N E S W 142°
13 / 31
RWY 13/31
HDG 142°
LEN 9,186 ft
Sunshine Coast Airport

Runway 13 at YBSU

Runway 13/31 at Sunshine Coast Airport (YBSU) in Maroochydore is a 9,186 ft, lighted, asphalt runway oriented 142°/322°. The runway is 148 ft wide. SkyMeter has observed 272 landings and 208 departures on this runway over the last 30 days, with approximately 3.2% of arrivals resulting in a go-around (9 events). Trace data shows an average final-approach slope of 1.6°, touchdowns averaging 1,475 ft past the threshold, a typical touchdown ground speed of 63 kt, a 4.2 kt average crosswind component, a 2.7 kt average headwind.

Last 30 Days
480 Operations
208 Deps / 272 Arrs

Runway 13/31 at Sunshine Coast Airport (YBSU) in Maroochydore is a 9,186 ft, lighted, asphalt runway oriented 142°/322°. The runway is 148 ft wide. SkyMeter has observed 272 landings and 208 departures on this runway over the last 30 days, with approximately 3.2% of arrivals resulting in a go-around (9 events). Trace data shows an average final-approach slope of 1.6°, touchdowns averaging 1,475 ft past the threshold, a typical touchdown ground speed of 63 kt, a 4.2 kt average crosswind component, a 2.7 kt average headwind.

Runway at a Glance

Arrival Volume

272 landings observed on Runway 13 in the last 30 days, alongside 208 departures.

Moderate Go-Around Rate

3.2% of arrivals at Runway 13 result in a go-around (9 in the last 30 days).

Peak Hour

Busiest landing window observed at 04:00 with 11 arrivals on the recent sample.

Average Touchdown Zone

Aircraft touch down on average 1,475 ft from the threshold on Runway 13.

Prevailing Wind & Gust History

Over the past 365 days, winds at YBSU have prevailed from the south (180°), accounting for roughly 14% of windy observations. Average wind speed sits at 9.2 kt with peak gusts to 57 kt. Strong-wind days are infrequent here.

Light Crosswind Component

Average crosswind on landing is 4.2 kt at touchdown — measured against runway 13 alignment.

Approach Slope

Final-approach slope averages 1.6° on Runway 13 — shallower than the standard 3°.

Landing Behavior and Touchdown Performance

The metrics below are computed from ADS-B trace data observed at Runway 13 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
1.6°
Avg touchdown GS
63 kts
Avg touchdown zone
1,475 ft
Avg headwind
2.7 kt

Hourly Landing Distribution

01:00 7 landings
02:00 2 landings
03:00 5 landings
04:00 11 landings
05:00 2 landings
06:00 5 landings
07:00 2 landings
08:00 1 landings
09:00 1 landings
10:00 1 landings
11:00 3 landings
12:00 2 landings
13:00 1 landings
15:00 1 landings
16:00 1 landings
21:00 2 landings
23:00 3 landings

Recent observed landings on Runway 13 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 13 experienced go-arounds in 3.2% of arrivals over the last 30 days (9 events of 281 attempts).

Recent Go-Around Events

4f73bcfa-cb75-0947-b125-d19341b624ba
2026-06-01 01:35
Other
15b151fb-5688-e145-b82f-72c5e07e7725
2026-05-27 02:41
Other
1bfa013b-30c8-6143-a594-3499c43038fe
2026-05-27 02:28
Other
9d5e1ef5-2e6f-3643-beb3-77d5c8822b4f
2026-05-26 07:18
Other
36b834eb-637c-6142-b40f-0ae7614a0fb4
2026-05-26 03:54
Unstable Approach
0bce5f83-0899-c14b-a2a4-6a886e8d129e
2026-05-25 03:39
Other

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

Go-Around Causes Distribution

Other 5 events (83%)
Unstable Approach 1 events (17%)

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 13 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

04:00
142° at 7 kts, gusting 0 kts
7 kts
05:00
140° at 12 kts, gusting 0 kts
12 kts
06:00
162° at 8 kts, gusting 0 kts
8 kts
07:00
175° at 10 kts, gusting 0 kts
10 kts
08:00
200° at 7 kts, gusting 0 kts
7 kts
09:00
210° at 5 kts, gusting 0 kts
5 kts
10:00
180° at 12 kts, gusting 0 kts
12 kts
11:00
253° at 5 kts, gusting 0 kts
5 kts
12:00
228° at 6 kts, gusting 5 kts
6 kts
23:00
197° at 7 kts, gusting 0 kts
7 kts
03:00
144° at 7 kts, gusting 0 kts
7 kts
21:00
223° at 4 kts, gusting 7 kts
4 kts
01:00
224° at 6 kts, gusting 11 kts
6 kts
02:00
148° at 5 kts, gusting 8 kts
5 kts
15:00
275° at 4 kts, gusting 4 kts
4 kts
13:00
340° at 9 kts, gusting 0 kts
9 kts
16:00
350° at 1 kts, gusting 0 kts
1 kts
METAR
290° at 4 kts, gusting 0 kts
4 kts

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

Average Speed
12 kts
Peak Gust
18 kts
Prevailing Direction
142°
Avg Crosswind
8 kts

Related Pages

About This Data

This analysis covers 480 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.