McGahan Industrial Airpark (AK73) Area Aviation Weather & Runway Winds
As of 2:53 AM AKDT, Oct 28, based on the nearest station (PAEN), AK73 is currently VFR with winds from 020° at 3 knots, visibility 10+ statute miles, and no ceiling reported.
Aviation weather near McGahan Industrial Airpark in Nikiski, AK, decoded from the nearest reporting station (PAEN): conditions and runway crosswinds.
McGahan Industrial Airpark (AK73) is a general aviation airport serving pilots in and around Nikiski, AK at a field elevation of 150 ft. AK73 has no weather station of its own. Conditions here are decoded from PAEN, about 9 nm away, the nearest reporting station, and local conditions can differ. It has 2 physical runways (07/25, 17/35), the longest 4,000 ft. The nearest TAF is issued for PAEN.
No weather station at this airport: showing the nearest station PAEN, 9.3 nm away.
Wind from the north-northeast (020°) at 3 kt, visibility 10+ statute miles, no cloud data, temperature -4°C (25°F), altimeter 30.43 inHg. Conditions are Visual Flight Rules (VFR).
METAR PAEN 281053Z AUTO 02003KT 10SM CLR M04/M04 A3043 RMK AO2 SLP306 I1000 T10391044
What changed at PAEN (nearest station)?
Since the 0953Z (1:53 AM AKDT) report, compared automatically against the latest METAR.
No significant changes since the 0953Z (1:53 AM AKDT) report, conditions are holding steady.
Current pilot readout for AK73
Based on the nearest station (PAEN), AK73 is currently VFR with winds from 020° at 3 knots, visibility 10+ statute miles, and no ceiling reported. the wind favors north-facing runway ends (35). Density altitude is approximately -2,700 ft (field elevation 150 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35FAV | 1,500 ft | GRVL | 3 kt head | 1 kt right |
| 07 | 4,000 ft | ASPH-GRVL | 1 kt head | 3 kt left |
| 25 | 4,000 ft | ASPH-GRVL | 1 kt tail | 3 kt right |
| 17 | 1,500 ft | GRVL | 3 kt tail | 0 kt |
Open the crosswind calculator to try your own wind and runway numbers →
AK73 runways
2 physical runways · 4 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 07/254,000 × 150 ft · ASPH-GRVLCurrent useno stated-runway source at AK73Wind
- 07
- 1 kt headwind · 3 kt crosswind from left
- 25
- 1 kt tailwind · 3 kt crosswind from right
no active equipment NOTAM receivedView Runway Intelligence → - Status not monitoredRunway 17/351,500 × 60 ft · GRVLCurrent useno stated-runway source at AK73Wind
- 17
- 3 kt tailwind · 0 kt crosswind
- 35
- 3 kt headwind · 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 3→3 kt, ceiling unlimited → unlimited.
AK73 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 AK73
Reported by pilots in flight over the past 6 hours, via aviationweather.gov.
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 AK73
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 55 observations, with 21 flight-category changes. The lowest ceiling was 100 ft. Wind most often came from the NE.
Most recent change: MVFR → VFR
Most recent change: MVFR → VFR
Share of hours each runway had the most headwind. From wind reports, not ATC assignments.
- 35
- 58%
- 17
- 21%
- 07
- 19%
- 25
- 2%
TAF | Terminal Aerodrome Forecast
Issued 0522Z (9:22 PM AKDT)
TAF PAEN 280522Z 2806/2906 VRB03KT 2SM BR OVC002 TEMPO 2806/2808 1/4SM FZFG VV001 FM280800 VRB02KT 1/2SM FZFG VV002 FM282100 05004KT P6SM FEW002 SCT150
New to TAFs? How to read one →
Get AK73 weather alerts in Telegram
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Track AK73 free on TelegramNo live weather from AK73
Live crosswind meter
AK73 has no weather feed online, so the wind comes from PAEN, 9.3 nm away.
Wind is 20° off runway 35, the end with the most headwind right now.
Have a weather station at AK73? Help us make your field's weather available to every pilot, free. Add your field's wx station →Gravel · 1,500 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
- Control tower
- None
Airport
- Type
- General aviation airport
- FAA LID
- AK73
- City
- Nikiski
- State
- Alaska
- Country
- United States
- Elevation
- 150 ft
- Coordinates
- 60.7231, -151.3065
- Runways
- 2 physical runways · 4 runway ends
- Longest runway
- 4,000 ft
- Weather reporting
- Nearest station PAEN
- TAF
- Nearest PAEN
- Time zone
- America/Anchorage
- Next sunset
- 15h 19m
Run a flight school, FBO, or club here? Embed AK73'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
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 · 10 mi
Pilot PIREPs for McGahan Industrial Airpark (AK73)
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 McGahan Industrial Airpark, 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 AK73 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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