Algiers, Algeria
Live METAR wind (50° at 3 kt), predicted landing/departure runways (landing and departure 05), hourly sun-angle backlight map, and top photo spots for Houari Boumediene Airport.
As of Mon 26 Oct, 20:00 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 05. The METAR wind is 50° at 3 kt. 05 shows +3.0 kt headwind and 0.2 kt crosswind from the left. Closed runways: none listed. Updated Mon 26 Oct, 20:24.
| End | True hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 05 | 53° | 11,483 ft | +3.0 kt | 0.2 kt | Landing + departure |
| 23 | 233° | 11,483 ft | -3.0 kt | 0.2 kt | Standby |
| 09 | 92° | 11,483 ft | +2.2 kt | 2.0 kt | Standby |
| 27 | 272° | 11,483 ft | -2.2 kt | 2.0 kt | Standby |
METAR DAAG 261900Z 05003KT CAVOK 20/16 Q1021
Live weather
VFR50° @ 3 kt
20°C · 10+ km (9999) · 1021 hPa
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Front-lit sector
Backlight / glare cone
Sun ray · amber pins are landmarks
Green pins are calculated. Blue pins are OpenStreetMap parks and viewpoints.
Every pin below carries original geometry: meters to the nearest runway centerline, the compass bearing toward the aircraft, the morning or afternoon that puts the sun behind that view, and a lens picked only from that distance.
Short final 05 - sunny side
Calculated perimeter
Score 68/100
Short final 05 - sunny side sits 205 m from the 27 centerline. Looking toward the aircraft the bearing is 82.2°. That view is front-lit in the afternoon (best 17:00 local) with a 70-200mm lens.
Calculated public-side point about 1.2 km from the landing threshold and 280 m off the centerline, on the sunny side. Confirm the fence is between you and the runway before you stop.
Now: Night / Low light
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Best time to plane spot at Houari Boumediene Airport (ALG / DAAG): sun direction for every spotting location, scored from latitude 36.694, longitude 3.215, and the Africa/Algiers clock plus each spot's view bearing. Morning is 07:00-11:00, midday is 11:00-14:00, and afternoon / golden hour is 14:00-18:00. CLEAN FRONT LIGHT means the sun sits behind the camera. BACKLIT / GLARE means the sun is in the lens. HIGH SUN / TOP LIGHT is overhead midday light.
| Spotting Location | Morning (07:00-11:00) | Midday (11:00-14:00) | Afternoon / Golden Hour (14:00-18:00) | JetPhotos / Camera Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Short final 05 - sunny side Runway 05 | SIDE LIGHT | SIDE LIGHT | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | Recommended focal length 70-200mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 15:00-18:00 local. Avoid 08:00-09:00 harsh backlit contrast. |
Zero-Delay Fence Audio
Online streams lag by 30 seconds or more, which is enough to miss the runway change and be on the wrong side of the field. Tower is 118.7 MHz. A handheld VHF airband scanner (Uniden Bearcat BC125AT) at the fence hears the call as it is made. At 205 m from 27, bring a 70-200mm lens.
70-200mm f/2.8 zoom
Inside 250 m a 70-200mm lens fills a narrow-body without cropping the wing.
Search this gearUniden Bearcat BC125AT
Handheld VHF airband scanner for tower and ATIS at the fence. Online streams run 30 seconds or more behind.
Search this gearFlightAware Pro Stick
USB ADS-B receiver if you want tail numbers on a laptop beside the photos.
Search this gearAs of Mon 26 Oct, 20:00 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 05. The METAR wind is 50° at 3 kt. 05 shows +3.0 kt headwind and 0.2 kt crosswind from the left. Closed runways: none listed.
At 08:00 local the sun is at 113° azimuth and 10° elevation. Short final 05 - sunny side scores 81/100, 658 m from runway 27, view bearing 23.7°, best as a afternoon spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 235° and 21°. Short final 05 - sunny side scores 93/100 on a 82.2° 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.
The best time to plane spot at Houari Boumediene Airport (ALG/DAAG) 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: Short final 05 - 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.
DAAG spotting locations sun direction: Short final 05 - sunny side (runway 05) is SIDE LIGHT in the morning, SIDE LIGHT at midday, and CLEAN FRONT LIGHT in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 70-200mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 15:00-18:00 local. Avoid 08:00-09:00 harsh backlit contrast.
Short final 05 - sunny side is 205 m from the 27 centerline, so the lens is 70-200mm. 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.
Monitor Tower 118.7 MHz, Ground 121.8 MHz, Approach 121.4 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.
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near 50° at 3 kt, so 05 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/DAAG#runway-alerts
Get a Telegram ping when Houari Boumediene Airport changes landing or departure runway. One airport or a short list.