Taft Kern County Airport (KL17) Area Aviation Weather & Runway Winds
Aviation weather near Taft Kern County Airport in Taft, CA, decoded from the nearest reporting station (KBFL) — conditions, runway crosswinds, and free Telegram airport alerts.
Taft Kern County Airport (KL17) is a general aviation airport serving pilots in and around Taft, CA at 875 ft. KL17 has no weather station of its own — conditions here are decoded from KBFL, about 26 nm away, the nearest reporting station, and local conditions can differ. Its 4 runways (03, 07, 21, 25) — longest 3,283 ft — are checked against the current wind in the crosswind table below. The nearest TAF is issued for KBFL. Track it in the ATIS Alerts Telegram bot to get alerts read from KBFL, the station this page is based on.
No weather station at this airport — showing the nearest station KBFL, 25.6 nm away.
Wind from the north-northeast (020°) at 5 kt, visibility 10+ statute miles, no cloud data, temperature 29°C (84°F), altimeter 29.81 inHg. Conditions are Visual Flight Rules (VFR).
METAR KBFL 290454Z 02005KT 10SM CLR 29/03 A2981 RMK AO2 SLP088 T02890028
What changed at KBFL (nearest station)?
Since the 0354Z (8:54 PM PDT) report — compared automatically against the latest METAR.
No significant changes since the 0354Z report — conditions are holding steady.
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Current pilot readout for KL17
Based on the nearest station (KBFL), KL17 is currently VFR with winds from 020° at 5 knots, visibility 10+ statute miles, and no ceiling reported. The strongest crosswind component is currently on runway 07, about 4 knots. Density altitude is approximately 2,900 ft (field elevation 875 ft). KL17 does not publish a TAF — the nearest TAF station is KBFL, about 26 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 KL17 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 KL17. This is intended as a planning aid only and should not replace official performance calculations or pilot judgment.
| Runway | Length | Surface | Head / Tail | Crosswind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 07FAV | 3,283 ft | ASP | 2 kt head | 4 kt left |
| 25 | 3,283 ft | ASP | 2 kt tail | 4 kt right |
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 8→5 kt, ceiling unlimited → unlimited.
KL17 weather radar
Live NEXRAD + lightning, with a 4-hour future-radar forecast — drag to pan, tap ⚡ to toggle lightning.
Live weather radar around Taft Kern County Airport in Taft, CA: 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 KL17 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 KL17
Reported by pilots in flight over the past 6 hours — via aviationweather.gov.
Show raw report
PRB UA /OV ROM/TM 0413/FL350/TP B738/TB CONS LGT-MOD CHOP/RM ENTERED BY ZOA FDCS
PRB UAHeader — reporting station and UA: a routine pilot report.OV ROMLocation — fix or navaid, optionally with a radial and distance in NM.TM 0413Reported at 04:13 UTC.FL350Altitude: 35,000 ft MSL.TP B738Aircraft type reporting.TB CONS LGT-MOD CHOPTurbulence: continuous light to moderate chop.RM ENTERED BY ZOA FDCSRemarks.⚠️ PIREPs are unverified pilot reports. Not for operational use — conditions change between reports.
Recent aviation weather trends at KL17
From ATIS Alerts' hourly weather history.
Over the past 24 hours, the nearest station KBFL reported mostly VFR across 24 observations, with 0 flight-category changes. The strongest gust reached 18 kt. Wind most often came from the NW.
- 25
- 85%
- 07
- 15%
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Airport facts
Reference data from the OurAirports dataset.
- Type
- General aviation airport
- FAA LID
- L17
- City
- Taft
- State
- California
- Country
- United States
- Elevation
- 875 ft
- Coordinates
- 35.1415, -119.4386
- Runways
- 4
- Longest runway
- 3,283 ft
- Weather reporting
- Nearest station KBFL
- TAF
- Nearest KBFL
- Time zone
- America/Los_Angeles
- Next sunset
- 21h 32m
Run a flight school, FBO, or club here? Embed KL17'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
5 airports50–100 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.
- Elk Hills-Buttonwillow Airport — Buttonwillow, CA · 15 mi
- Rio Bravo Sport Flyers - Brimhall Rd — Bakersfield, CA · 19 mi
- New Cuyama Airport — New Cuyama, CA · 20 mi
KL17 weather — frequently asked
What runways are available at KL17?+
KL17 has 4 runways — 03, 07, 21, 25; the longest is 3,283 ft. This page computes the live crosswind for each runway end from the current wind.
Where does the weather shown for KL17 come from?+
Taft Kern County Airport does not have its own weather station. Conditions shown here come from the nearest reporting station, KBFL, about 26 nm away — close enough for situational awareness, but local conditions at KL17 can differ.
Does KL17 have a TAF?+
No — KL17 does not publish its own TAF. The nearest TAF station is KBFL, about 26 nm away.
Does KL17 broadcast D-ATIS?+
No — KL17 does not broadcast D-ATIS. Alerts for KL17 from the ATIS Alerts bot (@atisalerts_bot) are based on its METAR (via the nearest reporting station) instead.
Pilot PIREPs for Taft Kern County Airport (KL17)
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 Taft Kern County 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 KL17 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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