N E S W 180°
17 / 35
RWY 17/35
HDG 180°
LEN 3,500 ft
Northwest Regional Airport

Runway 17 at K52F

Runway 17/35 at Northwest Regional Airport (K52F) in Roanoke is a 3,500 ft, lighted, asphalt runway oriented 180°/000°. The runway is 40 ft wide, with a 360 ft displaced threshold on the 17 end. SkyMeter has observed 462 landings and 599 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 4.0°, touchdowns averaging 3,600 ft past the threshold, a typical touchdown ground speed of 85 kt, a 3.7 kt average crosswind component, a 10.1 kt average headwind.

Last 30 Days
1061 Operations
599 Deps / 462 Arrs

Runway 17/35 at Northwest Regional Airport (K52F) in Roanoke is a 3,500 ft, lighted, asphalt runway oriented 180°/000°. The runway is 40 ft wide, with a 360 ft displaced threshold on the 17 end. SkyMeter has observed 462 landings and 599 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 4.0°, touchdowns averaging 3,600 ft past the threshold, a typical touchdown ground speed of 85 kt, a 3.7 kt average crosswind component, a 10.1 kt average headwind.

Runway at a Glance

Arrival Volume

462 landings observed on Runway 17 in the last 30 days, alongside 599 departures.

Peak Hour

Busiest landing window observed at 14:00 with 7 arrivals on the recent sample.

Average Touchdown Zone

Aircraft touch down on average 3,600 ft from the threshold on Runway 17.

Light Crosswind Component

Average crosswind on landing is 3.7 kt at touchdown, measured against runway 17 alignment.

Approach Slope

Final-approach slope averages 4.0° on Runway 17, steeper than the standard 3°.

Landing Behavior and Touchdown Performance

The metrics below are computed from ADS-B trace data observed at Runway 17 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
4.0°
Avg touchdown GS
85 kts
Avg touchdown zone
3,600 ft
Avg headwind
10.1 kt

Hourly Landing Distribution

00:00 1 landings
01:00 2 landings
02:00 2 landings
03:00 1 landings
04:00 1 landings
11:00 1 landings
12:00 2 landings
13:00 1 landings
14:00 7 landings
15:00 5 landings
16:00 7 landings
17:00 4 landings
18:00 1 landings
19:00 6 landings
20:00 4 landings
21:00 5 landings

Recent observed landings on Runway 17 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 17 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

16:00
201° at 12 kts, gusting 17 kts
12 kts
17:00
199° at 9 kts, gusting 16 kts
9 kts
19:00
196° at 12 kts, gusting 19 kts
12 kts
20:00
197° at 12 kts, gusting 19 kts
12 kts
21:00
204° at 14 kts, gusting 19 kts
14 kts
01:00
182° at 9 kts, gusting 15 kts
9 kts
02:00
182° at 7 kts, gusting 13 kts
7 kts
04:00
181° at 7 kts, gusting 13 kts
7 kts
12:00
189° at 9 kts, gusting 22 kts
9 kts
14:00
208° at 11 kts, gusting 17 kts
11 kts
15:00
208° at 11 kts, gusting 17 kts
11 kts
18:00
204° at 12 kts, gusting 14 kts
12 kts
00:00
191° at 12 kts, gusting 16 kts
12 kts
03:00
175° at 8 kts, gusting 18 kts
8 kts
11:00
198° at 8 kts, gusting 18 kts
8 kts
13:00
198° at 8 kts, gusting 18 kts
8 kts

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

Average Speed
12 kts
Peak Gust
18 kts
Prevailing Direction
180°
Avg Crosswind
8 kts

Related Pages

About This Data

This analysis covers 1061 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.