Mountain Empire Airport
MKJ · KMKJ · Rural Retreat, VA · 2,558 ft elevation · var 6W · Non-towered
Airport information
- ICAO / IATA
- KMKJ
- Coordinates
- 36.8949, -81.3499
- Elevation
- 2,558 ft MSL
- Magnetic variation
- 6W
- Sectional chart
- CINCINNATI
- Airport use
- Public
- Control tower
- No
- ARTCC
- ATLANTA (ZTL)
- Flight service (FSS)
- LEESBURG
- NOTAM facility
- MKJ
- Attendance
- MON-SAT 0800-1800; SUN CLOSED
- Beacon
- white-green (SS-SR)
- Segmented circle
- Yes
- Wind indicator
- lighted
- Activated
- 1958/09
- Distance from city
- 9 NE
Weather
METAR observed
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TAF forecast
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Sun & FAA night 2026-06-21
| Event | Local (EDT) | UTC |
|---|---|---|
| Morning civil twilight Loggable night ends | 05:35 AM | 09:35Z |
| Sunrise | 06:06 AM | 10:06Z |
| Sunset | 08:48 PM | 00:48Z |
| Evening civil twilight Loggable night begins | 09:19 PM | 01:19Z |
Plan a flight from KMKJ
Night operations
- Airport lighting
- SEE RMK
- Rotating beacon
- white-green · SS-SR
- Pilot-controlled lighting
- MIRL RWY 08/26 PRESET LOW INTST; ACTVT HIGHER INTST - CTAF. on 122.7 — Chart Supplement ↗
Runway lighting aids — 08: 2-light PAPI (left) · 26: 2-light PAPI (left).
FAA night windows (civil twilight, loggable night §1.1, currency §61.57) are in the live weather panel above.
Traffic pattern
- Landing
- Rwy 08 · 079°
- Pattern
- left (turns left)
- TPA
- 3,600 ft MSL (≈1,000 AGL)
- CTAF
- 122.7
Enter the left downwind for Rwy 08 at 3,600 ft MSL (≈1,000 AGL) on a 45°. TPA estimated at 1,000 ft AGL (not charted for this field).
Runway 08/26
5,252 ft × 75 ft · Asphalt (Excellent)- Heading
- 079° mag · 73° true
- Markings
- nonprecision
- VGSI
- 2-light PAPI (left) (3°)
- Traffic pattern
- Left
- Approach obstacle
- Trees, 26 ft, 612 ft from threshold, 213 ft L of centerline — 15:1 slope to clear · penetrates the 20:1 visual approach surface
- Heading
- 259° mag · 253° true
- Markings
- nonprecision
- VGSI
- 2-light PAPI (left) (3.75°)
- Instrument landing
- LOC/DME · CAT I · LOC 110.5 (MKJ)
- Traffic pattern
- Left
- Approach obstacle
- Tree, 44 ft, 711 ft from threshold, 321 ft R of centerline — 11:1 slope to clear · penetrates the 20:1 visual approach surface
| Runway | Length | Your margin |
|---|---|---|
| 08/26 | 5,252 ft |
Communication frequencies
| Service | Frequency | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| AWOS | 123.875 | AWOS 3 |
| CNTR | 132.9 | ATLANTA CNTR |
| UNIC | 122.7 | CTAF/UNICOM |
Nearby navigation aids
| NavAid | Type | Freq | Radial / Dist magnetic |
|---|---|---|---|
| BLF · Bluefield | VORTAC | 110.00 | r200° / 25.8 NM |
| PSK · Pulaski | VORTAC | 116.80 | r255° / 32.7 NM |
| GZG · Glade Spring | VOR-DME | 110.20 | r085° / 35.3 NM |
Procedures at a glance
Approaches2
Minimums & Hot Spots
Chart Supplement FAA A/FD
Open PDF ↗Preview Chart Supplement
VFR sectional
Services
- Fuel available
- 100LL, Jet A (additive)
- Bottled oxygen
- NONE
- Bulk oxygen
- NONE
- Airframe service
- MAJOR
- Powerplant service
- MAJOR
- Parking
- tiedowns, hangars
Ownership & management
Remarks FAA
- THIS AIRPORT HAS BEEN SURVEYED BY THE NATIONAL GEODETIC SURVEY.
- IN OPERATION PRIOR 1959.
- LCTD 9 NM NE MARION.
- AFT HRS CTC 276-685-1122.
- FOR CD CTC ATLANTA ARTCC AT 770-210-7692.
- MIRL RWY 08/26 PRESET LOW INTST; ACTVT HIGHER INTST - CTAF.
- CALL 276-685-9314
- 8 FT BUSH 80 FT FRM THLD, 120 L OF CNTRLN ON APCH.
- 17 FT ROADWAY CLNC PENETRATES APCH BY 9 FT. INTERSTATE TFC PENETRATES INTO PRI SFC.
Nearby airports
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 KMKJ 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 KMKJ
Mountain Empire Airport (MKJ · KMKJ) is an airport in Rural Retreat, VA, at 2,558 ft MSL. It has 1 runway, the longest 5,252 ft, with no control tower (pilot-controlled). This page shows live METAR/TAF weather, runway crosswinds, frequencies, navaids, and FAA charts for KMKJ, refreshed from the Aviation Weather Center and FAA NASR.
Does KMKJ have a control tower?
No. Mountain Empire Airport is a non-towered (pilot-controlled) airport; use the published CTAF/UNICOM on the Comms & NavAids tab.
What is the longest runway at KMKJ?
Mountain Empire Airport has 1 runway; the longest is 5,252 ft. See the Runways tab for headings, surface, and lighting.
Where is KMKJ?
Mountain Empire Airport is in Rural Retreat, VA, at an elevation of 2,558 ft MSL. Coordinates: 36.8949, -81.3499.
Fly out of KMKJ often?
Save KMKJ 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.