Winnipeg / James Armstrong Richardson International Airport (YWG / CYWG) Plane Spotting Map & Live Active Runway Predictor
Winnipeg, Canada
Winnipeg
YWG/CYWG
Updated Tue 27 Oct, 05:01 local
- Active runway
- 13
- METAR wind
- 90° @ 4 kt
- Best spot
- Short final 13 - sunny side
- Sun
- 72° / -31°
Wind vector · +3 kt headwind
VFR
Night
Sunrise in 3h 10m
NightWant a Telegram ping when CYWG flips runways? Subscribe for $3/mo
Best Winnipeg (YWG) plane spotting locations by time of day & sun angle
Live weather
VFR90° @ 4 kt
-3°C · 10+ sm · 1026 hPa
FEW180
Sunrise in 3h 10m
Runway alerts for Winnipeg / James Armstrong Richardson 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 YWG, 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 13 - sunny side Runway 13 | SIDE LIGHT | BACKLIT / GLARE | SIDE LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Best local hours for crisp fuselage illumination: 15:00. Avoid 10:00-15:00 harsh backlit contrast. |
Runway winds and thresholds
Land 13 · Dep 13
| End | Hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | 189° | 11,000 ft | -0.6 kt | 3.9 kt | Standby |
| 36 | 9° | 11,000 ft | +0.6 kt | 3.9 kt | Standby |
| 13 | 137° | 8,841 ft | +2.7 kt | 2.9 kt | Both |
| 31 | 317° | 8,841 ft | -2.7 kt | 2.9 kt | Standby |
Recommended camera lenses & ATC radio frequencies for Winnipeg (CYWG)
| Facility | MHz | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tower | 118.300 | Published |
| Tower | 125.400 | Published |
| Approach | 119.500 | Published |
| Departure | 119.900 | Published |
| Ground | 121.900 | Published |
| Delivery | 121.300 | Published |
| ATIS | 120.200 | 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 Winnipeg (YWG/CYWG)
Which runway is active at Winnipeg (YWG/CYWG) right now?
As of Tue 27 Oct, 04:00 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 13. The METAR wind is 90° at 4 kt. 13 shows +2.7 kt headwind and 2.9 kt crosswind from the left. Closed runways: none listed.
Where is the best place to plane spot at Winnipeg (YWG) in the morning vs. afternoon?
At 08:00 local the sun is at 107° azimuth and -2° elevation. Short final 13 - sunny side scores 66/100, 1234 m from runway 13, view bearing 166.2°, best as a midday spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 223° and 17°. Short final 13 - sunny side scores 84/100 on a 107.7° 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 Winnipeg / James Armstrong Richardson International Airport?
The best time to plane spot at Winnipeg / James Armstrong Richardson International Airport (YWG/CYWG) 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 CYWG spotting locations?
CYWG spotting locations sun direction: Short final 13 - sunny side (runway 13) is SIDE LIGHT in the morning, BACKLIT / GLARE at midday, and SIDE LIGHT in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Best local hours for crisp fuselage illumination: 15:00. Avoid 10:00-15:00 harsh backlit contrast.
What lens focal length do I need for plane spotting at Winnipeg (YWG)?
Short final 13 - sunny side is 1234 m from the 13 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 Winnipeg (CYWG)?
Monitor Tower 118.3 MHz, Ground 121.9 MHz, Approach 119.5 MHz, ATIS 120.2 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 Winnipeg (YWG) switches active runways?
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near 90° at 4 kt, so 13 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/CYWG#runway-alerts