Carty's Airstrip (8AK2) Area Aviation Weather & Runway Winds
Aviation weather near Carty's Airstrip in Nikiski, AK, decoded from the nearest reporting station (PAEN) — conditions, runway crosswinds, and free Telegram airport alerts.
Carty's Airstrip (8AK2) is a general aviation airport serving pilots in and around Nikiski, AK at 150 ft. 8AK2 has no weather station of its own — conditions here are decoded from PAEN, about 8 nm away, the nearest reporting station, and local conditions can differ. Its 2 runways (17, 35) — longest 2,600 ft — are checked against the current wind in the crosswind table below. The nearest TAF is issued for PAEN. Track it in the ATIS Alerts Telegram bot to get alerts read from PAEN, the station this page is based on.
No weather station at this airport — showing the nearest station PAEN, 7.9 nm away.
Wind from the southwest (220°) at 7 kt, visibility 10+ statute miles, no cloud data, temperature 15°C (59°F), altimeter 29.84 inHg. Conditions are Visual Flight Rules (VFR).
METAR PAEN 290253Z 22007KT 10SM CLR 15/10 A2984 RMK AO2 SLP105 T01500100 55002
What changed at PAEN (nearest station)?
Since the 0153Z (5:53 PM AKDT) report — compared automatically against the latest METAR.
No significant changes since the 0153Z report — conditions are holding steady.
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Current pilot readout for 8AK2
Based on the nearest station (PAEN), 8AK2 is currently VFR with winds from 220° at 7 knots, visibility 10+ statute miles, and no ceiling reported. The strongest crosswind component is currently on runway 17, about 4 knots. Density altitude is approximately 300 ft (field elevation 150 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.
New to aviation weather? How to read a METAR → · What VFR/MVFR/IFR mean → · Decode any METAR/TAF → · Density altitude calculator →
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Track 8AK2 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 8AK2. This is intended as a planning aid only and should not replace official performance calculations or pilot judgment.
| Runway | Length | Surface | Head / Tail | Crosswind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17FAV | 2,600 ft | GRVL-DIRT-F | 5 kt tail | 4 kt left |
| 35 | 2,600 ft | GRVL-DIRT-F | 5 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 11→7 kt, ceiling 12,000 ft → unlimited.
8AK2 weather radar
Live NEXRAD + lightning, with a 4-hour future-radar forecast — drag to pan, tap ⚡ to toggle lightning.
Live weather radar around Carty's Airstrip in Nikiski, AK: 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 8AK2 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 8AK2
Reported by pilots in flight over the past 6 hours — via aviationweather.gov.
Show raw report
ILI UA /OV ILI027051 /TM 0253 /FLUNKN /TP P28A /RM LAKE CLARK PASS E-W BASES BETTER THAN OVC015 AND FV10SM THROUGH THE PASS AKFSS
ILI UAHeader — reporting station and UA: a routine pilot report.OV ILI027051Location — fix or navaid, optionally with a radial and distance in NM.TM 0253Reported at 02:53 UTC.FLUNKNAltitude unknown.TP P28AAircraft type reporting.RM LAKE CLARK PASS E-W BASES…Remarks.Show raw report
ANC UA /OV TED330008/TM 2312/FL021/TP B777/SK FEW 024/RM DURD
ANC UAHeader — reporting station and UA: a routine pilot report.OV TED330008Location — fix or navaid, optionally with a radial and distance in NM.TM 2312Reported at 23:12 UTC.FL021Altitude: 2,100 ft MSL.TP B777Aircraft type reporting.SK FEW 024Sky condition — cloud bases and tops in hundreds of feet MSL.RM DURDRemarks.Show raw report
HOM UA /OV HOM/TM 2243/FL060/TP B190/TB NEG/IC NEG/RM DURC VFR WEST HOM /ZAN/
HOM UAHeader — reporting station and UA: a routine pilot report.OV HOMLocation — fix or navaid, optionally with a radial and distance in NM.TM 2243Reported at 22:43 UTC.FL060Altitude: 6,000 ft MSL.TP B190Aircraft type reporting.TB NEGTurbulence: none reported.IC NEGIcing: none reported.RM DURC VFR WEST HOM /ZAN/Remarks.Show raw report
ENA UA /OV ENA268046 /TM 2232 /FL015 /TP P28A /SK OVC015 /WX -RA /WV 04008KT /RM LAKE CLARK PASS W-E OTTER LAKE EASTERN APPROACHES VMC AT 009 24010KT MOOSE RIDGE PASS OBSC COULD TAKE THAT ROUTE AKFSS
ENA UAHeader — reporting station and UA: a routine pilot report.OV ENA268046Location — fix or navaid, optionally with a radial and distance in NM.TM 2232Reported at 22:32 UTC.FL015Altitude: 1,500 ft MSL.TP P28AAircraft type reporting.SK OVC015Sky condition — cloud bases and tops in hundreds of feet MSL.WX -RAWeather and flight visibility observed.WV 04008KTWind (direction/speed) or wind-shear remarks.RM LAKE CLARK PASS W-E OTTER…Remarks.Show raw report
ILI UA /OV ILI023059 /TM 2230 /FLUNKN /TP P28A /RM LAKE CLARK PASS WEST SIDE FORKS TO LITTLE LAKE CLARK OVC003 COULDNT TAKE THAT ROUTE AKFSS
ILI UAHeader — reporting station and UA: a routine pilot report.OV ILI023059Location — fix or navaid, optionally with a radial and distance in NM.TM 2230Reported at 22:30 UTC.FLUNKNAltitude unknown.TP P28AAircraft type reporting.RM LAKE CLARK PASS WEST SIDE…Remarks.⚠️ PIREPs are unverified pilot reports. Not for operational use — conditions change between reports.
Recent aviation weather trends at 8AK2
From ATIS Alerts' hourly weather history.
Over the past 24 hours, the nearest station PAEN reported mostly VFR across 27 observations, with 6 flight-category changes. The lowest ceiling was 300 ft. Wind most often came from the S.
Most recent change: MVFR → VFR
Most recent change: MVFR → VFR
- 17/35
- 100%
TAF — Terminal Aerodrome Forecast
Issued 0008Z (4:08 PM AKDT)
TAF PAEN 290008Z 2900/2924 22010KT P6SM SKC FM290600 21005KT P6SM SKC FM291000 18004KT P6SM VCFG FEW001 BKN120 FM292000 26005KT P6SM SKC
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Airport facts
Reference data from the OurAirports dataset.
- Type
- General aviation airport
- FAA LID
- 8AK2
- City
- Nikiski
- State
- Alaska
- Country
- United States
- Elevation
- 150 ft
- Coordinates
- 60.6998, -151.2947
- Runways
- 2
- Longest runway
- 2,600 ft
- Weather reporting
- Nearest station PAEN
- TAF
- Nearest PAEN
- Time zone
- America/Anchorage
- Sunset in
- 3h 5m
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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.
- Peninsula Modelers Association - Redoubt Dr — Kenai, AK · 9 mi
8AK2 weather — frequently asked
What runways are available at 8AK2?+
8AK2 has 2 runways — 17, 35; the longest is 2,600 ft. This page computes the live crosswind for each runway end from the current wind.
Where does the weather shown for 8AK2 come from?+
Carty's Airstrip does not have its own weather station. Conditions shown here come from the nearest reporting station, PAEN, about 8 nm away — close enough for situational awareness, but local conditions at 8AK2 can differ.
Does 8AK2 have a TAF?+
Yes — the PAEN TAF is shown on this page below the current conditions.
Does 8AK2 broadcast D-ATIS?+
No — 8AK2 does not broadcast D-ATIS. Alerts for 8AK2 from the ATIS Alerts bot (@atisalerts_bot) are based on its METAR (via the nearest reporting station) instead.
Pilot PIREPs for Carty's Airstrip (8AK2)
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 Carty's 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 8AK2 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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⚠️ Not for operational use. Always verify with official FAA-approved preflight weather sources before flight.
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