WxDecoder

65AK Weather McDonald Ridge Airport

Wasilla, AlaskaElevation 285 ftSmall airport
OFF-FIELD REFERENCE
Nearest report: PAWS · 5 NM W · 27 min old
Ceiling 3,700 ft, visibility 10 SM, rain.
No on-field report, so no field flight category. Conditions at the field may differ.
OFF-FIELD REFERENCE · PAWS
WIND
Calm
no steady wind
VISIBILITY
10 SM
16.1 km
CEILING
3,700 ft
lowest BKN/OVC
FORECAST & PILOT NOTES · SUPPLEMENTAL

Extended forecast and pilot notes

No aviation METAR is published for this airport. The nearest National Weather Service station reports wind calm, visibility 10 SM, temperature 5.6C. Treat this as supplemental, not an aviation observation. Forecast suggests this afternoon scattered rain showers, high near 42F, low near 35F, 73% chance of precipitation. Key risks: no significant hazards are highlighted right now, but always confirm against an official briefing.

DayConditionsTemp FWindGustsPrecipPilot note
This Afternoon Scattered Rain Showers 42/35 NE 4 kt – 73%
Monday Light Rain Likely 40/31 NE 4 kt – 73%
Tuesday Mostly Sunny 40/30 NE 4 kt – 0%
Wednesday Mostly Sunny 41/35 0 kt – 23%
Thursday Slight Chance Rain And Snow 42/36 E 4 kt – 63%
Friday Rain And Snow Likely 42/32 E 9 kt – 63%
Saturday Chance Rain And Snow 39/31 E 4 kt – 34%

Source: National Weather Service (office AER). Forecast issued 0020Z.

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RUNWAYS & WIND
1 runway
NESW0624
WIND
No on-field weather data
No reporting weather station on the field, so wind components cannot be computed. See nearby stations below.
RUNWAYS

Runway detail & declared distances

1 runway · longest 2,700 ft

06/24
Dimensions
2,700 x 75 ft
Surface
Turf
RWY 0690°T
RWY 24270°T

Runway data from the FAA NASR dataset (effective 2026-06-11). Verify with the current Chart Supplement and NOTAMs.

FIELD CONDITIONS

Field elevation

Field elevation
285 ft MSL

Density and pressure altitude need a current temperature and altimeter from the METAR.

DAYLIGHT & NIGHT

Sun & logging windows

Sunset
0214Z 6:14 PM
Sunrise
1710Z 9:10 AM
Loggable night
0300Z (7:00 PM local) → 1623Z (8:23 AM local)
end of evening to start of morning civil twilight
Position lights required
0214Z (6:14 PM local) → 1710Z (9:10 AM local)
sunset to sunrise (91.209)
Night passenger currency
0314Z (7:14 PM local) → 1610Z (8:10 AM local)
1 hr after sunset to 1 hr before sunrise (61.57(b))

FAA definitions, shown in Zulu with airport-local time. Verify for your operation.

AIRPORT INFORMATION

Facility & services

McDonald Ridge Airport is in Wasilla, Alaska. Field elevation 285 ft MSL. Airport facts are drawn from OurAirports and the FAA NASR dataset.

OPERATIONS & CONTACT
OwnershipPrivately owned
UsePrivate use
TypeSmall airport
ManagerCHAD REEL
Manager phone907-469-1747
AttendedUNATNDD
CHARTS & AIRSPACE
ICAO / IATA65AK
SectionalANCHORAGE
Center (ARTCC)ANCHORAGE
Flight service (AFSS)KENAI
RegionAlaska
CountryUnited States
Coordinates61.5604, -149.3673
Distance from city3 NM SE
SERVICES & LIGHTING
Control towerNon-towered
CTAF122.800
UNICOM122.800
FREQUENCIES

Communications

122.800
CTAF
CTAF
122.800
UNICOM
UNICOM

Not all tower/ground/approach frequencies are in our datasets. Verify with the FAA Chart Supplement.

AIRCRAFT ACTIVITY

65AK traffic patterns

2026-06-19 to 2026-10-23, 15 days observed · data 2026-10-23

Low confidence
TRAFFIC VOLUME (30-DAY)
AVG LANDINGS/DAY
0.8
AVG OPS/DAY
1.3
Activity trend over 4 days: rising, from 1 to 2 operations per dayOperations trend (4 days)

Busiest day: Thu · Busiest month: Aug

FLEET MIX
Unknown 58%Piston single 24%Helicopter 12%Turboprop 6%

Fleet composition unclear from available data.

TOP AIRCRAFT TYPES
›UNKN (Unknown) · ~7 landings/mo
›C185 (Unknown) · ~3 landings/mo
›C170 (Piston single) · ~1 landings/mo
›C172 (Piston single) · ~1 landings/mo
›C180 (Piston single) · ~1 landings/mo
LIKELY BASED AIRCRAFT
Low-confidence estimate

Aircraft likely based near this airport (estimate), mostly aircraft of unknown type.

›C185 (Unknown)

This is an estimate based on repeated flight patterns, not registration data. Do not rely on it to identify specific aircraft or owners.

Data limitations (4)
›ADS-B coverage is incomplete; counts are an observed lower bound, not official totals.
›Some aircraft do not transmit usable ADS-B and are not counted.
›Aircraft types and based estimates are inferred and may be wrong.
›This is not official ATC, FAA, or airport data.
NEARBY AIRPORTS

Weather reference stations

65AK has no on-field report. Nearest reporting station: PAWS (5 NM W, VFR).

PAWS Wasilla Airport
5 NM W
VFR
PAAQ Warren "Bud" Woods Palmer Municipal Airport
8 NM E
VFR
PABV Birchwood Airport
10 NM SW
VFR
PAFR Bryant Army Airfield
19 NM SW
IFR
PAED Elmendorf Air Force Base
22 NM SW
MVFR
PAMR Merrill Field
25 NM SW
MVFR
OFFICIAL LINKS & SOURCES
↗Search NOTAMs (official FAA NOTAM Search)
↗65AK on OurAirports
FREQUENTLY ASKED
Does 65AK have a METAR?
No on-field METAR is issued for 65AK. This page uses the nearest reporting station as a reference.
Does 65AK have a TAF?
No TAF is issued directly for 65AK. Use the nearest TAF-issuing field as a planning reference.
What is the field elevation at 65AK?
65AK sits at 285 ft MSL, which factors into the density-altitude estimate on this page.
Is this an official preflight weather briefing for 65AK?
No. wxdecoder.com is for education and situational awareness only. It is not an official weather briefing or a substitute for official sources, NOTAM review, and pilot judgment.
This app is for aviation weather education, training, and situational awareness only. It is not a substitute for an official weather briefing, approved flight-planning software, flight service, dispatch procedures, current FAA regulations, or pilot judgment. Always verify weather with official sources before flight.