N E S W 201°
21L / 3R
RWY 21L/3R
HDG 201°
LEN 6,001 ft
DeKalb Peachtree Airport

Runway 21L at KPDK

Runway 21L/3R at DeKalb Peachtree Airport (KPDK) in Atlanta is a 6,001 ft, lighted, concrete runway oriented 201°/021°. The runway is 100 ft wide, with a 999 ft displaced threshold on the 21L end. SkyMeter has observed 2,194 landings and 36 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 2.1°, touchdowns averaging 2,605 ft past the threshold, a typical touchdown ground speed of 85 kt, a 2.3 kt average crosswind component, a 3.4 kt average headwind.

Last 30 Days
2230 Operations
36 Deps / 2194 Arrs

Runway 21L/3R at DeKalb Peachtree Airport (KPDK) in Atlanta is a 6,001 ft, lighted, concrete runway oriented 201°/021°. The runway is 100 ft wide, with a 999 ft displaced threshold on the 21L end. SkyMeter has observed 2,194 landings and 36 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 2.1°, touchdowns averaging 2,605 ft past the threshold, a typical touchdown ground speed of 85 kt, a 2.3 kt average crosswind component, a 3.4 kt average headwind.

Runway at a Glance

Arrival Volume

2,194 landings observed on Runway 21L in the last 30 days, alongside 36 departures.

Peak Hour

Busiest landing window observed at 21:00 with 11 arrivals on the recent sample.

Average Touchdown Zone

Aircraft touch down on average 2,605 ft from the threshold on Runway 21L.

Prevailing Wind & Gust History

Over the past 365 days, winds at KPDK have prevailed from the west-northwest (300°), accounting for roughly 15% of windy observations. Average wind speed sits at 3.6 kt with peak gusts to 48 kt. Strong-wind days are infrequent here.

Light Crosswind Component

Average crosswind on landing is 2.3 kt at touchdown, measured against runway 21L alignment.

Approach Slope

Final-approach slope averages 2.1° on Runway 21L, shallower than the standard 3°.

Landing Behavior and Touchdown Performance

The metrics below are computed from ADS-B trace data observed at Runway 21L 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
2.1°
Avg touchdown GS
85 kts
Avg touchdown zone
2,605 ft
Avg headwind
3.4 kt

Hourly Landing Distribution

17:00 3 landings
18:00 8 landings
19:00 2 landings
20:00 10 landings
21:00 11 landings
22:00 7 landings
23:00 9 landings

Recent observed landings on Runway 21L 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 21L 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

17:00
183° at 4 kts, gusting 0 kts
4 kts
18:00
225° at 4 kts, gusting 0 kts
4 kts
19:00
180° at 8 kts, gusting 22 kts
8 kts
20:00
182° at 5 kts, gusting 0 kts
5 kts
21:00
180° at 5 kts, gusting 0 kts
5 kts
22:00
190° at 4 kts, gusting 0 kts
4 kts
23:00
268° at 4 kts, gusting 0 kts
4 kts
METAR
250° at 5 kts, gusting 0 kts
5 kts

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

Average Speed
12 kts
Peak Gust
18 kts
Prevailing Direction
201°
Avg Crosswind
8 kts

Related Pages

About This Data

This analysis covers 2230 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.