← Back

San Rafael Ranch Airport Private

38XS · Santa Elena, TX · 312 ft elevation · var 7E · Non-towered

Airport information

FAA LID
38XS
Coordinates
26.8152, -98.4793
Elevation
312 ft MSL
Magnetic variation
7E
Sectional chart
BROWNSVILLE
Airport use
Private
Control tower
No
ARTCC
HOUSTON (ZHU)
Flight service (FSS)
SAN ANGELO · 1-800-WX-BRIEF
NOTAM facility
FDC
Attendance
UNATNDD
Segmented circle
Yes
Wind indicator
yes
Activated
1997/06
Distance from city
5 N

Weather

METAR observed

Loading current weather…

TAF forecast

Loading forecast…

Sun & FAA night 2026-06-22

EventLocal (CDT)UTC
Morning civil twilight
Loggable night ends
06:15 AM11:15Z
Sunrise06:41 AM11:41Z
Sunset08:31 PM01:31Z
Evening civil twilight
Loggable night begins
08:57 PM01:57Z
Loggable night (§1.1)
08:57 PM → 06:15 AM
Night currency (§61.57)
09:31 PM → 05:41 AM

Plan a flight from 38XS

Night operations

Airport lighting
SEE RMK
Pilot-controlled lighting
Usually keyed on CTAF 122.8 — confirm the click sequence in the Chart Supplement

Runway lighting aids — 14: S2L · 32: S2L.

FAA night windows (civil twilight, loggable night §1.1, currency §61.57) are in the live weather panel above.

Traffic pattern

14TPANESW
LEFT traffic
Landing
Rwy 14 · 139°
Pattern
left (turns left)
TPA
1,300 ft MSL (≈1,000 AGL)
CTAF
122.8

Enter the left downwind for Rwy 14 at 1,300 ft MSL (≈1,000 AGL) on a 45°. TPA estimated at 1,000 ft AGL (not charted for this field).

Runway 14/32

6,000 ft × 75 ft · Asphalt

Edge lights: Med. Weight bearing: Single wheel 30k.

14
Heading
139° mag · 146° true
Threshold elev
313 ft
Markings
nonprecision
VGSI
S2L
Traffic pattern
Left
TDZ elevation
313 ft
32
Heading
278° mag · 285° true
Threshold elev
298 ft
Markings
nonprecision
VGSI
S2L
Traffic pattern
Left
TDZ elevation
301 ft
ft · ≥1.5× comfortable, under 1.25× tight · saved across airports

Communication frequencies

Tower & ground

UNICOM122.8
Flight service128.15 (LOW)
By procedure & sector (1 frequencies)
FrequencyUsed by
350.3SARITA RCAG (LOW)

Source: FAA NASR (current 28-day cycle).

No published instrument procedures or Chart Supplement for 38XS. VFR sectional link above.

Ownership & management

Owner
RANCHO S. R. LTD
2023 WAYNESBOROUGH RD, PAOLI, PA
610-644-0195
Manager
MICHAEL E. MAULE
PO BOX 132, SAN ELENA, TX
956-500-0166

Remarks FAA

  • FOR CD CTC HOUSTON ARTCC AT 281-230-5622.
  • U38 AWOS IS ASSOCIATED WITH AIRPORT 38XS.
  • FOR MIRL RWY 14/32 CALL 210-481-3410.
  • OWNER - ALFRED P. WEST, JR.

Weather is live from the Aviation Weather Center; airport facility data is from the FAA NASR (28-day cycle). For planning and education only; always verify against official sources. Open 38XS in a full tool: METAR/TAF decoder, crosswind calculator, sun & night times, or the density altitude calculator. Planning from here? Find the nearest airport with fuel or an approach, or check whether an IFR alternate is required.

About 38XS

San Rafael Ranch Airport (38XS) is an airport in Santa Elena, TX, at 312 ft MSL. It has 1 runway, the longest 6,000 ft, with no control tower (pilot-controlled). This page shows live METAR/TAF weather, runway crosswinds, frequencies, navaids, and FAA charts for 38XS, refreshed from the Aviation Weather Center and FAA NASR.

Does 38XS have a control tower?

No. San Rafael Ranch Airport is a non-towered (pilot-controlled) airport; use the published CTAF/UNICOM on the Comms & NavAids tab.

What is the longest runway at 38XS?

San Rafael Ranch Airport has 1 runway; the longest is 6,000 ft. See the Runways tab for headings, surface, and lighting.

Where is 38XS?

San Rafael Ranch Airport is in Santa Elena, TX, at an elevation of 312 ft MSL. Coordinates: 26.8152, -98.4793.

Fly out of 38XS often?

Save 38XS as your home base in the SkyReady app for a one-tap Go/No-Go readiness brief, weather alerts, and automatic FAA currency — free to log.

Get the appBeta