Gulf Shores Intl/Jack Edwards Field
JKA · KJKA · Gulf Shores, Alabama · Baldwin County · map
Gulf Shores Intl/Jack Edwards Field is a public-use airport owned by Gulf Shores Airport Authority, 2 miles north of Gulf Shores, Alabama, 17 feet above sea level. It has 2 runways; the longest, 09/27, is 6,962 feet of asphalt. It has a control tower, fuel (100LL avgas, Jet A with additive) and about 107 based aircraft. The FAA counts about 74,478 takeoffs and landings a year. About 25 passengers boarded flights here in the FAA's fiscal year 2024.
Weather and planning now, the forecast, warnings, pilot reports, winds aloft, restrictions
Weather right now KJKA · observed 3:56 pm CDT (20:56 UTC), 20 minutes ago
VFR good flying weather
- Wind from the west-southwest (240°) at 7 knots
- Visibility 10 miles or more
- Temperature 88°F (31°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter 30.04 inHg
The forecast issued Mon 12:20 pm CDT (17:20 UTC), good until Tue 1:00 pm CDT (18:00 UTC)
- From Mon 1:00 pm CDT (18:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies VFR
- From Mon 2:00 pm CDT (19:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies VFR
- From Mon 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies VFR
The codes as issued, and in English (METAR and TAF)
METAR KJKA 122056Z 24007KT 10SM CLR 31/21 A3004
- METAR
- a routine hourly observation
- KJKA
- the station, KJKA
- 122056Z
- observed 3:56 pm CDT (20:56 UTC)
- 24007KT
- wind from the west-southwest at 7 knots
- 10SM
- visibility 10 miles
- CLR
- clear skies
- 31/21
- temperature 31 °C (88 °F), dew point 21 °C (70 °F)
- A3004
- altimeter setting 30.04 inches of mercury
TAF KJKA 121720Z 1218/1318 VRB04KT P6SM SKC FM121900 22005KT P6SM SKC FM130000 VRB02KT P6SM SKC
- TAF
- a terminal aerodrome forecast: the weather expected at the airport, usually for the next 24 or 30 hours
- KJKA
- the station, KJKA
- 121720Z
- issued 12:20 pm CDT (17:20 UTC)
- 1218/1318 VRB04KT P6SM SKC
- valid from Mon 1:00 pm CDT (18:00 UTC) to Tue 1:00 pm CDT (18:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- FM121900 22005KT P6SM SKC
- from Mon 2:00 pm CDT (19:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- FM130000 VRB02KT P6SM SKC
- from Mon 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
From the National Weather Service's aviation weather service, refreshed every few minutes; times are local to the airport with UTC in brackets. For a flight, get your briefing from Flight Service or an approved provider.
Flight planning warnings, pilot reports, winds aloft, restrictions · for planning, not a briefing
No SIGMET or AIRMET covers this field right now.
Turbulence No turbulence warning in force over this field. No pilot has reported turbulence within 100 nautical miles in the last three hours. The government's turbulence forecast map ↗
Icing No icing warning in force over this field. No pilot has reported icing within 100 nautical miles in the last three hours. The freezing level is about 16,000 ft (from the winds-aloft temperatures), so icing is possible in cloud above that. The government's icing forecast map ↗
Winds aloft at the nearest forecast point (TLH, 172 nm east), for use 20:00–03:00 UTC: 3,000 ft: 340° at 11 kt; 6,000 ft: 360° at 16 kt, 18 °C; 9,000 ft: 350° at 19 kt, 12 °C; 12,000 ft: 360° at 16 kt, 8 °C; 18,000 ft: 360° at 7 kt, -4 °C.
No temporary flight restriction within 50 nautical miles.
The full picture: all warnings and reports, winds to 39,000 ft, radar and forecast charts
From the government's aviation weather service and the FAA's restriction list, refreshed every few minutes. This is for planning; the legal briefing comes from Flight Service or the FAA's own tools. Ordinary notices to air missions (closed runways, lights out) are not shown: the FAA's notice search is not open to sites like this one at this time.
Wind map live wind over the area, from Windy.com
Colours show wind speed, the moving lines its direction; drag the time bar for the coming days. Map and forecast by Windy.com.
The airport facts, runways, radio, fuel and services, the FAA's remarks
The airport
- Codes
- FAA JKA · ICAO KJKA
- Kind
- Airport · open to the public · publicly owned
- Owner
- Gulf Shores Airport Authority
- Elevation
- 17 feet above sea level
- Control tower
- A control tower · 7:00 am to 9:00 pm
- Attended
- every day, 6:00 am to 10:00 pm
- Lights
- runway lights see the remarks below; beacon sunset to sunrise
- Fuel and services
- 100LL avgas, Jet A with additive; the services card below
- Notes
- certified for airline service (Part 139)
- On the chart
- New Orleans sectional
- Magnetic variation
- 0E
- In the FAA's files since
- March 1978
Runways 2
For understanding the field, not for navigation.
| Runway | Length × width | Surface | Lights |
|---|---|---|---|
| 09/27 | 6,962 × 100 ft | Asphalt, good | High-intensity lights |
| 17/35 | 3,596 × 75 ft | Asphalt, good | Medium-intensity lights |
- Runway 09: PAPI, four lights on the left, threshold displaced 462 ft, 6,500 ft available for landing, trees 84 ft high 2,039 ft from the end
- Runway 27: ILS with DME, PAPI, four lights on the left, medium-intensity approach lights with runway alignment lights (MALSR), 6,500 ft available for landing
- Runway 17: PAPI, two lights on the left, 3,276 ft available for landing, trees 148 ft high 1,427 ft from the end
- Runway 35: PAPI, two lights on the left, threshold displaced 320 ft, 3,276 ft available for landing, tree 53 ft high 436 ft from the end
Radio frequencies
| Common traffic advisory (CTAF) · Tower | 118.65 | Gulf Shores |
| UNICOM | 122.7 | · Frequency 122.7 for UNICOM use only. |
| ATIS (recorded airport information) | 134.525 | Gulf Shores |
| Clearance delivery · Ground | 121.7 | Gulf Shores |
| Clearance delivery When tower closed | 124.55 | Gulf Shores |
| Approach and departure | 120.65 | Gulf Shores |
Automated weather (AWOS-3PT), by phone 251-923-5615.
Fuel and services as reported to the FAA
- Fuel
- 100LL avgas, Jet A with additive
- Repairs
- airframe and engine: major repairs
- Parking
- hangars, tie-downs
- Oxygen
- bottled oxygen (high-pressure), bulk oxygen (high-pressure)
- Also here
- cargo handling, charter flights, flight instruction, aircraft rental, aircraft sales
Other fields with jet fuel nearby: H L Sonny Callahan Airport (15 nm northwest), Roscoe Field (18 nm east), Pensacola International (27 nm northeast).
The FAA's file records what is sold and done at the field, as the airport manager reports it, not who sells it or the price; fuel sellers (FBOs) are not named in any public file. Airports selling jet fuel in Alabama · avgas.
The FAA's remarks as written in the airport file, spelled out
- When the control tower closed activate approach lights (MALSR) runway 27; PAPI runways 09, 27, 17 and 35; high-intensity runway lights runway 09/27; medium-intensity runway lights runway 17/35 - the common traffic frequency.
- Extensive banner towing, helicopter and PARA-SAIL operations along coastline 15 NM miles west to 20 NM east of Gulf shores/orange beach, and 15 NM wsw to 20 NM ese of jka.
- Caution: hop at or below 300 feet above sea level WI 1 NM of jka when landing/departure helipad located 1.6 NM east, directly under runway 27 final. Nolf barin located 6 miles northeast of AP may be mistaken for Jack Edwards ntl AP. HI vol of military traffic will be operating in the barin field traffic pattern from surface to 3000 feet above ground level.
- Frequency 122.7 for UNICOM use only.
Flights and activity in the air now, the airlines, based aircraft, takeoffs and landings
Activity now checking the volunteer receiver network…
Within ten miles
- Looking…
Arrivals and departures, last hour
- Looking…
From the volunteer receiver network, a few minutes behind at most; aircraft whose owners asked the FAA not to be displayed are left out; no person is named. Open the live map here.
Based aircraft as counted for the FAA, fiscal year 2024
Based aircraft, as a table
| aircraft | |
|---|---|
| single-engine | 80 |
| multi-engine | 9 |
| jets | 10 |
| helicopters | 1 |
| other | 7 |
Takeoffs and landings a year about 74,478, the FAA's fiscal year 2024 (October 2023 to September 2024)
Takeoffs and landings, as a table
| a year | |
|---|---|
| airline | 4 |
| air taxi and commuter | 2,073 |
| general aviation, travelling | 32,038 |
| general aviation, local | 35,626 |
| military | 4,737 |
Local flights stay in the traffic pattern or nearby, often practice; travelling flights arrive from or leave for somewhere else. Counts at airports without a tower are the FAA's estimates. How this compares nationally: Airports by the numbers.
Who flies and works here aircraft registered in town, the companies, the examiners nearby
Aircraft registered in Gulf Shores from the FAA register
35 aircraft are registered to owners in Gulf Shores, Alabama: 29 piston singles, 2 piston twins, 2 business jets, 1 turboprop, 1 helicopter. Not every one of them is based at this airport; the based-aircraft count above is the FAA's figure for this airport alone.
Individuals are counted, not named (the site's policy at this time). All aircraft registered in Alabama.
Who works here from the FAA's certificate lists and the register
Fuel and service companies in Gulf Shores, by their names on the register (a start, not a directory):
- Coastal Aircraft Services INC Coastal Aircraft Services is an aircraft maintenance shop located at Jack Edwards Airport in Gulf Shores, Alabama.
Companies in the same town as this airport; not every one of them works from this field. All operators · all repair stations · all flight schools · all FBOs.
Examiners and inspectors nearby designated by the FAA · within 50 nautical miles
6 pilot examiners (the FAA's designated pilot examiners, who give the practical tests for pilot certificates) are based within 50 nautical miles: 4 for private pilot, 4 for commercial and instrument, 3 for airline transport pilot, 3 for flight instructor; 4 for airplanes, 4 for multi-engine airplanes. Also nearby: 1 sport aviation examiner, 14 aviation medical examiners, 3 mechanic examiners, 4 airworthiness representatives (maintenance), 5 airworthiness representatives (manufacturing), 3 engineering representatives, 3 training center examiners, 4 administrative pilot examiners.
- Dennis Allan Sherwood private pilot, commercial and instrument, airline transport pilot, flight instructor, instrument instructor, instructor renewals, ground instructor; airplanes, multi-engine airplanes · Pensacola Air · Pensacola, FL (27 nm) · (262) 914-1915 · tosaservices@gmail.com
- Douglas Dobson private pilot, commercial and instrument; airplanes, multi-engine airplanes · Pensacola International Airport · Pensacola, FL (27 nm) · (850) 529-2727 · doug.dobson@gmail.com
- Joseph Francis Cerwin private pilot, commercial and instrument, airline transport pilot, flight instructor, instrument instructor, military competency, foreign pilot certificates; airplanes, multi-engine airplanes · Pensacola, FL (27 nm) · (850) 512-2159 · cerwinj@aol.com
- Lamar Anthony Childs instructor renewals, military competency, ground instructor, foreign pilot certificates · Pensacola, FL (27 nm) · (850) 602-3319 · lachilds@cox.net
- Rogers Alden Porter instructor renewals, military competency, ground instructor, foreign pilot certificates · PENSACOLA AVIATION CENTER · Pensacola, FL (27 nm) · (850) 582-2459 · ckride@bellsouth.net
- Robert Burnet private pilot, commercial and instrument, airline transport pilot, flight instructor, instrument instructor, instructor renewals, military competency, foreign pilot certificates; airplanes, multi-engine airplanes · Pray Aviation · Milton, FL (41 nm) · (850) 585-7040 · burnet@cox.net
All 43 nearby, by kind, with contact details
What each kind does
- DPE: Designated Pilot Examiner: gives the practical tests (checkrides) for pilot certificates and ratings.
- SAE: Sport Aviation Examiner: gives the tests for sport pilot certificates and light-sport aircraft.
- AME: Aviation Medical Examiner: a doctor who issues the medical certificates pilots must hold.
- DME: Designated Mechanic Examiner: tests candidates for the mechanic certificate (airframe and powerplant).
- DAR-T: Designated Airworthiness Representative, maintenance: issues airworthiness certificates and approvals for aircraft in service.
- DAR-F: Designated Airworthiness Representative, manufacturing: issues airworthiness certificates for newly built aircraft and parts.
- DER-T: Designated Engineering Representative: approves engineering data for repairs and alterations on the FAA's behalf.
- DCTO-E: Designee at a certificated training organisation.
- Admin-PE: Administrative Pilot Examiner: handles certificate paperwork rather than flight tests.
Designees are listed with the name and contact details the FAA publishes for them on its designee locator (read October 10, 2026): the FAA lists them so that pilots, mechanics and companies can find them. Private individuals are not named, the site's policy at this time. A designee who would rather not appear here can ask us through the contact address on the About page. Each designee is placed at the main public airport of the town the FAA lists (or the nearest one to its zip code), so "nearby" means the town, not an exact address. All examiners by state.
Safety record the NTSB's cases at or near this airport
Accidents and incidents at or near this airport NTSB records · 16 since 1982, 1 fatal
Cases the NTSB recorded with this as the nearest airport, newest first. Each opens the full report in plain English. The country as a whole: Where accidents happen.
Nearby within 30 nautical miles
Connections how this airport links to the rest of the register
- Aircraft registered in Gulf Shores 35 aircraft · 29 piston singles, 2 piston twins, 2 business jets
- Coastal Aircraft Services INC 1 aircraft · FBO or fuel seller
- NTSB accidents and incidents at or near this airport 16 since 1982 · 1 fatal
- Accidents and incidents in Alabama 1,210 since 1982 · 172 in the last ten years
- Nearby landing places within 30 nautical miles 8 airports, heliports and seaplane bases
- Public-use airports in Alabama 85 landing places
- Alabama 4,322 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/airport/JKA.json.
Facts from the FAA's airport file effective October 1, 2026, written out in plain English; weather from the National Weather Service's aviation weather service; registered aircraft from the FAA register as of October 9, 2026; accidents from the NTSB's public database. Owners are shown only when they are an organisation; no person is named. Check the official sources before a flight: this page is for understanding an airport, not for planning one.