Tex Merritt Private Airstrip (51FD) Area Aviation Weather & Runway Winds
Aviation weather near Tex Merritt Private Airstrip in Leesburg, FL, decoded from the nearest reporting station (KLEE) — conditions, runway crosswinds, and free Telegram airport alerts.
Tex Merritt Private Airstrip (51FD) is a general aviation airport serving pilots in and around Leesburg, FL at 95 ft. 51FD has no weather station of its own — conditions here are decoded from KLEE, about 11 nm away, the nearest reporting station, and local conditions can differ. Its 2 runways (10, 28) — longest 1,920 ft — are checked against the current wind in the crosswind table below. The nearest TAF is issued for KLEE. Track it in the ATIS Alerts Telegram bot to get alerts read from KLEE, the station this page is based on.
No weather station at this airport — showing the nearest station KLEE, 11 nm away.
Wind from the southwest (230°) at 5 kt, visibility 10+ statute miles, a few clouds at 2,200 ft, temperature 27°C (81°F), altimeter 29.89 inHg. Conditions are Visual Flight Rules (VFR).
METAR KLEE 290453Z AUTO 23005KT 10SM FEW022 27/24 A2989 RMK AO2 SLP119 T02720244 403390239
What changed at KLEE (nearest station)?
Since the 0353Z (11:53 PM EDT) report — compared automatically against the latest METAR.
No significant changes since the 0353Z report — conditions are holding steady.
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Current pilot readout for 51FD
Based on the nearest station (KLEE), 51FD is currently VFR with winds from 230° at 5 knots, visibility 10+ statute miles, and no ceiling reported. The strongest crosswind component is currently on runway 10, about 4 knots. Density altitude is approximately 1,600 ft (field elevation 95 ft). Review the latest TAF below for forecast changes before departure.
⚠️ Not for operational use. Always verify with official FAA-approved preflight weather sources before flight.
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Track 51FD free on TelegramRunway wind check
Estimated head/tailwind and crosswind for each runway end from the current reported wind.
Use this section to quickly compare current wind alignment across available runways at 51FD. This is intended as a planning aid only and should not replace official performance calculations or pilot judgment.
| Runway | Length | Surface | Head / Tail | Crosswind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10FAV | 1,920 ft | TURF | 3 kt tail | 4 kt left |
| 28 | 1,920 ft | TURF | 3 kt tail | 4 kt left |
Open the crosswind calculator — try your own wind and runway numbers →
24-hour trend
Wind, ceiling and flight category over the last 24 hours.
Over the last 23 h: wind 3→5 kt, ceiling 1,400 ft → unlimited.
51FD weather radar
Live NEXRAD + lightning, with a 4-hour future-radar forecast — drag to pan, tap ⚡ to toggle lightning.
Live weather radar around Tex Merritt Private Airstrip in Leesburg, FL: the NOAA/NWS NEXRAD composite updates about every five minutes, with NOAA lightning strike density overlaid. The loop plays the past 50 minutes, then continues into a future-radar forecast (+1 to +4 hours, NOAA HRRR model) so you can see where precipitation around 51FD is headed.
Radar: NOAA/NWS via IEM · Forecast: NOAA HRRR · Lightning: NOAA · Map © OpenStreetMap © CARTO
Forecast frames (amber label) are HRRR model guidance, not observed radar. Lightning strike density appears as a blue-white glow when strikes are detected in view. Radar and lightning coverage are limited in parts of Alaska, Hawaii, and offshore areas. Not for navigation.
Pilot reports (PIREPs) within 100 NM of 51FD
Reported by pilots in flight over the past 6 hours — via aviationweather.gov.
Show raw report
TPA UA /OV TPA010080/TM 0433/FL340/TP A321/TB LGT
TPA UAHeader — reporting station and UA: a routine pilot report.OV TPA010080Location — fix or navaid, optionally with a radial and distance in NM.TM 0433Reported at 04:33 UTC.FL340Altitude: 34,000 ft MSL.TP A321Aircraft type reporting.TB LGTTurbulence: light.Show raw report
CTY UA /OV CTY/TM 0402/FL280/TP B738/TB LGT
CTY UAHeader — reporting station and UA: a routine pilot report.OV CTYLocation — fix or navaid, optionally with a radial and distance in NM.TM 0402Reported at 04:02 UTC.FL280Altitude: 28,000 ft MSL.TP B738Aircraft type reporting.TB LGTTurbulence: light.Show raw report
PIE UA /OV PIE320060/TM 0244/FL300/TP A321/TB CONS LGT
PIE UAHeader — reporting station and UA: a routine pilot report.OV PIE320060Location — fix or navaid, optionally with a radial and distance in NM.TM 0244Reported at 02:44 UTC.FL300Altitude: 30,000 ft MSL.TP A321Aircraft type reporting.TB CONS LGTTurbulence: continuous light.Show raw report
ORL UA /OV ORL/TM 0111/FLDURC/TP C172/WX 10SM/RM SMOOTH
ORL UAHeader — reporting station and UA: a routine pilot report.OV ORLLocation — fix or navaid, optionally with a radial and distance in NM.TM 0111Reported at 01:11 UTC.FLDURCReported during climb.TP C172Aircraft type reporting.WX 10SMWeather and flight visibility observed.RM SMOOTHRemarks.Show raw report
LCQ UA /OV LCQ/TM 0104/FL260/TP A321/TB NEG
LCQ UAHeader — reporting station and UA: a routine pilot report.OV LCQLocation — fix or navaid, optionally with a radial and distance in NM.TM 0104Reported at 01:04 UTC.FL260Altitude: 26,000 ft MSL.TP A321Aircraft type reporting.TB NEGTurbulence: none reported.Show raw report
SRQ UA /OV SRQ358027/TM 0042/FL350/TP B38M/TB CONS LGT CHOP
SRQ UAHeader — reporting station and UA: a routine pilot report.OV SRQ358027Location — fix or navaid, optionally with a radial and distance in NM.TM 0042Reported at 00:42 UTC.FL350Altitude: 35,000 ft MSL.TP B38MAircraft type reporting.TB CONS LGT CHOPTurbulence: continuous light chop.Show raw report
PIE UA /OV PIE250030/TM 0042/FL350/TP E545/TB CONS LGT CHOP 350-320
PIE UAHeader — reporting station and UA: a routine pilot report.OV PIE250030Location — fix or navaid, optionally with a radial and distance in NM.TM 0042Reported at 00:42 UTC.FL350Altitude: 35,000 ft MSL.TP E545Aircraft type reporting.TB CONS LGT CHOP 350-320Turbulence: continuous light chop 35,000–32,000 ft.Show raw report
OMN UA /OV OMN270020/TM 0028/FL180/TP A321/TB NEG
OMN UAHeader — reporting station and UA: a routine pilot report.OV OMN270020Location — fix or navaid, optionally with a radial and distance in NM.TM 0028Reported at 00:28 UTC.FL180Altitude: 18,000 ft MSL.TP A321Aircraft type reporting.TB NEGTurbulence: none reported.⚠️ PIREPs are unverified pilot reports. Not for operational use — conditions change between reports.
Recent aviation weather trends at 51FD
From ATIS Alerts' hourly weather history.
Over the past 24 hours, the nearest station KLEE reported mostly VFR across 25 observations, with 1 flight-category change. The strongest gust reached 16 kt, the lowest ceiling was 1,400 ft. Wind most often came from the SW.
Most recent change: MVFR → VFR
Most recent change: MVFR → VFR
- 10/28
- 100%
TAF — Terminal Aerodrome Forecast
Issued 0523Z (1:23 AM EDT)
TAF KLEE 290523Z 2906/3006 21006KT P6SM FEW040 FM291400 24009KT P6SM SCT040 SCT250 FM291600 24011G18KT P6SM VCTS SCT040CB SCT250 FM292200 23008KT P6SM FEW035 BKN250
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Nearby TFRs
Active FAA TFRs near 51FD
FAA TFR data shows an active temporary flight restriction near 51FD.
View all active US TFRs → · Official FAA TFR ↗
Verify with official FAA TFR sources before flight.
Airport facts
Reference data from the OurAirports dataset.
- Type
- General aviation airport
- FAA LID
- 51FD
- City
- Leesburg
- State
- Florida
- Country
- United States
- Elevation
- 95 ft
- Coordinates
- 28.6678, -81.9181
- Runways
- 2
- Longest runway
- 1,920 ft
- Weather reporting
- Nearest station KLEE
- TAF
- Nearest KLEE
- Time zone
- America/New_York
- Next sunset
- 18h 53m
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Nearby airports
Compare nearby METAR/TAF stations within 25, 50 and 100 NM before departure or arrival.
Within 25 NM
8 airports+2 more within 25 NM
25–50 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.
- Pear Park Pilots - Eagle Field — Okahumpka, FL · 6 mi
- Band of Buzzards -S Market Blvd — Webster, FL · 9 mi
- Villages 'E' Flyers - Everglades Recreation Center — The Villages, FL · 11 mi
51FD weather — frequently asked
What runways are available at 51FD?+
51FD has 2 runways — 10, 28; the longest is 1,920 ft. This page computes the live crosswind for each runway end from the current wind.
Where does the weather shown for 51FD come from?+
Tex Merritt Private Airstrip does not have its own weather station. Conditions shown here come from the nearest reporting station, KLEE, about 11 nm away — close enough for situational awareness, but local conditions at 51FD can differ.
Does 51FD have a TAF?+
Yes — the KLEE TAF is shown on this page below the current conditions.
Does 51FD broadcast D-ATIS?+
No — 51FD does not broadcast D-ATIS. Alerts for 51FD from the ATIS Alerts bot (@atisalerts_bot) are based on its METAR (via the nearest reporting station) instead.
Pilot PIREPs for Tex Merritt Private Airstrip (51FD)
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 Tex Merritt Private Airstrip, 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 51FD 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.
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