N E S W 41°
03L / 21R
RWY 03L/21R
HDG 41°
LEN 10,120 ft
Nellis Air Force Base

Runway 03L at KLSV

Runway 03L/21R at Nellis Air Force Base (KLSV) in Las Vegas is a 10,120 ft, lighted, concrete runway oriented 041°/221°. The runway is 200 ft wide. SkyMeter has observed 8 landings and 0 departures on this runway over the last 30 days, with approximately 11.1% of arrivals resulting in a go-around (1 events). Trace data shows an average final-approach slope of 3.3°, touchdowns averaging 6,430 ft past the threshold, a typical touchdown ground speed of 120 kt, a 4.6 kt average crosswind component, a 1.1 kt average tailwind.

Last 30 Days
8 Operations
0 Deps / 8 Arrs

Runway 03L/21R at Nellis Air Force Base (KLSV) in Las Vegas is a 10,120 ft, lighted, concrete runway oriented 041°/221°. The runway is 200 ft wide. SkyMeter has observed 8 landings and 0 departures on this runway over the last 30 days, with approximately 11.1% of arrivals resulting in a go-around (1 events). Trace data shows an average final-approach slope of 3.3°, touchdowns averaging 6,430 ft past the threshold, a typical touchdown ground speed of 120 kt, a 4.6 kt average crosswind component, a 1.1 kt average tailwind.

Runway at a Glance

Arrival Volume

8 landings observed on Runway 03L in the last 30 days, alongside 0 departures.

Elevated Go-Around Rate

11.1% of arrivals at Runway 03L result in a go-around (1 in the last 30 days).

Peak Hour

Busiest landing window observed at 13:00 with 7 arrivals on the recent sample.

Average Touchdown Zone

Aircraft touch down on average 6,430 ft from the threshold on Runway 03L.

Prevailing Wind & Gust History

Over the past 365 days, winds at KLSV have prevailed from the south (180°), accounting for roughly 17% of windy observations. Average wind speed sits at 7.1 kt with peak gusts to 45 kt. Strong-wind days are infrequent here.

Light Crosswind Component

Average crosswind on landing is 4.6 kt at touchdown, measured against runway 03L alignment.

Approach Slope

Final-approach slope averages 3.3° on Runway 03L, steeper than the standard 3°.

Landing Behavior and Touchdown Performance

The metrics below are computed from ADS-B trace data observed at Runway 03L 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
3.3°
Avg touchdown GS
120 kts
Avg touchdown zone
6,430 ft
Avg headwind
-1.1 kt

Hourly Landing Distribution

00:00 3 landings
12:00 3 landings
13:00 7 landings
14:00 3 landings
15:00 3 landings
17:00 4 landings
19:00 3 landings

Recent observed landings on Runway 03L grouped by hour-of-day (UTC).

Go-Around Analysis

A go-around occurs when a pilot aborts a landing attempt and initiates a climb to return for another approach. While go-arounds are a normal safety procedure, their frequency and causes provide insight into operational challenges at specific runways. Runway 03L experienced go-arounds in 11.1% of arrivals over the last 30 days (1 events of 9 attempts).

Recent Go-Around Events

ff73b53b-7822-1048-b9c2-f76e81022456
2026-06-25 00:22
Unstable Approach
ff73b53b-7822-1048-b9c2-f76e81022456
2026-06-25 00:22
Unstable Approach
ff73b53b-7822-1048-b9c2-f76e81022456
2026-06-25 00:22
Unstable Approach

These events represent normal safety procedures and do not indicate operational deficiencies.

Go-Around Causes Distribution

Unstable Approach 3 events (100%)

Environmental factors dominate go-around causes, indicating that operational procedures remain sound.

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 03L 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

00:00
120° at 9 kts, gusting 0 kts
9 kts
14:00
200° at 16 kts, gusting 0 kts
16 kts
13:00
181° at 6 kts, gusting 15 kts
6 kts
19:00
140° at 9 kts, gusting 0 kts
9 kts
12:00
256° at 2 kts, gusting 8 kts
2 kts
15:00
142° at 4 kts, gusting 8 kts
4 kts
17:00
140° at 3 kts, gusting 0 kts
3 kts
METAR
220° at 12 kts, gusting 0 kts
12 kts

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

Average Speed
12 kts
Peak Gust
18 kts
Prevailing Direction
41°
Avg Crosswind
8 kts

Related Pages

About This Data

This analysis covers 8 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.