Upper Loon Creek US Forest Service Airport
U72 · Challis, ID · 5,500 ft elevation · var 17E · Non-towered
Airport information
- FAA LID
- U72
- Coordinates
- 44.5912, -114.8248
- Elevation
- 5,500 ft MSL
- Magnetic variation
- 17E
- Sectional chart
- GREAT FALLS
- Airport use
- Public
- Control tower
- No
- ARTCC
- SALT LAKE CITY (ZLC)
- Flight service (FSS)
- BOISE
- NOTAM facility
- BOI
- Attendance
- UNATNDD
- Segmented circle
- Yes
- Wind indicator
- yes
- Activated
- 1958/07
- Distance from city
- 26 NW
Weather
METAR observed
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TAF forecast
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Sun & FAA night 2026-06-21
| Event | Local (MDT) | UTC |
|---|---|---|
| Morning civil twilight Loggable night ends | 05:17 AM | 11:17Z |
| Sunrise | 05:54 AM | 11:54Z |
| Sunset | 09:28 PM | 03:28Z |
| Evening civil twilight Loggable night begins | 10:05 PM | 04:05Z |
Plan a flight from U72
Night operations
- Pilot-controlled lighting
- Usually keyed on CTAF 122.9 — confirm the click sequence in the Chart Supplement ↗
FAA night windows (civil twilight, loggable night §1.1, currency §61.57) are in the live weather panel above.
Traffic pattern
- Landing
- Rwy 04
- Pattern
- left (turns left)
- TPA
- 6,500 ft MSL (≈1,000 AGL)
- CTAF
- 122.9
Enter the left downwind for Rwy 04 at 6,500 ft MSL (≈1,000 AGL) on a 45°. TPA estimated at 1,000 ft AGL (not charted for this field).
Runway 04/22
2,500 ft × 75 ft · TURF-DIRT (Good)- Heading
- n/a
- Traffic pattern
- Left
- Approach obstacle
- Tree, 90 ft, 45 ft from threshold, 70 ft L of centerline
- Heading
- n/a
- Traffic pattern
- Left
- Approach obstacle
- Trees, 65 ft, 175 ft from threshold, 150 ft R of centerline — 2:1 slope to clear · penetrates the 20:1 visual approach surface
| Runway | Length | Your margin |
|---|---|---|
| 04/22 | 2,500 ft |
No published frequencies or nearby navaids for U72.
Chart Supplement FAA A/FD
Open PDF ↗Preview Chart Supplement
VFR sectional
Services
- Bottled oxygen
- NONE
- Bulk oxygen
- NONE
- Airframe service
- NONE
- Powerplant service
- NONE
- Parking
- tiedowns
Ownership & management
Remarks FAA
- EXISTED PRIOR TO 31 DEC 1958.
- RECOMMENDED FOR EXPERIENCED MOUNTAIN PILOTS ONLY.
- TREES AND HIGH TRRN ON BOTH ENDS OF RWY 04/22, REQUIRES A STEEP APCH.
- NO WINTER MAINTENANCE.
- RWY 04/22 NUMEROUS ADDITIONAL OBSTNS ON APCH TO BOTH RWY ENDS.
- FOR CD CTC SALT LAKE ARTCC AT 801-320-2568.
- RCMD LAND RWY 22; TKOF RWY 04 WHEN WIND CONDS PMT.
- 04/22 EDGES & THRS MARKED WITH WHITE ROCKS.
- 90+ FT TREE LCTD IN CLOSE PROX. TO THE LEFT OF RWY END 04.
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 U72 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 U72
Upper Loon Creek US Forest Service Airport (U72) is an airport in Challis, ID, at 5,500 ft MSL. It has 1 runway, the longest 2,500 ft, with no control tower (pilot-controlled). This page shows live METAR/TAF weather, runway crosswinds, frequencies, navaids, and FAA charts for U72, refreshed from the Aviation Weather Center and FAA NASR.
Does U72 have a control tower?
No. Upper Loon Creek US Forest Service Airport is a non-towered (pilot-controlled) airport; use the published CTAF/UNICOM on the Comms & NavAids tab.
What is the longest runway at U72?
Upper Loon Creek US Forest Service Airport has 1 runway; the longest is 2,500 ft. See the Runways tab for headings, surface, and lighting.
Where is U72?
Upper Loon Creek US Forest Service Airport is in Challis, ID, at an elevation of 5,500 ft MSL. Coordinates: 44.5912, -114.8248.
Fly out of U72 often?
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