Helsinki Vantaa Airport (HEL / EFHK) Plane Spotting Map & Live Active Runway Predictor
Helsinki (Vantaa), Finland
Helsinki
HEL/EFHK
Updated Tue 27 Oct, 16:02 local
- Active runway
- 22L / 22R
- METAR wind
- 210° @ 17 kt
- Best spot
- Short final 22L - sunny side
- Sun
- 237° / 3°
Wind vector · +16 kt headwind
VFR
Backlit
Evening golden hour now, sunset in 37 min
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Best Helsinki (HEL) plane spotting locations by time of day & sun angle
Live weather
VFR210° @ 17 kt
11°C · 10+ km · 1019 hPa
FEW017 SCT025 BKN033
Evening golden hour now, sunset in 37 min
Runway alerts for Helsinki Vantaa 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 HEL, 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 22L - sunny side Runway 22L | SIDE LIGHT | BACKLIT / GLARE | BACKLIT / GLARE | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Best local hours for crisp fuselage illumination: 09:00. Avoid 11:00-17:00 harsh backlit contrast. |
| Short final 22R - sunny side Runway 22R | SIDE LIGHT | BACKLIT / GLARE | BACKLIT / GLARE | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Best local hours for crisp fuselage illumination: 09:00. Avoid 11:00-17:00 harsh backlit contrast. |
Runway winds and thresholds
Land 22L / 22R · Dep 22L / 22R
| End | Hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 04R | 48° | 11,483 ft | -16.2 kt | 5.3 kt | Standby |
| 22L | 228° | 11,483 ft | +16.2 kt | 5.3 kt | Both |
| 04L | 48° | 10,039 ft | -16.2 kt | 5.3 kt | Standby |
| 22R | 228° | 10,039 ft | +16.2 kt | 5.3 kt | Both |
| 15 | 154° | 9,518 ft | +9.5 kt | 14.1 kt | Standby |
| 33 | 334° | 9,518 ft | -9.5 kt | 14.1 kt | Standby |
Recommended camera lenses & ATC radio frequencies for Helsinki (EFHK)
| Facility | MHz | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tower | 118.600 | Published |
| Tower | 118.850 | Published |
| Approach | 119.100 | Published |
| Approach | 129.850 | Published |
| Departure | 126.300 | Assigned |
| Ground | 121.800 | Published |
| Delivery | 118.125 | Published |
| ATIS | 114.200 | Published |
| ATIS | 135.075 | 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 Helsinki (HEL/EFHK)
Which runway is active at Helsinki (HEL/EFHK) right now?
As of Tue 27 Oct, 16:00 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 22L+22R. The METAR wind is 210° at 17 kt. 22L shows +16.2 kt headwind and 5.3 kt crosswind from the left. Closed runways: none listed.
Where is the best place to plane spot at Helsinki (HEL) in the morning vs. afternoon?
At 08:00 local the sun is at 121° azimuth and 2° elevation. Short final 22L - sunny side scores 88/100, 1234 m from runway 22L, view bearing 257.3°, best as a morning spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 237° and 3°. Short final 22L - sunny side scores 69/100 on a 198.8° 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 Helsinki Vantaa Airport?
The best time to plane spot at Helsinki Vantaa Airport (HEL/EFHK) 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 EFHK spotting locations?
EFHK spotting locations sun direction: Short final 22L - sunny side (runway 22L) 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: 09:00. Avoid 11:00-17:00 harsh backlit contrast. Short final 22R - sunny side (runway 22R) 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: 09:00. Avoid 11:00-17:00 harsh backlit contrast.
What lens focal length do I need for plane spotting at Helsinki (HEL)?
Short final 22L - sunny side is 1234 m from the 22L 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 Helsinki (EFHK)?
Monitor Tower 118.6 MHz, Ground 121.8 MHz, Approach 119.1 MHz, ATIS 114.2 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 118.6 MHz.
How do I know when Helsinki (HEL) switches active runways?
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near 210° at 17 kt, so 22L 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/EFHK#runway-alerts