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Charleroi, Belgium

Brussels South Charleroi Airport (CRL / EBCI) Plane Spotting Map & Live Active Runway Predictor

Live METAR wind (200° at 13 kt), predicted landing/departure runways (landing and departure 24), hourly sun-angle backlight map, and top photo spots for Brussels South Charleroi Airport.

METAR/TAF WIND VECTOR PREDICTION$3/mo runway-shift alerts

Which runway is active at Brussels South Charleroi (CRL) right now?

As of Mon 26 Oct, 19:20 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 24. The METAR wind is 200° at 13 kt. 24 shows +9.0 kt headwind and 9.4 kt crosswind from the left. Closed runways: none listed. Updated Mon 26 Oct, 19:36.

EndTrue hdgLengthHeadwindCrosswindRole
0666°10,023 ft-9.0 kt9.4 ktStandby
24246°10,023 ft+9.0 kt9.4 ktLanding + departure

METAR EBCI 261820Z 20013KT 9999 BKN013 BKN015 11/08 Q1015 TEMPO BKN010

NIGHT / LOW LIGHT

Live weather

MVFR

200° @ 13 kt

11°C · 10+ km (9999) · 1015 hPa

BKN013 BKN015

Front-lit sector

Backlight / glare cone

Sun ray · amber pins are landmarks

Green pins are calculated. Blue pins are OpenStreetMap parks and viewpoints.

Mon 26 Oct, 19:36Az 275° · El -21°Sun below the useful photo window
+0h local

Best Brussels South Charleroi (CRL) plane spotting locations by time of day & sun angle

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.

  1. Short final 24 - sunny side

    Calculated perimeter

    Score 66/100

    Short final 24 - sunny side sits 1234 m from the 24 centerline. Looking toward the aircraft the bearing is 216.8°. That view is front-lit in the morning (best 08:00 local) with a 150-600mm 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.

    1234 m to centerline
    216.8° view bearing
    Best sun: Morning 08:00
    150-600mm

    Now: Night / Low light

    Google Maps navigation
Suggest a local spot / fence tip

Know a public fence, mound, or lens that works for a specific threshold? Send it in. Tips are reviewed before they show on the map.

Best Time of Day & Lighting Schedule by Spot

Best time to plane spot at Brussels South Charleroi Airport (CRL / EBCI): sun direction for every spotting location, scored from latitude 50.462, longitude 4.460, and the Europe/Brussels 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 LocationMorning (07:00-11:00)Midday (11:00-14:00)Afternoon / Golden Hour (14:00-18:00)JetPhotos / Camera Note

Short final 24 - sunny side

Runway 24

SIDE LIGHTBACKLIT / GLAREBACKLIT / GLARERecommended focal length 150-600mm. Best local hours for crisp fuselage illumination: 08:00. Avoid 13:00-18:00 harsh backlit contrast.

Recommended camera lenses & ATC radio frequencies for Brussels South Charleroi (EBCI)

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 121.3 MHz. D-ATIS is 134.625 MHz. A handheld VHF airband scanner (Uniden Bearcat BC125AT) at the fence hears the call as it is made. At 1234 m from 24, bring a 150-600mm lens.

  • Sony FE 200-600mm

    Beyond 450 m you want 150-600mm. A 200-600mm zoom still frames a heavy jet on a long final.

    Search this gear
  • Uniden Bearcat BC125AT

    Handheld VHF airband scanner for tower and ATIS at the fence. Online streams run 30 seconds or more behind.

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  • FlightAware Pro Stick

    USB ADS-B receiver if you want tail numbers on a laptop beside the photos.

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Frequently asked questions about plane spotting at Brussels South Charleroi (CRL/EBCI)

Which runway is active at Brussels South Charleroi (CRL/EBCI) right now?

As of Mon 26 Oct, 19:20 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 24. The METAR wind is 200° at 13 kt. 24 shows +9.0 kt headwind and 9.4 kt crosswind from the left. Closed runways: none listed.

Where is the best place to plane spot at Brussels South Charleroi (CRL) in the morning vs. afternoon?

At 08:00 local the sun is at 116° azimuth and 5° elevation. Short final 24 - sunny side scores 92/100, 1234 m from runway 24, view bearing 275.3°, best as a morning spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 233° and 12°. Short final 24 - sunny side scores 70/100 on a 275.3° 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 Brussels South Charleroi Airport?

The best time to plane spot at Brussels South Charleroi Airport (CRL/EBCI) 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 EBCI spotting locations?

EBCI spotting locations sun direction: Short final 24 - sunny side (runway 24) 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 Brussels South Charleroi (CRL)?

Short final 24 - sunny side is 1234 m from the 24 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 Brussels South Charleroi (EBCI)?

Monitor Tower 121.3 MHz, Ground 121.8 MHz, Approach 133.125 MHz, ATIS 134.625 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 121.3 MHz.

How do I know when Brussels South Charleroi (CRL) switches active runways?

No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near 200° at 13 kt, so 24 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/EBCI#runway-alerts

Telegram Runway-Shift Alerts · $3/mo

Get a Telegram ping when Brussels South Charleroi Airport changes landing or departure runway. One airport or a short list.

$3/mo · Instant Telegram ping 60 min before a forecast wind shift flips the active runway, plus golden-hour reminders.

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