N E S W 80°
08 / 26
RWY 08/26
HDG 80°
LEN 2,135 ft
Elstree Airfield

Runway 08 at EGTR

Runway 08/26 at Elstree Airfield (EGTR) in Watford is a 2,135 ft, lighted, asphalt runway oriented 080°/260°. The runway is 65 ft wide. SkyMeter has observed 451 landings and 277 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 3.4°, touchdowns averaging 1,638 ft past the threshold, a typical touchdown ground speed of 84 kt, a 8.3 kt average crosswind component, a 3.5 kt average headwind.

Last 30 Days
728 Operations
277 Deps / 451 Arrs

Runway 08/26 at Elstree Airfield (EGTR) in Watford is a 2,135 ft, lighted, asphalt runway oriented 080°/260°. The runway is 65 ft wide. SkyMeter has observed 451 landings and 277 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 3.4°, touchdowns averaging 1,638 ft past the threshold, a typical touchdown ground speed of 84 kt, a 8.3 kt average crosswind component, a 3.5 kt average headwind.

Runway at a Glance

Arrival Volume

451 landings observed on Runway 08 in the last 30 days, alongside 277 departures.

Peak Hour

Busiest landing window observed at 13:00 with 8 arrivals on the recent sample.

Average Touchdown Zone

Aircraft touch down on average 1,638 ft from the threshold on Runway 08.

Moderate Crosswind Component

Average crosswind on landing is 8.3 kt at touchdown, measured against runway 08 alignment.

Approach Slope

Final-approach slope averages 3.4° on Runway 08, steeper than the standard 3°.

Landing Behavior and Touchdown Performance

The metrics below are computed from ADS-B trace data observed at Runway 08 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
3.4°
Avg touchdown GS
84 kts
Avg touchdown zone
1,638 ft
Avg headwind
3.5 kt

Hourly Landing Distribution

01:00 1 landings
06:00 1 landings
08:00 1 landings
09:00 3 landings
10:00 2 landings
11:00 2 landings
12:00 3 landings
13:00 8 landings
14:00 2 landings
15:00 8 landings
16:00 7 landings
17:00 7 landings
18:00 3 landings
20:00 1 landings
21:00 1 landings

Recent observed landings on Runway 08 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 08 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

15:00
8° at 9 kts, gusting 13 kts
9 kts
16:00
21° at 10 kts, gusting 14 kts
10 kts
17:00
29° at 8 kts, gusting 11 kts
8 kts
18:00
26° at 8 kts, gusting 11 kts
8 kts
20:00
43° at 9 kts, gusting 13 kts
9 kts
21:00
43° at 9 kts, gusting 13 kts
9 kts
01:00
11° at 5 kts, gusting 6 kts
5 kts
06:00
3° at 9 kts, gusting 18 kts
9 kts
08:00
3° at 11 kts, gusting 16 kts
11 kts
09:00
3° at 11 kts, gusting 16 kts
11 kts
10:00
3° at 11 kts, gusting 16 kts
11 kts
11:00
1° at 10 kts, gusting 13 kts
10 kts
12:00
1° at 10 kts, gusting 13 kts
10 kts
13:00
6° at 9 kts, gusting 13 kts
9 kts
14:00
6° at 9 kts, gusting 11 kts
9 kts

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

Average Speed
12 kts
Peak Gust
18 kts
Prevailing Direction
80°
Avg Crosswind
8 kts

Related Pages

About This Data

This analysis covers 728 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.