Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN / EDDK) Plane Spotting Map & Live Active Runway Predictor
Köln (Cologne), Germany
Cologne Bonn
CGN/EDDK
Updated Tue 27 Oct, 10:59 local
- Active runway
- 13L
- METAR wind
- 150° @ 11 kt
- Best spot
- Short final 13L - sunny side
- Sun
- 160° / 24°
Wind vector · +11 kt headwind
VFR
Side-lit
Golden hour in 5h 30m
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Best Cologne Bonn (CGN) plane spotting locations by time of day & sun angle
Live weather
VFR150° @ 11 kt
15°C · 10+ km · 1016 hPa
FEW019
Golden hour in 5h 30m
Runway alerts for Cologne Bonn 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 CGN, 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 13L - sunny side Runway 13L | BACKLIT / GLARE | SIDE LIGHT | SIDE LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Best local hours for crisp fuselage illumination: 16:00. Avoid 08:00-11:00 harsh backlit contrast. |
Runway winds and thresholds
Land 13L · Dep 13L
| End | Hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13L | 138° | 12,516 ft | +10.8 kt | 2.3 kt | Both |
| 31R | 318° | 12,516 ft | -10.8 kt | 2.3 kt | Standby |
| 06 | 64° | 8,067 ft | +0.8 kt | 11.0 kt | Standby |
| 24 | 244° | 8,067 ft | -0.8 kt | 11.0 kt | Standby |
| 13R | 138° | 6,112 ft | +10.8 kt | 2.3 kt | Standby |
| 31L | 318° | 6,112 ft | -10.8 kt | 2.3 kt | Standby |
Recommended camera lenses & ATC radio frequencies for Cologne Bonn (EDDK)
| Facility | MHz | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tower | 124.980 | Published |
| Approach | 121.200 | Assigned |
| Departure | 125.050 | Assigned |
| Ground | 121.730 | Published |
| Delivery | 121.855 | Published |
| ATIS | 132.130 | 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 Cologne Bonn (CGN/EDDK)
Which runway is active at Cologne Bonn (CGN/EDDK) right now?
As of Tue 27 Oct, 11:00 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 13L. The METAR wind is 150° at 11 kt. 13L shows +10.8 kt headwind and 2.3 kt crosswind from the right. Closed runways: none listed.
Where is the best place to plane spot at Cologne Bonn (CGN) in the morning vs. afternoon?
At 08:00 local the sun is at 118° azimuth and 6° elevation. Short final 13L - sunny side scores 71/100, 1234 m from runway 13L, view bearing 167.2°, best as a midday spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 235° and 10°. Short final 13L - sunny side scores 86/100 on a 108.7° 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 Cologne Bonn Airport?
The best time to plane spot at Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN/EDDK) 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 EDDK spotting locations?
EDDK spotting locations sun direction: Short final 13L - sunny side (runway 13L) is BACKLIT / GLARE in the morning, SIDE LIGHT at midday, and SIDE LIGHT in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Best local hours for crisp fuselage illumination: 16:00. Avoid 08:00-11:00 harsh backlit contrast.
What lens focal length do I need for plane spotting at Cologne Bonn (CGN)?
Short final 13L - sunny side is 1234 m from the 13L 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 Cologne Bonn (EDDK)?
Monitor Tower 124.98 MHz, Ground 121.73 MHz, ATIS 132.13 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 124.98 MHz.
How do I know when Cologne Bonn (CGN) switches active runways?
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near 150° at 11 kt, so 13L 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/EDDK#runway-alerts