U46 Big Southern Butte Airport

Before you fly into U46

Conditions

VFR

Good for visual flying

Airport

Non-towered

Self-announce on CTAF

Pattern alt

6,073'

MSL · field 5,073' + 1,000 AGL

Favored RWY

RWY 19

H/W +1 · X/W 4 kt L

METAR & TAF U46

U46 does not publish a METAR.

Showing the nearest reporting station: KPIH (POCATELLO RGNL) · 37.3 NM away. Conditions at U46 may differ.

METAR · KPIH

Observed 02:53Z

KPIH 120253Z 13004KT 10SM CLR 19/M01 A3006 RMK AO2 SLP150 T01891006 56010

Wind: 130° @ 4 kt
Visibility: 10 SM
Temp / Dew: 19°C / -1°C
Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
Clouds: CLR
Density alt: 6,597 ft
Ceiling: Unlimited
Rules: VFR

U46 does not issue a TAF.

Showing the forecast from the nearest station: KPIH (POCATELLO RGNL) · 37.3 NM away. Conditions at U46 may differ.

Forecast · TAF

Valid 12 00:00Z–13 00:00Z

TAF KPIH 112320Z 1200/1224 30006KT P6SM SKC FM120200 VRB04KT P6SM SKC FM121600 24011KT P6SM SKC FM121900 25015G25KT P6SM SKC

BASEVFR

12 00:00Z–12 02:00Z

Wind: 300° at 6 kt
Visibility: ≥ 6 SM
Sky: Clear
Weather: None forecast

00Z

03Z

06Z

09Z

12Z

15Z

18Z

21Z

00Z

NOW

How to read

The top lane is always the active baseline (BASE + FM). Secondary lanes stack temporary and probabilistic deviations in the order they appear in the TAF.

Tap any pill to see the decoded conditions for that period.

Change indicators

BASEBase

Initial conditions at the start of the forecast.

FMFrom

A new baseline that replaces the previous forecast completely, starting at the stated time.

BECMGBecoming

Conditions change gradually over the window shown. By the end, the new conditions apply.

TEMPOTemporary

Fluctuating conditions lasting less than an hour at a time within the window — not the dominant forecast.

PROB30/40Probability

30 or 40% chance of the conditions occurring within the period. Never combined with BECMG.

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: 10 NM W
VFR sectional: SALT LAKE CITY
ARTCC: ZLC · SALT LAKE CITY
NOTAM facility: BOI (NOTAM-D)

Airport manager

Name: IDAHO DIV OF AERONAUTICS
Phone: 208-334-8775
Address: P O BOX 7129, BOISE ID 83707-1129

Flight service · Hours

FSS BOI: BOISE1-800-WX-BRIEF
Attendance: Unattended

Frequencies

Tap any row to copy the frequency to your clipboard.

Advisory / CTAF

Runways & pattern

Full page

Runway & wind

tap a runway

130° · 4 kt

See full METAR & TAF

RWY 19

193°M

Head/Tail

+1 kt

Crosswind

4 kt L

Pattern entry · RWY 19

LEFT TRAFFIC

Runway	Heading (°M)	Length	Surface	Traffic
01/19Favored	13° / 193°	2,600 ft	DIRT	Standard L

Runway end performance

End	TORA	TODA	ASDA	LDA	VGSI	Approach lights	Obstruction
19	—	—	—	—	—	—	14', road, 0' from thr, 100' R of cntrln, slope 0

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 satellite imagery. Not for navigation.

Top-down satellite sketch of U46 BIG SOUTHERN BUTTE in ATOMIC CITY, IDAHO, showing runways 01/19 drawn to scale over Esri World Imagery

Approaches & charts

Chart Supplement

U46 · CHART_SUPP

Chart Supplement

U46 · CHART_SUPP

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: Not available
Power plant repair: Not available

Ramp & ground

Transient storage: Tie-down
Landing fee: No fee published
Customs: Not available
Wind indicator: Yes
Segmented circle: Yes

Fuel & FBOs

Cheapest 100LL and Jet A on the field and nearby. Always confirm with the FBO before taxi.

Cheapest 100LLNearby

$6.10

U01·Savage Field·39.5 nm

Cheapest Jet ANearby

$7.45

KIDA·Aero Mark·43.2 nm

No on-field FBO prices. See nearby fuel options below.

Cheaper nearby (within 50 nm)

100LL$6.10atU01Savage Field39.5 nm
Jet A$7.45atKIDAAero Mark43.2 nm

Airport notes

Surface conditions, obstructions, local procedures, lighting outages and other notes published with each FAA cycle.

General notes

NO WINTER MAINTENANCE.
LIVESTOCK ON & INVOF ARPT.
RWY 01/19 SFC COND POOR DUE TO LIVESTOCK DMG, GND VEHICLES, RODENTS, & VEGETATION.
RY 01/19 +1.5 FT BERM & -1 FT DITCH ADJACENT TO ENTIRE PERIMETER OF RY.
FOR CD CTC SALT LAKE ARTCC AT 801-320-2568.
APRT LCTD IN DESOLATE AREA - NO SVCS AVBL.

Approach & departure obstructions

0101/19 EDGES & THLDS MKD WITH WHITE ROCK BOUNDARY MKRS (BMS).
1914 FT RD 150 FT ON EXTDD CNTRLN.

Other notes

EXISTED PRIOR TO 15 MAY 1959.

VFR map & nearby airports

VFR sectional. Tap any ICAO chip to open that airport.

Key facts · U46

Answer card

ICAO: U46
Name: BIG SOUTHERN BUTTE
Location: ATOMIC CITY, IDAHO
Elevation: 5,073 ft MSL
Traffic pattern altitude: 6,073 ft MSL (1,000 AGL)
Control tower: Non-towered (use CTAF)
Total runways: 1
Longest runway: 01/19 · 2,600 ft
Published ILS approaches: 0
Published frequencies: 1
Magnetic variation: 16°
Current flight rules: VFR
Current wind: 130° at 4 kt
Favored runway now: RWY 19

Big Southern Butte (U46) sits near Atomic City, Idaho. Field elevation is 5,073 ft MSL. The airport has one runway. Runway 01/19 is 2,600 ft long and dirt. The field is not towered. CTAF is 122.9. No ILS approaches are published.

Pattern altitude is not published. Use the standard 1,000 ft AGL pattern for light piston operations unless the current Chart Supplement says otherwise. The runway is marked with white rock boundary markers at the edges and thresholds. Published remarks also note poor runway surface condition from livestock damage, ground vehicles, rodents and vegetation. Livestock are on and near the airport. There is a 1.5 ft berm and a 1 ft ditch along the runway perimeter. A 14 ft road sits 150 ft on the extended centerline of runway 19.

No on-field FBOs are listed. The airport has no services available. No winter maintenance is provided. For clearance delivery, contact Salt Lake ARTCC at 801-320-2568. This is a high-elevation, remote strip with no tower and no published ILS. Plan conservatively for performance, surface condition and daylight operations if you are unfamiliar with the field.

Frequently asked questions

What is the runway at U46 Big Southern Butte like?

U46 has one runway, 01/19. It is 2,600 ft long and dirt. Published remarks say the surface is in poor condition from livestock damage, ground vehicles, rodents and vegetation.

What is the field elevation at Big Southern Butte Airport?

Field elevation is 5,073 ft MSL. That matters here because the airport sits high enough to affect takeoff roll and climb performance, especially on a short dirt strip.

Is there an ILS at U46?

No ILS approaches are published for U46. Check the current FAA Chart Supplement for the latest approach information before you go.

What is the traffic pattern altitude at U46?

Pattern altitude is not published. Use the standard 1,000 ft AGL pattern for light piston operations unless the current Chart Supplement says otherwise.

Is Big Southern Butte towered?

No. U46 is uncontrolled. CTAF is 122.9.

Are there any FBOs on the field at U46?

No on-field FBOs are listed. FBO options vary. Contact the airport operator directly before arrival. Call the field on CTAF/UNICOM for current FBO availability.

What runway hazards should I expect at U46?

Published remarks note a 1.5 ft berm and a 1 ft ditch along the runway perimeter. There is also a 14 ft road 150 ft on the extended centerline of runway 19.

Does U46 have winter maintenance or services?

No winter maintenance is provided. The airport is also described as having no services available. Plan to be self-sufficient and verify current conditions before departure.

U46