Drift River Airport (3AK5) Area Aviation Weather & Runway Winds
As of 4:53 AM AKDT, Oct 28, based on the nearest station (PAEN), 3AK5 is currently VFR with winds from 060° at 3 knots, visibility 10+ statute miles, and no ceiling reported.
Aviation weather near Drift River Airport in Kenai, AK, decoded from the nearest reporting station (PAEN): conditions and runway crosswinds.
Drift River Airport (3AK5) is a general aviation airport serving pilots in and around Kenai, AK at a field elevation of 30 ft. 3AK5 has no weather station of its own. Conditions here are decoded from PAEN, about 27 nm away, the nearest reporting station, and local conditions can differ. It has 2 physical runways (05/23, H1), the longest 4,100 ft. The nearest TAF is issued for PAEN.
No weather station at this airport: showing the nearest station PAEN, 27.1 nm away.
Wind from the east-northeast (060°) at 3 kt, visibility 10+ statute miles, a few clouds at 100 ft, temperature -5°C (23°F), altimeter 30.40 inHg. Conditions are Visual Flight Rules (VFR).
METAR PAEN 281253Z AUTO 06003KT 10SM FEW001 M05/M06 A3040 RMK AO2 SLP297 I1000 T10501056
What changed at PAEN (nearest station)?
Since the 1245Z (4:45 AM AKDT) report, compared automatically against the latest METAR.
No significant changes since the 1245Z (4:45 AM AKDT) report, conditions are holding steady.
Current pilot readout for 3AK5
Based on the nearest station (PAEN), 3AK5 is currently VFR with winds from 060° at 3 knots, visibility 10+ statute miles, and no ceiling reported. the wind favors east-facing runway ends (05). Density altitude is approximately -2,950 ft (field elevation 30 ft). Review the latest TAF below for forecast changes before departure.
New to aviation weather? How to read a METAR → · What VFR/MVFR/IFR mean → · Decode any METAR/TAF → · Density altitude calculator →
Runway wind check
Estimated head/tailwind and crosswind for each runway end from the current reported wind.
| Runway | Length | Surface | Head / Tail | Crosswind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 05FAV | 4,100 ft | GRAVEL | 3 kt head | 1 kt left |
| H1 | 40 ft | GRAVEL | 2 kt head | 3 kt right |
| 23 | 4,100 ft | GRAVEL | 3 kt tail | 1 kt right |
Open the crosswind calculator to try your own wind and runway numbers →
3AK5 runways
2 physical runways · 3 runway ends. Each card opens the runway's intelligence page: equipment and lighting, LAHSO, frequencies, today's configuration, predicted use, history and approaches.
- Status not monitoredRunway 05/234,100 × 150 ft · GRAVELCurrent useno stated-runway source at 3AK5Wind
- 05
- 3 kt headwind · 1 kt crosswind from left
- 23
- 3 kt tailwind · 1 kt crosswind from right
no active equipment NOTAM receivedView Runway Intelligence →
“Current use” is what the facilitystates; wind components are arithmetic on the current METAR against TRUE headings; status reflects NOTAMs received through SWIM, the tower's TFDM record and the D-ATIS — a runway reads “Open” only with a complete NOTAM picture.
24-hour trend
Wind, ceiling and flight category over the last 24 hours.
Over the last 23 h: wind 5→3 kt, ceiling unlimited → unlimited.
3AK5 weather radar
Live NEXRAD + lightning, with a 4-hour future-radar forecast. Drag to pan, tap ⚡ to toggle lightning.
Radar: NOAA/NWS via IEM · Forecast: NOAA HRRR · Lightning: NOAA · Map © Stadia Maps © OpenMapTiles © OpenStreetMap
NOAA NEXRAD composite and lightning, updated about every five minutes; amber frames are HRRR model guidance, not observed radar. Not for navigation.
Pilot reports (PIREPs) within 100 NM of 3AK5
Reported by pilots in flight over the past 6 hours, via aviationweather.gov.
Show raw report
ANC UA /OV TED300010/TM 1226/FL040/TP C130/SK TOPS 006/TB NEG/IC NEG
ANC UAHeader: reporting station and UA: a routine pilot report.OV TED300010Location: fix or navaid, optionally with a radial and distance in NM.TM 1226Reported at 12:26 UTC.FL040Altitude: 4,000 ft MSL.TP C130Aircraft type reporting.SK TOPS 006Sky condition: cloud bases and tops in hundreds of feet MSL.TB NEGTurbulence: none reported.IC NEGIcing: none reported.Show raw report
ANC UA /OV TED360010/TM 1125/FL050/TP B190/SK TOPS 004/TB NEG/IC NEG/RM DURGC CLR ABOVE 004
ANC UAHeader: reporting station and UA: a routine pilot report.OV TED360010Location: fix or navaid, optionally with a radial and distance in NM.TM 1125Reported at 11:25 UTC.FL050Altitude: 5,000 ft MSL.TP B190Aircraft type reporting.SK TOPS 004Sky condition: cloud bases and tops in hundreds of feet MSL.TB NEGTurbulence: none reported.IC NEGIcing: none reported.RM DURGC CLR ABOVE 004Remarks.Show raw report
ANC UA /OV TED189005/TM 0727/FL050/TP B739/SK SKC/TB LGT/IC NEG/RM DURD
ANC UAHeader: reporting station and UA: a routine pilot report.OV TED189005Location: fix or navaid, optionally with a radial and distance in NM.TM 0727Reported at 07:27 UTC.FL050Altitude: 5,000 ft MSL.TP B739Aircraft type reporting.SK SKCSky condition: cloud bases and tops in hundreds of feet MSL.TB LGTTurbulence: light.IC NEGIcing: none reported.RM DURDRemarks.⚠️ PIREPs are unverified pilot reports. Not for operational use: conditions change between reports.
Recent aviation weather trends at 3AK5
From ATIS Alerts' hourly weather history.
Over the past 24 hours, the nearest station PAEN reported a mix of conditions, most often low IFR across 56 observations, with 19 flight-category changes. The lowest ceiling was 100 ft. Wind most often came from the NE.
Most recent change: LIFR → VFR
Most recent change: LIFR → VFR
Share of hours each runway had the most headwind. From wind reports, not ATC assignments.
- H1
- 47%
- 05
- 33%
- 23
- 20%
TAF | Terminal Aerodrome Forecast
Issued 1148Z (3:48 AM AKDT)
TAF PAEN 281148Z 2812/2912 VRB03KT P6SM VCFG FEW002 TEMPO 2812/2816 1/2SM FZFG VV002 FM282100 05004KT P6SM FEW002 SCT150 FM290600 04009KT 6SM -RA BR BKN015 OVC030
New to TAFs? How to read one →
Get 3AK5 weather alerts in Telegram
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Live crosswind meter
3AK5 has no weather feed online, so the wind comes from PAEN, 27 nm away.
Wind is 14° off runway 05, the end with the most headwind right now.
Have a weather station at 3AK5? Help us make your field's weather available to every pilot, free. Add your field's wx station →Gravel · 4,100 ft. Headings from FAA runway data. Not for navigation.
Field aerial
North up
Imagery: USGS The National Map (public domain). Something off? ✏️ Suggest an edit
Airport info
From the FAA airport record (cycle 2026-10-01) and OurAirports.
Services
- Attended
- Unattended Daily all day
- Landing fee
- No
- Control tower
- None
Airport
- Type
- General aviation airport
- IATA
- DRF
- FAA LID
- 3AK5
- City
- Kenai
- State
- Alaska
- Country
- United States
- Elevation
- 30 ft
- Coordinates
- 60.5889, -152.1620
- Runways
- 2 physical runways · 3 runway ends
- Longest runway
- 4,100 ft
- Weather reporting
- Nearest station PAEN
- TAF
- Nearest PAEN
- Time zone
- America/Anchorage
- Next sunset
- 13h 8m
Run a flight school, FBO, or club here? Embed 3AK5's live status on your website, free →
Nearby airports
Compare nearby METAR/TAF stations within 25, 50 and 100 NM before departure or arrival.
Within 25 NM
3 airports25–50 NM
8 airports+2 more within 50 NM
50–100 NM
8 airports+2 more within 100 NM
RC flying fields nearby
AMA model-aircraft club fields around this airport: live wind, crosswind & flyability on each page.
- Peninsula Modelers Association - Redoubt Dr , Kenai, AK · 29 mi
Pilot PIREPs for Drift River Airport (3AK5)
Community-submittedCommunity-submitted airport notes from pilots about runway conditions, wildlife, FBOs, fuel, turbulence, ramp access, and local tips.
Read recent community-submitted pilot notes for Drift River Airport, including runway conditions, wildlife activity, FBO/fuel notes, turbulence, ramp access, and local airport tips.
⚠️ Pilot PIREPs on ATIS Alerts are community-submitted airport notes for situational awareness only. They are not official FAA PIREPs, NOTAMs, weather briefings, airport advisories, or flight-planning guidance. Always verify with official FAA/NWS sources, airport management, ATC, and current publications.
No Pilot PIREPs have been submitted for 3AK5 yet. Recently flew here? Help the next pilot by leaving a quick airport note.
Pilot PIREPs are community pilot notes for situational awareness only, not official FAA PIREPs or advisories. Verify with official sources. Notes are moderated before they appear; helpful marks and reports help us keep them useful.
⚠️ Not for operational use. Always verify with official FAA-approved preflight weather sources before flight.
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