Keflavik International Airport (KEF / BIKF) Plane Spotting Map & Live Active Runway Predictor
Reykjavík, Iceland
Keflavik
KEF/BIKF
Updated Tue 27 Oct, 10:02 local
- Active runway
- 01
- METAR wind
- 340° @ 14 kt
- Best spot
- Short final 01 - sunny side
- Sun
- 133° / 5°
Wind vector · +12 kt headwind
VFR
Sweet spot
Morning golden hour now, ends in 13 min
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Best Keflavik (KEF) plane spotting locations by time of day & sun angle
Live weather
VFR340° @ 14 kt
6°C · 10+ km · 970 hPa
FEW011 BKN035 OVC060
Morning golden hour now, ends in 13 min
Runway alerts for Keflavik International Airport
$3/mo
Spotting guideRunway windsATC frequencies
Lighting schedule
Morning 07:00-11:00, midday 11:00-14:00, afternoon 14:00-18:00 at KEF, scored from each spot's view bearing.
| Spotting Location | Morning (07:00-11:00) | Midday (11:00-14:00) | Afternoon / Golden Hour (14:00-18:00) | JetPhotos / Camera Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Short final 01 - sunny side Runway 01 | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 10:00-16:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00. |
Runway winds and thresholds
Land 01 · Dep 01
TAF at Tue 27 Oct, 14:00 shifts the wind to 320° at 5 kt, favoring 28 in about 4.0 hours.
| End | Hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 104° | 10,056 ft | -7.8 kt | 11.6 kt | Standby |
| 28 | 284° | 10,056 ft | +7.8 kt | 11.6 kt | Standby |
| 01 | 14° | 10,020 ft | +11.6 kt | 7.8 kt | Both |
| 19 | 194° | 10,020 ft | -11.6 kt | 7.8 kt | Standby |
Recommended camera lenses & ATC radio frequencies for Keflavik (BIKF)
| Facility | MHz | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tower | 118.300 | Published |
| Approach | 119.300 | Published |
| Departure | 119.300 | Published |
| Ground | 121.900 | Published |
| Delivery | 129.550 | Assigned |
| ATIS | 128.300 | Published |
Lens for the top pin: Sony FE 200-600mm, Uniden Bearcat BC125AT, FlightAware Pro Stick. Sony FE 200-600mmUniden Bearcat BC125ATFlightAware Pro Stick
Open the ATC frequency pageFrequently asked questions about plane spotting at Keflavik (KEF/BIKF)
Which runway is active at Keflavik (KEF/BIKF) right now?
As of Tue 27 Oct, 09:30 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 01. The METAR wind is 340° at 14 kt. 01 shows +11.6 kt headwind and 7.8 kt crosswind from the left. Closed runways: none listed.
Where is the best place to plane spot at Keflavik (KEF) in the morning vs. afternoon?
At 08:00 local the sun is at 106° azimuth and -6° elevation. Short final 01 - sunny side scores 66/100, 1234 m from runway 01, view bearing 344.8°, best as a morning spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 220° and 7°. Short final 01 - sunny side scores 95/100 on a 43.2° view. Morning and afternoon picks follow that bearing: a view that wants the sun in the east is a morning spot, and a view that wants it in the west is an afternoon spot.
What is the best time to plane spot at Keflavik International Airport?
The best time to plane spot at Keflavik International Airport (KEF/BIKF) is the window marked CLEAN FRONT LIGHT for the fence you are using. Morning (07:00-11:00) front light: Short final 01 - sunny side. Afternoon / golden hour (14:00-18:00) front light: Short final 01 - sunny side. Midday (11:00-14:00) is HIGH SUN / TOP LIGHT at 0 of 1 spotting locations. Read the Best Time of Day & Lighting Schedule by Spot table for the lens and the hours to avoid harsh backlit contrast.
What is the sun direction at BIKF spotting locations?
BIKF spotting locations sun direction: Short final 01 - sunny side (runway 01) is CLEAN FRONT LIGHT in the morning, CLEAN FRONT LIGHT at midday, and CLEAN FRONT LIGHT in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 10:00-16:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00.
What lens focal length do I need for plane spotting at Keflavik (KEF)?
Short final 01 - sunny side is 1234 m from the 01 centerline, so the lens is 150-600mm. The bands are fixed from that distance: 70-200mm inside 250 m, 100-400mm from 250 m to 450 m, and 150-600mm beyond 450 m. The aircraft itself is about 573 m from this pin on a 700 m final.
What ATC radio frequencies should I monitor while spotting at Keflavik (BIKF)?
Monitor Tower 118.3 MHz, Ground 121.9 MHz, Approach 119.3 MHz, ATIS 128.3 MHz. Online streams lag by 30 seconds or more. A handheld VHF airband scanner at the fence is the zero-delay way to hear a runway change on Tower 118.3 MHz.
How do I know when Keflavik (KEF) switches active runways?
TAF at Tue 27 Oct, 14:00 shifts the wind to 320° at 5 kt, favoring 28 in about 4.0 hours. The $3/mo Telegram Runway-Shift Alert pings you when D-ATIS or the METAR wind vector changes the active runway: https://planespottingmap.com/airport/BIKF#runway-alerts