South Boston, Virginia · field elev 420 ft
Density Altitude at William M Tuck (W78)
William M Tuck sits at 420 ft, and even a typical July afternoon (90 °F) only lifts density altitude to about 2,499 ft — heat still trims performance, but the field rarely turns high-and-hot.
Typical density altitude by month
| Month | Avg temp °F | DA at avg temp | Afternoon high °F | DA on a typical afternoon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 38.6 | −835 ft | 50.7 | −13 ft |
| February | 41.1 | −664 ft | 54.0 | 207 ft |
| March | 48.1 | −188 ft | 61.9 | 726 ft |
| April | 57.5 | 438 ft | 71.8 | 1,364 ft |
| May | 66.0 | 992 ft | 78.7 | 1,800 ft |
| June | 74.3 | 1,523 ft | 86.2 | 2,266 ft |
| July | 78.7 | 1,800 ft | 90.0 | 2,499 ft |
| August | 77.1 | 1,699 ft | 88.3 | 2,395 ft |
| September | 70.8 | 1,300 ft | 82.6 | 2,043 ft |
| October | 59.3 | 556 ft | 72.8 | 1,428 ft |
| November | 48.6 | −154 ft | 62.6 | 772 ft |
| December | 41.6 | −629 ft | 53.8 | 193 ft |
▲ above 5,000 ft · ⚠ above 8,000 ft. These are planning references at standard pressure and dry air — afternoon humidity and low pressure both push the real number higher. Run today's values below.
Run today’s numbers for W78
DENSITY ALTITUDE
Field elevation 420 ft — the air behaves like 2,499 ft.
- PRESSURE ALT
- 421 ft
- ISA DEVIATION
- —
- RULE-OF-THUMB DA
- —
- AIR DENSITY INDEX
- —
- AIR DENSITY
- —
- WATER · GRAINS/LB
- —
For training and reference · verify with official sources and your POH before flight · no tool on this site renders a go / no-go judgment
Nearby Virginia fields
- W63 — Lake Country Regional
Clarksville · elev 421 ft
- KCXE — Chase City Municipal
Chase City · elev 503 ft
- KDAN — Danville Regional
Danville · elev 571 ft
- 0V4 — Brookneal/Campbell County
Brookneal · elev 597 ft
- W31 — Lunenburg County
Kenbridge · elev 526 ft
- KAVC — Mecklenburg-Brunswick Regional
South Hill · elev 441 ft
- KLYH — Lynchburg Regional/Preston Glenn Field
Lynchburg · elev 938 ft
- W90 — New London
Forest · elev 842 ft
Frequently asked questions
How high does density altitude get at W78 in summer?
On a typical July afternoon — around 90 °F at the nearest NOAA normals station — density altitude at William M Tuck reaches roughly 2,499 ft at standard pressure. Hotter-than-normal days, low pressure, and humidity all push it higher, so run the day's actual numbers before flying.
What is the density altitude at W78 on an average day?
It swings with the seasons: from roughly −835 ft at the coldest month's average temperature to about 1,800 ft at the warmest month's — all from a constant field elevation of 420 ft. The month-by-month table above carries the full year.
What is the field elevation of William M Tuck?
420 ft MSL, from the FAA NASR airport record (28-day cycle effective 2026-08-06). The identifier is W78 (FAA), in South Boston, Virginia.