Pope Aaf Airport (KPOB), North Carolina
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
Pope AAF (KPOB) is a military airfield near Fayetteville, North Carolina, supporting a mix of transport and training missions under Class C airspace and tower control. Business aviation activity at the field, tracked at ops tier 1, reflects cross-border and mission traffic patterns typical of an active military installation rather than a civilian FBO destination. The field's primary runway offers a full 7,501 feet of concrete pavement, and operations here run under prior-permission and mission-coordination procedures distinct from public-use airports.
Runways
Pope Aaf Airport has two paved runways. The longest, 05/23, is 7,501 ft long and 150 ft wide, with a concrete surface.
Runways are listed longest first.
Source: FAA Form 5010.
Fuel and airfield services
Pope Aaf Airport has Jet A and A++ available on the field. Fueling is available 24 hours a day, every day, and the airport has an operating control tower.
Source: FAA Form 5010 / NASR.
Customs
Pope Aaf Airport does not clear customs. The nearest port of entry is Raleigh-Durham International (KRDU), 44 NM away.
Source: CBP list of ports of entry.
Business aviation traffic
Pope Aaf Airport recorded 2,957 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in April, May, June and July.
Business jet movements, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month July, 312 movements in 2025.
Source: FAA TFMSC, business jet movements, 2025.
Climate
Pope Aaf Airport averages 0.3 snow days in January.
Weather station is on the field. Some values are estimated by the agency. 1991–2020 climate normals.
Source: NOAA NCEI.
Operating constraints
Pope Aaf Airport has published operating constraints in four categories: access, weight restrictions, runway notes and other notes.
Restriction: requests for prior permission will be accepted no earlier than three days before the planned mission. Contact Airfield Management Operations. Prior permission is effective within approximately three hours of the assigned time.
Restriction: Category E approach minimums are unavailable due to restricted airspace R5311, located 2.5 nautical miles from the Runway 23 departure end.
Customs/agriculture/immigration: customs clearance for non-US active duty personnel requires five hours of prior notice to the Pope AMCC.
Customs/agriculture/immigration: customs and agriculture clearance for active duty personnel requires three hours of prior notice to the AMCC.
Miscellaneous: no COMSEC is available onsite. Transient aircrews should plan to arrive with the appropriate amount of COMSEC to complete the entire mission.
Caution: all taxiway edge lights and the Runway 05/23 edge and approach lights are equipped with non-standard LED fixtures. These fixtures may not be compatible with all night vision devices or enhanced flight vision systems.
Caution: the ILS glideslope antenna is 30 feet high, located 1,111 feet from the approach end and 400 feet left of centerline on Runway 23.
Restriction: requests for prior permission will be accepted no earlier than three days before the planned mission. Contact Airfield Management Operations. All inbound aircraft with VIPs must contact the Pope AMCC 30 minutes out. Prior permission requirements are waived for designated VIP aircraft.
Restriction: the taxiway leading to the Golden Knights ramp is closed to USAF C-130 and larger aircraft due to a taxiway width of less than 75 feet.
Miscellaneous: all aircraft carrying explosive cargo are required to report the explosive type and net explosive weight to the Pope AMCC on inbound.
Bearing strength for Runway 05-23: ST 175; TDT 760; TRT 585.
Runway 051/231 is used as an assault strip.
Lighting: HIRL located 16 feet from the Runway 05/23 edge.
Restriction: the effective usable distance on Runway 05-23, between displaced thresholds, for takeoff and landing is 7,501 feet. Do not land prior to the runway threshold. The displaced threshold may be used for takeoff and landing rollout. The official TERPS end of runway for obstacle protection is the marked threshold. Do not use the opposite end displaced threshold for takeoff computations or takeoff roll.
Traffic pattern: on departure, maintain 1,500 feet or below until departure end of runway. Overhead break at 2,000 feet; Runway 23 entry is 3 nautical miles initial, right break. No overhead pattern for Runway 05. Rectangular pattern at 1,500 feet. Runway 23 uses right traffic, Runway 05 uses left traffic.
Miscellaneous: Runway 05-23 is grooved. All inbound aircraft must contact the tower. Runway distance markers are not available on the east side of the runway.
Miscellaneous: the first 1,000 feet of Runway 23 and the first 300 feet of Runway 05 are concrete. The middle 6,200 feet is asphalt.
Miscellaneous: standard USAF runway surface restrictions apply, except C-130 aircraft are limited to 5,000 feet during daytime.
Fluids available: SP, LPOX, LOX.
Oil: O-128, can only; -133, -148.
Caution: airfield lighting operates intermittently between sunset and sunrise due to local night vision training. Non-participating aircraft should contact the tower to increase light intensity.
Caution: aircraft should exercise extreme caution when taxiing on the green and yellow taxiways and on ramps due to wingtip clearance.
Miscellaneous: the field lies within Class C airspace.
Miscellaneous: inbound and outbound aircraft require IMT packages; contact the Pope AMCC.
Miscellaneous: coordination with airfield management is required 24 hours prior for use of alternate parking locations. Contact airfield management.
Weather service: an automated AN/FMQ-19 system is in use.
Weather service: full weather service is available Monday through Friday, 0600 local (1100Z) to 2200 local (0300Z). The station is closed weekends and federal holidays until further notice. If a flight weather briefing is required while the station is closed, contact Simmons AAF weather.
Caution: dense air traffic in all quadrants at all altitudes.
Restriction: parking spot P-13 is closed except for contingency operations.
Miscellaneous: all aircraft operating on AMC missions, including JA/ATT, must coordinate requirements and parking with 43 AW/OSO. All inbound aircraft operating on AMC missions and all aircraft requiring IMT packages must contact the Pope Command Post.
Miscellaneous: storage is available at airfield management up to and including Secret classification.
Miscellaneous: an observation point obstacle is located between 330 and 090 degrees.
Source: FAA Chart Supplement.
Nearby airfields
Pope Aaf Airport has five airfields within 26 NM. The closest is Simmons Aaf (KFBG), 4.53 NM southeast.
Part of the Raleigh and Durham area.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at KPOB
We arrange catering, fuel and trip support here. Supplier prices reach you unchanged; our coordination fee sits on its own line.
The same order, priced two ways.
$2,400.00 catering order at KPOB.
Unchanged.
What the kitchen invoices us is what your quote reads.
One line, fixed.
It does not move with the size of the order.
At cost.
Passed on at the exact amount the processor took.
Market practice figures are industry averages, not a specific competitor.
Frequently asked questions
Is Pope AAF (KPOB) open to civilian business aviation traffic?
Pope AAF is a private-use military airfield, not a civilian public airport. KPOB operations require prior permission, requested no earlier than three days before the planned mission through AMOPS, with the approval effective within roughly three hours of the assigned time. Customs and agriculture clearance for non-US active duty personnel requires five hours of prior notice to the Pope AMCC, while active duty personnel require three hours. Non-US Customs is not available onsite for general use given the military access restrictions. Dispatchers should treat any KPOB movement as mission-specific rather than routine transient parking.
What runway length is available for takeoff and landing at KPOB?
Pope AAF's primary runway, 05/23, is a 7,501-foot concrete surface, 150 feet wide, and grooved for its full length. The airfield remark specifies that the effective usable distance between displaced thresholds for both takeoff and landing is the full 7,501 feet. Aircraft must not land prior to the runway threshold, and the displaced threshold at the opposite end cannot be used for takeoff roll computations. A secondary runway, 051/231, measures 3,000 feet and is designated for assault-strip operations rather than standard traffic. All inbound aircraft on Runway 05/23 must contact the tower.
Where is the nearest customs clearance to KPOB for international arrivals?
The nearest customs facility to Pope AAF is at Raleigh-Durham International Airport (KRDU), located approximately 43.86 nautical miles away. This distance reflects that customs processing is not available onsite at Pope AAF for general civilian purposes. For non-US active duty personnel, customs handling at Pope AMCC requires five hours of prior notice, and active duty personnel require three hours, both distinct from the KRDU option. Any operator planning international movement through KPOB should coordinate clearance requirements well ahead of the mission given these separate onsite military procedures and the offsite customs alternative at KRDU.
What lighting and approach cautions apply to Pope AAF?
Pope AAF uses non-standard LED fixtures on all taxiway edge lights and on the Runway 05/23 edge and approach lights, which may not be compatible with all night vision devices or enhanced flight vision systems. Airfield lighting is also run intermittently between sunset and sunrise due to local night vision training, so non-participating aircraft must contact the tower to increase light intensity. Additionally, the ILS glideslope antenna on Runway 23 sits 30 feet high, located 1,111 feet from the approach end and 400 feet left of centerline. Category E approach minimums are unavailable due to restricted airspace R5311, located 2.5 nautical miles off the Runway 23 departure end.
What weather service hours apply at KPOB?
Pope AAF operates an automated AN / FMQ-19 weather system continuously, but full weather service staffing is limited to Monday through Friday, 0600 to 2200 local time. The station is closed on weekends and federal holidays until further notice. Dispatchers requiring a flight weather briefing outside these hours must contact Simmons AAF weather instead. This staffing pattern means KPOB planning around night or weekend operations should account for the automated-only coverage window rather than assuming continuous staffed weather support at the field itself.