← Back

Wales Airport

IWK · PAIW · WAA · Wales, AK · 22 ft elevation · var 8E · Non-towered

Airport information

ICAO / IATA
PAIW / WAA
Coordinates
65.6226, -168.0950
Elevation
22 ft MSL
Magnetic variation
8E
Sectional chart
NOME
Airport use
Public
Control tower
No
ARTCC
ANCHORAGE (ZAN)
Flight service (FSS)
NOME
NOTAM facility
IWK
Attendance
UNATNDD
Beacon
white-green (SS-SR)
Segmented circle
Yes
Wind indicator
lighted
Activated
1954/10
Distance from city
1 NW

Weather

METAR observed

Loading current weather…

TAF forecast

Loading forecast…

Sun & FAA night 2026-06-21

EventLocal (AKDT)UTC
Morning civil twilight
Loggable night ends
n/an/a
Sunrise03:36 AM11:36Z
Sunset02:52 AM10:52Z
Evening civil twilight
Loggable night begins
n/an/a
Loggable night (§1.1)
n/a → n/a
Night currency (§61.57)
03:52 AM → 02:36 AM

Plan a flight from PAIW

Night operations

Airport lighting
SEE RMK
Rotating beacon
white-green · SS-SR
Pilot-controlled lighting
ACTVT MIRL RY 18/36; PAPI AND REIL RYS 18 & 36 - CTAF. on 123.0Chart Supplement ↗

Runway lighting aids — 18: 4-light PAPI (left) · 36: 4-light PAPI (right).

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

Traffic pattern

18TPANSEW
LEFT traffic
Landing
Rwy 18 · 180°
Pattern
left (turns left)
TPA
1,000 ft MSL (≈1,000 AGL)
CTAF
123.0

Enter the left downwind for Rwy 18 at 1,000 ft MSL (≈1,000 AGL) on a 45°. TPA estimated at 1,000 ft AGL (not charted for this field).

Runway 18/36

3,990 ft × 75 ft · GRAVEL (Good)

Edge lights: Med.

18
Heading
180° mag · 188° true
VGSI
4-light PAPI (left) (3°)
Traffic pattern
Left
36
Heading
000° mag · 8° true
VGSI
4-light PAPI (right) (3°)
Traffic pattern
Left
Approach obstacle
Road, 15 ft, 600 ft from threshold, 0 ft B of centerline — 40:1 slope to clear
ft · ≥1.5× comfortable, under 1.25× tight · saved across airports

No published frequencies or nearby navaids for PAIW.

Procedures at a glance

Lowest mins: RNAV (GPS) · vertical guidance Takeoff mins / ODP ↗ Non-std alternate mins ↗

Chart Supplement FAA A/FD

Open PDF ↗
Preview Chart Supplement Open the Chart Supplement PDF

Services

Bottled oxygen
NONE
Bulk oxygen
NONE
Airframe service
NONE
Powerplant service
NONE

Ownership & management

Owner
ALASKA DOT&PF NORTHERN REGION
NORTHERN REGION, 2301 PEGER RD, FAIRBANKS, AK
907-451-2200
Manager
GEORGE KOST
PO BOX 1048, NOME, AK
907-443-3431

Remarks FAA

  • EASTERLY WINDS MAY CAUSE SEVERE TURBULENCE IN VICINITY OF RWY.
  • HIGH TERRAIN SE THRU E.
  • RY CONDITIONS NOT MONITORED; RECOMMEND VISUAL INSPECTION PRIOR TO LANDING.
  • WX CAMERA AVBL ON INTERNET AT HTTPS://WEATHERCAMS.FAA.GOV
  • COLD TEMPERATURE AIRPORT. ALTITUDE CORRECTION REQUIRED AT OR BELOW -26C.
  • WIND SOCK LIGHTING INOPERATIVE, WIND SOCK MAY BE MISSING
  • SEVERAL RWY LIGHTS BROKEN.
  • ACTVT MIRL RY 18/36; PAPI AND REIL RYS 18 & 36 - CTAF.
  • WIND SOCK LGT MAY BE OTS.

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 PAIW 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 PAIW

Wales Airport (IWK · PAIW · WAA) is an airport in Wales, AK, at 22 ft MSL. It has 1 runway, the longest 3,990 ft, with no control tower (pilot-controlled). This page shows live METAR/TAF weather, runway crosswinds, frequencies, navaids, and FAA charts for PAIW, refreshed from the Aviation Weather Center and FAA NASR.

Does PAIW have a control tower?

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

What is the longest runway at PAIW?

Wales Airport has 1 runway; the longest is 3,990 ft. See the Runways tab for headings, surface, and lighting.

Where is PAIW?

Wales Airport is in Wales, AK, at an elevation of 22 ft MSL. Coordinates: 65.6226, -168.0950.

Fly out of PAIW often?

Save PAIW 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