Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport (YOW / CYOW) Plane Spotting Map & Live Active Runway Predictor
Ottawa, Canada
Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier
YOW/CYOW
Updated Tue 27 Oct, 18:59 local
- Active runway
- 25
- METAR wind
- 260° @ 5 kt
- Best spot
- Short final 25 - sunny side
- Sun
- 263° / -11°
Wind vector · +5 kt headwind
VFR
Night
Sun below the useful photo window
NightWant a Telegram ping when CYOW flips runways? Subscribe for $3/mo
Best Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier (YOW) plane spotting locations by time of day & sun angle
Live weather
VFR260° @ 5 kt
4°C · 10+ sm · 1031 hPa
FEW150 FEW200 SCT260
Sun below the useful photo window
Runway alerts for Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier 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 YOW, 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 25 - sunny side Runway 25 | SIDE LIGHT | BACKLIT / GLARE | BACKLIT / GLARE | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Best local hours for crisp fuselage illumination: 08:00. Avoid 13:00-18:00 harsh backlit contrast. |
Runway winds and thresholds
Land 25 · Dep 25
TAF at Wed 28 Oct, 00:00 shifts the wind to 70° at 5 kt, favoring 07 in about 5.0 hours.
| End | Hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | 126° | 10,000 ft | -3.5 kt | 3.6 kt | Standby |
| 32 | 306° | 10,000 ft | +3.5 kt | 3.6 kt | Standby |
| 07 | 57° | 8,000 ft | -4.6 kt | 1.9 kt | Standby |
| 25 | 237° | 8,000 ft | +4.6 kt | 1.9 kt | Both |
| 04 | 26° | 3,300 ft | -2.9 kt | 4.0 kt | Standby |
| 22 | 206° | 3,300 ft | +2.9 kt | 4.0 kt | Standby |
Recommended camera lenses & ATC radio frequencies for Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier (CYOW)
| Facility | MHz | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tower | 118.800 | Published |
| Approach | 135.150 | Published |
| Departure | 128.175 | Published |
| Ground | 121.900 | Published |
| Delivery | 119.400 | Published |
| ATIS | 121.150 | Published |
| ATIS | 132.950 | 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 Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier (YOW/CYOW)
Which runway is active at Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier (YOW/CYOW) right now?
As of Tue 27 Oct, 18:00 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 25. The METAR wind is 260° at 5 kt. 25 shows +4.6 kt headwind and 1.9 kt crosswind from the right. Closed runways: none listed.
Where is the best place to plane spot at Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier (YOW) in the morning vs. afternoon?
At 08:00 local the sun is at 112° azimuth and 3° elevation. Short final 25 - sunny side scores 91/100, 1234 m from runway 25, view bearing 266.5°, best as a morning spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 230° and 17°. Short final 25 - sunny side scores 69/100 on a 266.5° 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 Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport?
The best time to plane spot at Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport (YOW/CYOW) is the window marked CLEAN FRONT LIGHT for the fence you are using. Morning (07:00-11:00) front light: no listed spot stays fully front-lit. Afternoon / golden hour (14:00-18:00) front light: no listed spot stays fully front-lit. 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 CYOW spotting locations?
CYOW spotting locations sun direction: Short final 25 - sunny side (runway 25) is SIDE LIGHT in the morning, BACKLIT / GLARE at midday, and BACKLIT / GLARE in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Best local hours for crisp fuselage illumination: 08:00. Avoid 13:00-18:00 harsh backlit contrast.
What lens focal length do I need for plane spotting at Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier (YOW)?
Short final 25 - sunny side is 1234 m from the 25 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 Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier (CYOW)?
Monitor Tower 118.8 MHz, Ground 121.9 MHz, Approach 135.15 MHz, ATIS 121.15 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 118.8 MHz.
How do I know when Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier (YOW) switches active runways?
TAF at Wed 28 Oct, 00:00 shifts the wind to 70° at 5 kt, favoring 07 in about 5.0 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/CYOW#runway-alerts