° at 5 kts, gusting 6 kts
5 kts
15:00
247° at 5 kts, gusting 6 kts
5 kts
11:00
234° at 1 kts, gusting 2 kts
1 kts
20:00
259° at 3 kts, gusting 6 kts
3 kts
21:00
248° at 3 kts, gusting 6 kts
3 kts
02:00
147° at 7 kts, gusting 20 kts
7 kts
19:00
174° at 5 kts, gusting 7 kts
5 kts
18:00
61° at 6 kts, gusting 9 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 22 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.