Smith Field (8NE3) Area Aviation Weather & Runway Winds
Aviation weather near Smith Field in Champion, NE, decoded from the nearest reporting station (KIML): conditions, runway crosswinds, and free Telegram airport alerts.
Smith Field (8NE3) is a general aviation airport serving pilots in and around Champion, NE at 3,380 ft. 8NE3 has no weather station of its own. Conditions here are decoded from KIML, about 9 nm away, the nearest reporting station, and local conditions can differ. Its 2 runways (NW, SE), longest 3,300 ft, are checked against the current wind in the crosswind table below. The nearest TAF is issued for KMCK. Track it in the ATIS Alerts Telegram bot to get alerts read from KIML, the station this page is based on.
No weather station at this airport: showing the nearest station KIML, 8.7 nm away.
Wind variable at 4 kt, visibility 10+ statute miles, overcast at 3,100 ft, temperature 19°C (67°F), altimeter 30.11 inHg. Conditions are Visual Flight Rules (VFR), ceiling 3,100 ft.
METAR KIML 122253Z AUTO VRB04KT 10SM OVC031 19/07 A3011 RMK AO2 SLP179 T01940072
What changed at KIML (nearest station)?
Since the 2153Z (3:53 PM MDT) report, compared automatically against the latest METAR.
- Wind direction is now variable.
- Pressure rising: altimeter 30.08 → 30.11 inHg.
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Current pilot readout for 8NE3
Based on the nearest station (KIML), 8NE3 is currently VFR with variable winds at 4 knots, visibility 10+ statute miles, and a 3,100 ft ceiling. Density altitude is approximately 4,500 ft (field elevation 3,380 ft). 8NE3 does not publish a TAF. The nearest TAF station is KMCK, about 58 nm away.
⚠️ 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 8NE3 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 8NE3. This is intended as a planning aid only and should not replace official performance calculations or pilot judgment.
Current wind is variable at 4 kt: light and variable wind like this is generally not a factor for runway selection, and with no steady direction there is no head/tail or crosswind component to compute. Live numbers return automatically once a report includes a wind direction.
| Runway | Length | Surface | Head / Tail | Crosswind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NW | 3,300 ft | GRAVEL | - | - |
| SE | 3,300 ft | GRAVEL | - | - |
Open the crosswind calculator to 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→4 kt, ceiling unlimited → 3,100 ft.
8NE3 weather radar
Live NEXRAD + lightning, with a 4-hour future-radar forecast. Drag to pan, tap ⚡ to toggle lightning.
Live weather radar around Smith Field in Champion, NE: 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 8NE3 is headed.
Radar: NOAA/NWS via IEM · Forecast: NOAA HRRR · Lightning: NOAA · Map © Stadia Maps © OpenMapTiles © OpenStreetMap
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 8NE3
Reported by pilots in flight over the past 6 hours, via aviationweather.gov.
Show raw report
MCK UA /OV MCK080025/TM 1823/FL390/TP A319/TB NEG/RM ZDVWC-67
MCK UAHeader: reporting station and UA: a routine pilot report.OV MCK080025Location: fix or navaid, optionally with a radial and distance in NM.TM 1823Reported at 18:23 UTC.FL390Altitude: 39,000 ft MSL.TP A319Aircraft type reporting.TB NEGTurbulence: none reported.RM ZDVWC-67Remarks.Show raw report
MCK UA /OV MCK070030/TM 1740/FL470/TP F2TH/TB LGT/RM ZDVWC
MCK UAHeader: reporting station and UA: a routine pilot report.OV MCK070030Location: fix or navaid, optionally with a radial and distance in NM.TM 1740Reported at 17:40 UTC.FL470Altitude: 47,000 ft MSL.TP F2THAircraft type reporting.TB LGTTurbulence: light.RM ZDVWCRemarks.⚠️ PIREPs are unverified pilot reports. Not for operational use: conditions change between reports.
Recent aviation weather trends at 8NE3
From ATIS Alerts' hourly weather history.
Over the past 24 hours, the nearest station KIML reported mostly VFR across 24 observations, with 0 flight-category changes. The strongest gust reached 26 kt, the lowest ceiling was 3,100 ft. Wind most often came from the NE.
Most recent change: IFR → VFR
- NW/SE
- 100%
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Airport facts
Reference data from the OurAirports dataset.
- Type
- General aviation airport
- FAA LID
- 8NE3
- City
- Champion
- State
- Nebraska
- Country
- United States
- Elevation
- 3,380 ft
- Coordinates
- 40.4820, -101.8072
- Runways
- 2
- Longest runway
- 3,300 ft
- Weather reporting
- Nearest station KIML
- TAF
- Nearest KMCK
- Time zone
- America/Denver
- Sunset in
- 1h 35m
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Nearby airports
Compare nearby METAR/TAF stations within 25, 50 and 100 NM before departure or arrival.
Within 25 NM
6 airports25–50 NM
8 airports+2 more within 50 NM
50–100 NM
8 airports+2 more within 100 NM
8NE3 weather: frequently asked
What runways are available at 8NE3?+
8NE3 has 2 runways: NW, SE; the longest is 3,300 ft. This page computes the live crosswind for each runway end from the current wind.
Where does the weather shown for 8NE3 come from?+
Smith Field does not have its own weather station. Conditions shown here come from the nearest reporting station, KIML, about 9 nm away, close enough for situational awareness, but local conditions at 8NE3 can differ.
Does 8NE3 have a TAF?+
No. 8NE3 does not publish its own TAF. The nearest TAF station is KMCK, about 58 nm away.
Does 8NE3 broadcast D-ATIS?+
No. 8NE3 does not broadcast D-ATIS. Alerts for 8NE3 from the ATIS Alerts bot (@atisalerts_bot) are based on its METAR (via the nearest reporting station) instead.
Pilot PIREPs for Smith Field (8NE3)
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 Smith Field, 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 8NE3 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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