N E S W 347°
35 / 17
RWY 35/17
HDG 347°
LEN 7,004 ft
Pensacola International Airport

Runway 35 at KPNS

Runway 35/17 at Pensacola International Airport (KPNS) in Pensacola is a 7,004 ft, lighted, asphalt runway oriented 347°/167°. The runway is 150 ft wide. SkyMeter has observed 452 landings and 703 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 2.5°, a typical touchdown ground speed of 135 kt, a 3.1 kt average crosswind component, a 3.7 kt average headwind.

Last 30 Days
1155 Operations
703 Deps / 452 Arrs

Runway 35/17 at Pensacola International Airport (KPNS) in Pensacola is a 7,004 ft, lighted, asphalt runway oriented 347°/167°. The runway is 150 ft wide. SkyMeter has observed 452 landings and 703 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 2.5°, a typical touchdown ground speed of 135 kt, a 3.1 kt average crosswind component, a 3.7 kt average headwind.

Runway at a Glance

Arrival Volume

452 landings observed on Runway 35 in the last 30 days, alongside 703 departures.

Peak Hour

Busiest landing window observed at 14:00 with 10 arrivals on the recent sample.

Prevailing Wind & Gust History

Over the past 365 days, winds at KPNS have prevailed from the north-northwest (330°), accounting for roughly 14% of windy observations. Average wind speed sits at 6.4 kt with peak gusts to 48 kt. Strong-wind days are infrequent here.

Light Crosswind Component

Average crosswind on landing is 3.1 kt at touchdown, measured against runway 35 alignment.

Approach Slope

Final-approach slope averages 2.5° on Runway 35, shallower than the standard 3°.

Landing Behavior and Touchdown Performance

The metrics below are computed from ADS-B trace data observed at Runway 35 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
2.5°
Avg touchdown GS
135 kts
Avg headwind
3.7 kt

Hourly Landing Distribution

00:00 2 landings
02:00 1 landings
03:00 3 landings
04:00 1 landings
12:00 3 landings
13:00 3 landings
14:00 10 landings
15:00 5 landings
16:00 1 landings
17:00 3 landings
18:00 4 landings
19:00 3 landings
20:00 4 landings
21:00 1 landings
23:00 6 landings

Recent observed landings on Runway 35 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 35 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

13:00
340° at 5 kts, gusting 0 kts
5 kts
14:00
283° at 6 kts, gusting 0 kts
6 kts
15:00
150° at 8 kts, gusting 0 kts
8 kts
20:00
330° at 10 kts, gusting 16 kts
10 kts
21:00
279° at 4 kts, gusting 11 kts
4 kts
23:00
216° at 7 kts, gusting 18 kts
7 kts
00:00
185° at 6 kts, gusting 0 kts
6 kts
02:00
120° at 3 kts, gusting 0 kts
3 kts
03:00
56° at 3 kts, gusting 8 kts
3 kts
04:00
80° at 3 kts, gusting 0 kts
3 kts
12:00
337° at 5 kts, gusting 0 kts
5 kts
16:00
87° at 9 kts, gusting 12 kts
9 kts
17:00
60° at 8 kts, gusting 0 kts
8 kts
18:00
95° at 6 kts, gusting 0 kts
6 kts
19:00
223° at 8 kts, gusting 0 kts
8 kts
METAR
290° at 7 kts, gusting 0 kts
7 kts

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

Average Speed
12 kts
Peak Gust
18 kts
Prevailing Direction
347°
Avg Crosswind
8 kts

Related Pages

About This Data

This analysis covers 1155 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.