METAR & TAF 53U
53U does not publish a METAR.
Showing the nearest reporting station: KGPI (GLACIER PARK INTL) · 18.1 NM away. Conditions at 53U may differ.
METAR · KGPI
Observed 00:55Z
KGPI 280055Z 15010KT 10SM OVC050 07/01 A2992 RMK AO2 SLP151 T00720006
- Wind
- 150° @ 10 kt
- Visibility
- 10 SM
- Temp / Dew
- 7°C / 1°C
- Altimeter
- 29.92 inHg
- Clouds
- OVC
- Density alt
- 2,849 ft
- Ceiling
- 5,000 ft AGL
- Rules
- VFR
Airport info & contacts
Manager on record, flight service, ARTCC, attendance schedule and pattern altitude — published by the FAA and refreshed every 28 days.
Location
- From city
- 3 NM NE
- VFR sectional
- GREAT FALLS
- ARTCC
- ZLC · SALT LAKE CITY
- NOTAM facility
- GTF (NOTAM-D)
Airport manager
- Name
- ROB RATKOWSKI
- Phone
- 406-257-5994
- Address
- 4170 HIGHWAY 2-E, KALISPELL MT 59901
Flight service · Hours
- FSS GTF
- GREAT FALLS1-800-WX-BRIEF
- Attendance
- Unattended
Frequencies
Tap any row to copy the frequency to your clipboard.
Runways & pattern
Full pagePattern entry · RWY 15
LEFT TRAFFICRunway end performance
| End | TORA | TODA | ASDA | LDA | VGSI | Approach lights | Obstruction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 100', trees, 477' from thr, 400' R of cntrln, slope 4 |
| 33 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 100', trees, 600' from thr, 115' R of cntrln, slope 6 |
Declared distances in feet. TORA = takeoff run available, TODA = takeoff distance, ASDA = accelerate-stop, LDA = landing distance.
Airport sketch
Runways drawn to scale from FAA survey coordinates, rendered over live satellite imagery. Not for navigation.
Approaches & charts
Services on the field
Fuel grades, oxygen, maintenance, ramp storage and lighting — as declared to the FAA by the airport operator.
Fuel & services
- Fuel
- Not available
- Oxygen (bottled)
- Not available
- Oxygen (bulk)
- Not available
- Airframe repair
- Major
- Power plant repair
- Major
Ramp & ground
- Transient storage
- Tie-down
- Landing fee
- No fee published
- Wind indicator
- Yes
- Segmented circle
- No
Fuel & FBOs
Cheapest 100LL and Jet A on the field and nearby. Always confirm with the FBO before taxi.
Airport notes
Surface conditions, obstructions, local procedures, lighting outages and other notes published with each FAA cycle.
General notes
- Free bicycles for airport use are located in the storage shed. To access, use emergency frequency on lock.Show FAA
- Trees in transition surface both sides of runway full length.Show FAA
- Snow removal may be delayed. Call for conditions at 406-257-5994.Show FAA
- Runway 15 has 100-foot trees 1570 feet from the end of the runway on the centerline. Runway 33 has 80-foot trees 1500 feet from the end of the runway. Runway 15 has a 15-foot road 250 feet from the end of the runway on the centerline.Show FAA
- Runway 33 has a 50-foot tree on the centerline 500 feet from the end of the runway at a 10 to 1 slope.Show FAA
- For clearance delivery, contact Salt Lake ARTCC at 801-320-2568.Show FAA
Approach & departure obstructions
- 15Runways 15 and 33 have nonstandard markings. White cones mark the full runway length. Red traffic cones mark each runway threshold with a 100-foot displaced threshold.Show FAA
Other notes
- Call for repairs at 406-253-5688.Show FAA
- Provided compatible ingress and egress are established in order to avoid congested areas and assume safety to persons and property on the surface.Show FAA
- Departure procedure is straight out through traffic pattern altitude of 4072 feet mean sea level, which is 1000 feet above ground level.Show FAA
VFR map & nearby airports
VFR sectional. Tap any ICAO chip to open that airport.
Key facts · 53U
Answer card- ICAO
- 53U
- Name
- FERNDALE AIRFIELD
- Location
- BIGFORK, MONTANA
- Elevation
- 3,072 ft MSL
- Traffic pattern altitude
- 4,072 ft MSL (1,000 AGL)
- Control tower
- Non-towered (use CTAF)
- Total runways
- 1
- Longest runway
- 15/33 · 3,500 ft
- Published ILS approaches
- 0
- Published frequencies
- 1
- Magnetic variation
- 18°
- Current flight rules
- VFR
- Current wind
- 150° at 10 kt
- Favored runway now
- RWY 15
Ferndale Airfield (53U) sits near Bigfork, Montana. The field elevation is 3,072 ft MSL. It has one runway. Runway 15/33 is 3,500 ft of turf, with magnetic headings of 171° and 351°. There is no control tower. CTAF is 122.9. No ILS approaches are published here.
The published pattern altitude is 4,072 ft MSL. That is 1,000 ft AGL. The airport sits in terrain where trees matter. Published remarks call out trees in the transition surface on both sides of the runway for the full length. They also note trees and a road near the runway ends. Runway 15 has a displaced threshold. Runway 33 does too. Snow removal may be delayed, so call ahead for current conditions before you launch.
There are no on-field FBOs listed in the facts. If you need services, contact the airport operator or call the field directly before arrival. For departure planning, the published note says to go straight out through pattern altitude. Clearance delivery is handled through Salt Lake ARTCC when needed. The field also has free airport bicycles in a storage shed, with access through the emergency frequency on the lock.