N E S W 22°
03 / 21
RWY 03/21
HDG 22°
LEN 6,801 ft
Charlottesville Albemarle Airport

Runway 03 at KCHO

Runway 03/21 at Charlottesville Albemarle Airport (KCHO) in Charlottesville is a 6,801 ft, lighted, asphalt runway oriented 022°/202°. The runway is 150 ft wide. SkyMeter has observed 586 landings and 554 departures on this runway over the last 30 days, with approximately 0.2% of arrivals resulting in a go-around (1 events). Trace data shows an average final-approach slope of 3.1°, touchdowns averaging 3,392 ft past the threshold, a typical touchdown ground speed of 81 kt, a 2.0 kt average crosswind component, a 1.8 kt average headwind.

Last 30 Days
1140 Operations
554 Deps / 586 Arrs

Runway 03/21 at Charlottesville Albemarle Airport (KCHO) in Charlottesville is a 6,801 ft, lighted, asphalt runway oriented 022°/202°. The runway is 150 ft wide. SkyMeter has observed 586 landings and 554 departures on this runway over the last 30 days, with approximately 0.2% of arrivals resulting in a go-around (1 events). Trace data shows an average final-approach slope of 3.1°, touchdowns averaging 3,392 ft past the threshold, a typical touchdown ground speed of 81 kt, a 2.0 kt average crosswind component, a 1.8 kt average headwind.

Runway at a Glance

Arrival Volume

586 landings observed on Runway 03 in the last 30 days, alongside 554 departures.

Low Go-Around Rate

0.2% of arrivals at Runway 03 result in a go-around (1 in the last 30 days).

Peak Hour

Busiest landing window observed at 19:00 with 8 arrivals on the recent sample.

Average Touchdown Zone

Aircraft touch down on average 3,392 ft from the threshold on Runway 03.

Prevailing Wind & Gust History

Over the past 365 days, winds at KCHO have prevailed from the south (180°), accounting for roughly 22% of windy observations. Average wind speed sits at 3.5 kt with peak gusts to 43 kt. Strong-wind days are infrequent here.

Light Crosswind Component

Average crosswind on landing is 2.0 kt at touchdown, measured against runway 03 alignment.

Approach Slope

Final-approach slope averages 3.1° on Runway 03, 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 03 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
3.1°
Avg touchdown GS
81 kts
Avg touchdown zone
3,392 ft
Avg headwind
1.8 kt

Hourly Landing Distribution

00:00 1 landings
01:00 3 landings
02:00 3 landings
03:00 1 landings
12:00 1 landings
13:00 4 landings
14:00 3 landings
15:00 3 landings
16:00 5 landings
17:00 5 landings
18:00 3 landings
19:00 8 landings
20:00 3 landings
21:00 3 landings
22:00 4 landings

Recent observed landings on Runway 03 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 03 experienced go-arounds in 0.2% of arrivals over the last 30 days (1 events of 587 attempts).

Recent Go-Around Events

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2026-08-16 14:00
Unstable Approach

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

Go-Around Causes Distribution

Unstable Approach 1 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 03 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

18:00
97° at 5 kts, gusting 0 kts
5 kts
19:00
81° at 3 kts, gusting 5 kts
3 kts
20:00
177° at 4 kts, gusting 0 kts
4 kts
21:00
174° at 4 kts, gusting 5 kts
4 kts
22:00
135° at 5 kts, gusting 0 kts
5 kts
00:00
110° at 3 kts, gusting 0 kts
3 kts
01:00
172° at 3 kts, gusting 2 kts
3 kts
02:00
88° at 2 kts, gusting 4 kts
2 kts
03:00
353° at 1 kts, gusting 1 kts
1 kts
12:00
30° at 3 kts, gusting 0 kts
3 kts
13:00
122° at 3 kts, gusting 3 kts
3 kts
14:00
93° at 4 kts, gusting 0 kts
4 kts
15:00
63° at 3 kts, gusting 0 kts
3 kts
16:00
79° at 3 kts, gusting 5 kts
3 kts
17:00
36° at 4 kts, gusting 0 kts
4 kts
METAR
0° at 0 kts, gusting 0 kts
0 kts

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

Average Speed
12 kts
Peak Gust
18 kts
Prevailing Direction
22°
Avg Crosswind
8 kts

Related Pages

About This Data

This analysis covers 1140 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.