Montreal / Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (YUL / CYUL) Plane Spotting Map & Live Active Runway Predictor
Montréal, Canada
Montreal
YUL/CYUL
Updated Tue 27 Oct, 19:49 local
- Active runway
- 24R / 24L
- METAR wind
- 260° @ 5 kt
- Best spot
- Short final 24R - sunny side
- Sun
- 273° / -21°
Wind vector · +4 kt headwind
VFR
Night
Sun below the useful photo window
NightWant a Telegram ping when CYUL flips runways? Subscribe for $3/mo
Best Montreal (YUL) plane spotting locations by time of day & sun angle
Live weather
VFR260° @ 5 kt
5°C · 10+ sm · 1031 hPa
FEW240
Sun below the useful photo window
Runway alerts for Montreal / Pierre Elliott Trudeau 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 YUL, 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 24R - sunny side Runway 24R | SIDE LIGHT | BACKLIT / GLARE | BACKLIT / GLARE | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Best local hours for crisp fuselage illumination: 10:00. Avoid 12:00-17:00 harsh backlit contrast. |
| Short final 24L - sunny side Runway 24L | SIDE LIGHT | BACKLIT / GLARE | BACKLIT / GLARE | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Best local hours for crisp fuselage illumination: 10:00. Avoid 11:00-17:00 harsh backlit contrast. |
Runway winds and thresholds
Land 24R / 24L · Dep 24R / 24L
| End | Hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 06L | 43° | 11,000 ft | -4.0 kt | 3.0 kt | Standby |
| 24R | 223° | 11,000 ft | +4.0 kt | 3.0 kt | Both |
| 06R | 41° | 9,600 ft | -3.9 kt | 3.1 kt | Standby |
| 24L | 221° | 9,600 ft | +3.9 kt | 3.1 kt | Both |
Recommended camera lenses & ATC radio frequencies for Montreal (CYUL)
| Facility | MHz | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tower | 119.900 | Published |
| Approach | 118.900 | Published |
| Approach | 126.900 | Published |
| Departure | 118.900 | Published |
| Ground | 121.900 | Published |
| Delivery | 125.600 | Published |
| ATIS | 127.500 | Published |
| ATIS | 133.700 | 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 Montreal (YUL/CYUL)
Which runway is active at Montreal (YUL/CYUL) right now?
As of Tue 27 Oct, 19:00 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 24R+24L. The METAR wind is 260° at 5 kt. 24R shows +4.0 kt headwind and 3.0 kt crosswind from the right. Closed runways: none listed.
Where is the best place to plane spot at Montreal (YUL) in the morning vs. afternoon?
At 08:00 local the sun is at 113° azimuth and 5° elevation. Short final 24R - sunny side scores 88/100, 1234 m from runway 24R, view bearing 252.0°, best as a morning spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 231° and 16°. Short final 24R - sunny side scores 69/100 on a 193.5° 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 Montreal / Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport?
The best time to plane spot at Montreal / Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (YUL/CYUL) 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 2 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 CYUL spotting locations?
CYUL spotting locations sun direction: Short final 24R - sunny side (runway 24R) 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: 10:00. Avoid 12:00-17:00 harsh backlit contrast. Short final 24L - sunny side (runway 24L) 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: 10:00. Avoid 11:00-17:00 harsh backlit contrast.
What lens focal length do I need for plane spotting at Montreal (YUL)?
Short final 24R - sunny side is 1234 m from the 24R 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 Montreal (CYUL)?
Monitor Tower 119.9 MHz, Ground 121.9 MHz, Approach 118.9 MHz, ATIS 127.5 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 119.9 MHz.
How do I know when Montreal (YUL) switches active runways?
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near 260° at 5 kt, so 24R remains the favored arrival. 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/CYUL#runway-alerts