Vancouver International Airport (YVR / CYVR) Plane Spotting Map & Live Active Runway Predictor
Vancouver, Canada
Vancouver
YVR/CYVR
Updated Tue 27 Oct, 15:10 local
- Active runway
- 26L / 26R
- METAR wind
- 270° @ 7 kt
- Best spot
- Short final 26L - sunny side
- Sun
- 215° / 21°
Wind vector · +7 kt headwind
MVFR
Side-lit
Golden hour in 2h 6m
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Best Vancouver (YVR) plane spotting locations by time of day & sun angle
Live weather
MVFR270° @ 7 kt
10°C · 10+ sm · 1013 hPa
FEW018 BKN028 OVC053
Golden hour in 2h 6m
Runway alerts for Vancouver 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 YVR, 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 26L - sunny side Runway 26L | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | SIDE LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 09:00-13:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00. |
| Short final 26R - sunny side Runway 26R | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | SIDE LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 09:00-13:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00. |
Runway winds and thresholds
Land 26L / 26R · Dep 26L / 26R
| End | Hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 08R | 100° | 11,500 ft | -6.9 kt | 1.3 kt | Standby |
| 26L | 280° | 11,500 ft | +6.9 kt | 1.3 kt | Both |
| 08L | 100° | 9,940 ft | -6.9 kt | 1.2 kt | Standby |
| 26R | 280° | 9,940 ft | +6.9 kt | 1.2 kt | Both |
| 13 | 142° | 7,300 ft | -4.3 kt | 5.5 kt | Standby |
| 31 | 322° | 7,300 ft | +4.3 kt | 5.5 kt | Standby |
Recommended camera lenses & ATC radio frequencies for Vancouver (CYVR)
| Facility | MHz | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tower | 118.700 | Published |
| Approach | 128.600 | Published |
| Departure | 126.125 | Published |
| Ground | 121.700 | Published |
| Delivery | 121.400 | Published |
| ATIS | 124.600 | 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 Vancouver (YVR/CYVR)
Which runway is active at Vancouver (YVR/CYVR) right now?
As of Tue 27 Oct, 15:00 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 26L+26R. The METAR wind is 270° at 7 kt. 26L shows +6.9 kt headwind and 1.3 kt crosswind from the left. Closed runways: none listed.
Where is the best place to plane spot at Vancouver (YVR) in the morning vs. afternoon?
At 08:00 local the sun is at 110° azimuth and 0° elevation. Short final 26L - sunny side scores 66/100, 1234 m from runway 26L, view bearing 309.6°, best as a morning spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 227° and 16°. Short final 26L - sunny side scores 77/100 on a 309.6° 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 Vancouver International Airport?
The best time to plane spot at Vancouver International Airport (YVR/CYVR) is the window marked CLEAN FRONT LIGHT for the fence you are using. Morning (07:00-11:00) front light: Short final 26L - sunny side, Short final 26R - sunny side. 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 CYVR spotting locations?
CYVR spotting locations sun direction: Short final 26L - sunny side (runway 26L) is CLEAN FRONT LIGHT in the morning, CLEAN FRONT LIGHT at midday, and SIDE LIGHT in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 09:00-13:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00. Short final 26R - sunny side (runway 26R) is CLEAN FRONT LIGHT in the morning, CLEAN FRONT LIGHT at midday, and SIDE LIGHT in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 09:00-13:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00.
What lens focal length do I need for plane spotting at Vancouver (YVR)?
Short final 26L - sunny side is 1234 m from the 26L 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 Vancouver (CYVR)?
Monitor Tower 118.7 MHz, Ground 121.7 MHz, Approach 128.6 MHz, ATIS 124.6 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 118.7 MHz.
How do I know when Vancouver (YVR) switches active runways?
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near 270° at 7 kt, so 26L 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/CYVR#runway-alerts