N E S W 224°
21 / 03
RWY 21/03
HDG 224°
LEN 8,249 ft
Scottsdale Airport

Runway 21 at KSDL

Runway 21/03 at Scottsdale Airport (KSDL) in Scottsdale is a 8,249 ft, lighted, asphalt runway oriented 224°/044°. The runway is 100 ft wide, with a 400 ft displaced threshold on the 21 end. SkyMeter has observed 3,483 landings and 3,282 departures on this runway over the last 30 days, with approximately 0.0% of arrivals resulting in a go-around (1 events). Trace data shows an average final-approach slope of 2.8°, touchdowns averaging 1,452 ft past the threshold, a typical touchdown ground speed of 103 kt, a 3.0 kt average crosswind component, a 5.3 kt average headwind.

Last 30 Days
6765 Operations
3282 Deps / 3483 Arrs

Runway 21/03 at Scottsdale Airport (KSDL) in Scottsdale is a 8,249 ft, lighted, asphalt runway oriented 224°/044°. The runway is 100 ft wide, with a 400 ft displaced threshold on the 21 end. SkyMeter has observed 3,483 landings and 3,282 departures on this runway over the last 30 days, with approximately 0.0% of arrivals resulting in a go-around (1 events). Trace data shows an average final-approach slope of 2.8°, touchdowns averaging 1,452 ft past the threshold, a typical touchdown ground speed of 103 kt, a 3.0 kt average crosswind component, a 5.3 kt average headwind.

Runway at a Glance

Arrival Volume

3,483 landings observed on Runway 21 in the last 30 days, alongside 3,282 departures.

Peak Hour

Busiest landing window observed at 20:00 with 13 arrivals on the recent sample.

Average Touchdown Zone

Aircraft touch down on average 1,452 ft from the threshold on Runway 21.

Prevailing Wind & Gust History

Over the past 365 days, winds at KSDL have prevailed from the west-southwest (240°), accounting for roughly 21% of windy observations. Average wind speed sits at 3.1 kt with peak gusts to 50 kt. Strong-wind days are infrequent here.

Light Crosswind Component

Average crosswind on landing is 3.0 kt at touchdown, measured against runway 21 alignment.

Approach Slope

Final-approach slope averages 2.8° on Runway 21, consistent with the standard 3° glide path.

Landing Behavior and Touchdown Performance

The metrics below are computed from ADS-B trace data observed at Runway 21 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
2.8°
Avg touchdown GS
103 kts
Avg touchdown zone
1,452 ft
Avg headwind
5.3 kt

Hourly Landing Distribution

19:00 6 landings
20:00 13 landings
21:00 12 landings
22:00 11 landings
23:00 8 landings

Recent observed landings on Runway 21 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 21 experienced go-arounds in 0.0% of arrivals over the last 30 days (1 events of 3484 attempts).

Recent Go-Around Events

84479c79-ef45-e546-baf9-ab5cac374fab
2026-07-13 14:22
Other
84479c79-ef45-e546-baf9-ab5cac374fab
2026-07-13 14:22
Other
84479c79-ef45-e546-baf9-ab5cac374fab
2026-07-13 14:22
Other

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

Go-Around Causes Distribution

Other 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 21 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

19:00
261° at 4 kts, gusting 5 kts
4 kts
20:00
249° at 6 kts, gusting 5 kts
6 kts
21:00
249° at 6 kts, gusting 5 kts
6 kts
22:00
256° at 7 kts, gusting 8 kts
7 kts
23:00
97° at 3 kts, gusting 8 kts
3 kts
METAR
30° at 14 kts, gusting 21 kts
14 kts

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

Average Speed
12 kts
Peak Gust
18 kts
Prevailing Direction
224°
Avg Crosswind
8 kts

Related Pages

About This Data

This analysis covers 6765 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.