KCAE/CAE METAR & TAF Columbia Metropolitan Airport

Columbia, South CarolinaElevation 236 ftMedium airport

CURRENT STATUS

VFR35 min old

No ceiling, visibility 10 SM, gusts to 20 kt.

FLIGHT CATEGORY

VFR

ceiling & visibility

WIND

030@10

gust 20 kt

VISIBILITY

10 SM

16.1 km

CEILING

None

no BKN/OVC layer

DENSITY ALT

663 ft

+427 ft vs field

CURRENT METAR

Decoded observation

Observed 1856Z (2:56 PM local) · 35 min old

KCAE is currently VFR. Winds are from the northeast at 10 knots gusting 20. Visibility is 10 statute miles. There is no ceiling. The main issue is wind gusting to 20 kt (gust spread 10 kt).

WIND

30° at 10 kt, gust 20

Gusts 10 kt above the steady wind.

VISIBILITY

10 statute miles

16.1 km, good.

CEILING & SKY

SCT047

FEW and SCT layers are not ceilings.

TEMP / DEWPOINT

22°C / 9°C

72°F / 48°F. 13°C spread.

ALTIMETER

30.38 inHg

1028.8 hPa, above standard.

WEATHER & HAZARDS

GUST

Wind gusting to 20 kt (gust spread 10 kt).

Codes in this report: SCT RMK AO2

Hover or tap any group for a plain-English explanation.

REMARKS: DECODED

AO2

automated station with a precipitation discriminator (can tell rain from snow)

SLP284

sea-level pressure 1028.4 hPa

T02220094

precise temperature 22.2°C, dew point 9.4°C

TERMINAL AERODROME FORECAST

TAF timeline

Issued 1720Z (1:20 PM local) · valid to 1800Z (2:00 PM local)

KCAE forecast starts VFR at 18Z. Worst period is 18Z to 23Z with VFR possible (GUST). Best period is 23Z to 15Z (VFR). Conditions are roughly steady over the period.

VFR

1800Z2:00 PM2248Z6:48 PM0336Z11:36 PM0824Z4:24 AM1312Z9:12 AM1800Z2:00 PM

Codes in this report: P6SM FEW SKC

Tap any group to decode it.

FAA: no delays reported at CAE.

Source: FAA System Operations (ASWS). Operational status only; verify with official FAA sources and NOTAMs.

SUGGESTED RISK · TRAINING USE

Suggested risk level: Moderate

›Wind gusting to 20 kt (gust spread 10 kt).

›Large gust spread: 10 kt gusting 20 kt.

A suggested risk level for training and situational awareness only, not a go/no-go authority. Verify with official sources and apply your personal minimums.

FORECAST & PILOT NOTES · SUPPLEMENTAL

Extended forecast and pilot notes

Current aviation conditions show flight category VFR, wind from 30° at 10 kt, gusting 20 kt, visibility 10 SM, ceiling none. Forecast suggests this afternoon sunny, high near 73F, low near 47F, 0% chance of precipitation. Key risks: no significant hazards are highlighted right now, but always confirm against an official briefing.

Day	Conditions	Temp F	Wind	Gusts	Precip
This Afternoon	Sunny	73/47	NE 12 kt	–	0%
Monday	Sunny	73/42	NE 8 kt	–	0%
Tuesday	Sunny	76/46	NE 6 kt	–	0%
Wednesday	Mostly Sunny	75/54	NE 9 kt	–	1%
Thursday	Mostly Sunny	77/53	NE 7 kt	–	4%
Friday	Sunny	80/54	NE 6 kt	–	2%
Saturday	Mostly Sunny	80/57	NE 5 kt	–	15%

Source: National Weather Service (office CAE). Forecast issued 1930Z.

Radar

Radar data: NOAA/NWS MRMS composite reflectivity. For situational awareness only, not a substitute for an official weather briefing.

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RUNWAYS & WIND

2 runways · crosswind ranking

ON-FIELD METAR

READING THE BARB · SWIPE FOR MORE →

Calm

5 kt

10 kt

15 kt

20 kt

25 kt

30 kt

35 kt

40 kt

45 kt

50 kt

65 kt

75 kt

100 kt

105 kt

Half feather = 5 kt, full = 10 kt, filled pennant = 50 kt; add them up. The staff points the direction the wind blows from.

WIND USED

030° at 10 kt, gust 20

Components computed from the current on-field METAR wind.

RECOMMENDED

RWY 0510 kt headwind · 3 kt crosswind

RUNWAYS BY WIND · best end

HEAD

10 kt

CROSS

3 kt L

BEST

HEAD

3 kt

CROSS

10 kt L

X-WIND

HEAD

3 kt tail

CROSS

10 kt R

X-WIND

HEAD

10 kt tail

CROSS

3 kt R

Components are estimates from the current METAR wind and runway heading. Verify with the Chart Supplement and NOTAMs.

RUNWAYS

Runway detail & declared distances

3 runways · longest 8,601 ft

11/29

Dimensions

8,601 x 150 ft

Surface

Concrete (excellent)

Edge lights

HIGH

RWY 11105°T

Landing length (LDA)8,601 ft

TORA / TODA / ASDA8,601 / 8,601 / 8,601 ft

ILSILS/DME

Approach lightsALSF2

VGSIPAPI (P4L)

Traffic patternLeft

RWY 29285°T

Landing length (LDA)8,506 ft

TORA / TODA / ASDA8,601 / 8,601 / 8,506 ft

ILSILS

Approach lightsMALSR

VGSIPAPI (P4L)

Traffic patternLeft

Dimensions

50 x 50 ft

Surface

Concrete (fair)

Edge lights

PERI

RWY H1

05/23

Dimensions

8,001 x 150 ft

Surface

Asphalt

Edge lights

HIGH

RWY 0545°T

Landing length (LDA)7,001 ft

TORA / TODA / ASDA8,001 / 8,001 / 7,001 ft

ILSILS

Approach lightsMALSR

VGSIPAPI (P4R)

Traffic patternLeft

RWY 23225°T

Landing length (LDA)7,001 ft

TORA / TODA / ASDA8,001 / 8,001 / 8,001 ft

Displaced threshold1,000 ft

REILYes

VGSIPAPI (P4L)

Traffic patternLeft

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

FIELD CONDITIONS

Performance & density altitude

Density altitude

663 ft

Pressure altitude

-224 ft

Field elevation

236 ft MSL

Temperature

22°C (72°F)

Dewpoint

9°C (48°F)

Altimeter

30.38 inHg

Density altitude estimates how the aircraft performs versus standard atmosphere. Higher density altitude reduces climb performance and increases takeoff distance.

DAYLIGHT & NIGHT

Sun & logging windows

Sunset

2239Z 6:39 PM

Sunrise

1138Z 7:38 AM

Loggable night

2304Z (7:04 PM local) → 1112Z (7:12 AM local)

end of evening to start of morning civil twilight

Position lights required

2239Z (6:39 PM local) → 1138Z (7:38 AM local)

sunset to sunrise (91.209)

Night passenger currency

2339Z (7:39 PM local) → 1038Z (6:38 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

Columbia Metropolitan Airport is in Columbia, South Carolina. Field elevation 236 ft MSL. Airport facts are drawn from OurAirports and the FAA NASR dataset.

OPERATIONS & CONTACT

OwnershipPublicly owned

UseOpen to the public

TypeMedium airport

Airline serviceYes

ManagerCHRISTOPHER WHITE A.A.E

Manager phone803-822-5078

AttendedContinuous (24 hours)

CHARTS & AIRSPACE

ICAO / IATAKCAE / CAE

SectionalCHARLOTTE

Center (ARTCC)JACKSONVILLE

Flight service (AFSS)ANDERSON

RegionSouth Carolina

CountryUnited States

Coordinates33.9382, -81.1230

Distance from city5 NM SW

SERVICES & LIGHTING

Fuel100LL · Jet A

Control towerTowered

Field lightingSunset to sunrise

BeaconSunset to sunrise · White-green (lighted land airport)

UNICOM122.950

FREQUENCIES

Communications

124.15

APP/DEP

A/D

120.15

ATIS

119.75

CLNC DEL

CLD

121.9

GND

122.65

ANDERSON RDO

RDO

119.5

TWR

122.95

UNICOM

UNIC

122.950

UNICOM

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

AIRCRAFT ACTIVITY

KCAE traffic patterns

2026-06-12 to 2026-10-23, 70 days observed · data 2026-10-23

High confidence

TRAFFIC VOLUME (30-DAY)

AVG LANDINGS/DAY

46.1

AVG OPS/DAY

61.2

Operations trend (18 days)

Busiest day: Thu · Busiest month: Oct

FLEET MIX

Unknown 32%Airliner 31%Piston single 20%Jet 10%Turboprop 4%Twin 2%Helicopter 1%

Fleet composition unclear from available data.

TOP AIRCRAFT TYPES

›E145 (Unknown) · ~86 landings/mo

›UNKN (Unknown) · ~56 landings/mo

›SR20 (Piston single) · ~48 landings/mo

›B712 (Airliner) · ~36 landings/mo

›CRJ7 (Airliner) · ~32 landings/mo

LIKELY BASED AIRCRAFT

Low-confidence estimate

Aircraft likely based near this airport (estimate), mostly single-engine piston aircraft.

›SR20 (Piston single)

›DA40 (Piston single)

›UNKN (Unknown)

›C172 (Piston single)

›P8 (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

Current flight category at nearby reporting stations.

KCUB Jim Hamilton L.B. Owens Airport

7 NM E

VFR

KMMT Mc Entire Joint National Guard Base

16 NM E

VFR

KOGB Orangeburg Municipal Airport

32 NM SE

VFR

KSSC Shaw Air Force Base

33 NM E

VFR

KAIK Aiken Regional Airport

VFR

AIRPORT REMARKS

Operational remarks

›ACFT LNDG WITH EXPLOSIVES OBTAIN PPR FM ARPT OPS 803-822-5050.

›(CONTACT TITLE) INTERIM POCS (UNTIL KREULEN ONBOARD): FRANK MURRAY, VP PLANNING AND ENGINEERING 803-822-7817 GREGG HORNSBY, INTERIM CEO 803-822-5015

›ARPT EXISTED PRIOR TO 1958.

›HELIPAD H1 LOCATED NORTH OF TAXILANE E, EAST OF TWY E3.

›FEE FOR COML ACFT OVER 15000 LBS.

›RWY 05 200 FT BY 200 FT BLAST PAD.

›RWY 11 220 FT BY 400 FT BLAST PAD; RWY 29 220 FT BY 400 FT BLAST PAD.

›RWY 05/23 CNTR 75 FT IS CONC, ENTIRE LEN OF RWY.

›PCR VALUE: 750/R/A/W/T

›PCR VALUE: 740/R/A/W/T

›DUE TO PROXIMITY AND RWY ALNMT AIRCREWS HAVE MISTAKEN CUB (RWY 13/31) FOR CAE (RWY 11/29) WHICH IS 6 MILES NE.

›ARPT DIST.

›ALSF2 ALSO OPERS AS SSALR.

›FOR PPR OR OTHER AFLD RELATED QUESTIONS PLEASE CALL ARPT OPS AT 803-822-5050.

›OPRN OF ULTRALIGHT VEHICLES PROHIBITED.

›SPORTS COMPLEX WITH NMRS FLOOD LGTS APRXLY 6500 FT FROM APCH END RWY 11.

›NOISE ABATEMENT PROC: NO TURNS BLW 1000 FT FOR TURBINE ENG ACFT UNLESS DCTD BY ATC.

OFFICIAL LINKS & SOURCES

↗Official METAR on AviationWeather.gov

↗Search NOTAMs (official FAA NOTAM Search)

↗Official airport website

↗Wikipedia

↗KCAE on OurAirports

FREQUENTLY ASKED

Does KCAE have a METAR?

Yes. KCAE has a current METAR observation, decoded into plain English on this page.

Does KCAE have a TAF?

Yes, a TAF is issued for KCAE; the decoded forecast timeline is shown above.

What is the field elevation at KCAE?

KCAE sits at 236 ft MSL, which factors into the density-altitude estimate on this page.

Is this an official preflight weather briefing for KCAE?

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.