Spotter

Düsseldorf Airport (DUS / EDDL) Plane Spotting Map & Live Active Runway Predictor

Düsseldorf, Germany

Dusseldorf

DUS/EDDL

Updated Tue 27 Oct, 13:41 local

Active runway
23L / 23R

Wind vector · +5 kt headwind

METAR wind
170° @ 11 kt

VFR

Best spot
Short final 23L - sunny side

Side-lit

Sun
202° / 23°

Golden hour in 2h 49m

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Best Dusseldorf (DUS) plane spotting locations by time of day & sun angle

Live weather

VFR

170° @ 11 kt

18°C · 10+ km · 1014 hPa

FEW027

Tue 27 Oct, 13:41 localAz 202° · El 23°Side-lit

Golden hour in 2h 49m

+0h

Runway alerts for Düsseldorf Airport

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Spotting guideRunway windsATC frequencies

Lighting schedule

Morning 07:00-11:00, midday 11:00-14:00, afternoon 14:00-18:00 at DUS, scored from each spot's view bearing.

Spotting LocationMorning (07:00-11:00)Midday (11:00-14:00)Afternoon / Golden Hour (14:00-18:00)JetPhotos / Camera Note
Short final 23L - sunny side

Runway 23L

SIDE LIGHTSIDE LIGHTBACKLIT / GLARERecommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 08:00-10:00 local. Avoid 16:00-17:00 harsh backlit contrast.
Short final 23R - sunny side

Runway 23R

SIDE LIGHTBACKLIT / GLAREBACKLIT / GLARERecommended focal length 150-600mm. Best local hours for crisp fuselage illumination: 08:00. Avoid 12:00-17:00 harsh backlit contrast.
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Frequently asked questions about plane spotting at Dusseldorf (DUS/EDDL)

Which runway is active at Dusseldorf (DUS/EDDL) right now?

As of Tue 27 Oct, 13:20 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 23L+23R. The METAR wind is 170° at 11 kt. 23L shows +5.0 kt headwind and 9.8 kt crosswind from the left. Closed runways: none listed.

Where is the best place to plane spot at Dusseldorf (DUS) in the morning vs. afternoon?

At 08:00 local the sun is at 118° azimuth and 5° elevation. Short final 23L - sunny side scores 89/100, 1234 m from runway 23L, view bearing 262.3°, best as a morning spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 235° and 10°. Short final 23R - sunny side scores 68/100 on a 203.8° 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 Düsseldorf Airport?

The best time to plane spot at Düsseldorf Airport (DUS/EDDL) 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 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 EDDL spotting locations?

EDDL spotting locations sun direction: Short final 23L - sunny side (runway 23L) is SIDE LIGHT in the morning, SIDE LIGHT at midday, and BACKLIT / GLARE in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 08:00-10:00 local. Avoid 16:00-17:00 harsh backlit contrast. Short final 23R - sunny side (runway 23R) 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 12:00-17:00 harsh backlit contrast.

What lens focal length do I need for plane spotting at Dusseldorf (DUS)?

Short final 23L - sunny side is 1234 m from the 23L 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 Dusseldorf (EDDL)?

Monitor Tower 118.305 MHz, Ground 121.905 MHz, Approach 128.65 MHz, ATIS 123.78 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 118.305 MHz.

How do I know when Dusseldorf (DUS) switches active runways?

No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near 170° at 11 kt, so 23L 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/EDDL#runway-alerts