Birmingham Airport (BHX / EGBB) Plane Spotting Map & Live Active Runway Predictor
Birmingham, West Midlands, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Birmingham
BHX/EGBB
Updated Tue 27 Oct, 09:58 local
- Active runway
- 33
- METAR wind
- 240° @ 9 kt
- Best spot
- Short final 33 - sunny side
- Sun
- 151° / 21°
Wind vector · +0 kt headwind
VFR
Sweet spot
Golden hour in 6h 1m
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Best Birmingham (BHX) plane spotting locations by time of day & sun angle
Live weather
VFR240° @ 9 kt
14°C · 10+ km · 1006 hPa
BKN035
Golden hour in 6h 1m
Runway alerts for Birmingham 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 BHX, 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 33 - sunny side Runway 33 | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | SIDE LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 09:00-15:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00. |
Runway winds and thresholds
Land 33 · Dep 33
| End | Hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | 148° | 10,013 ft | -0.3 kt | 9.0 kt | Standby |
| 33 | 328° | 10,013 ft | +0.3 kt | 9.0 kt | Both |
Recommended camera lenses & ATC radio frequencies for Birmingham (EGBB)
| Facility | MHz | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tower | 118.300 | Published |
| Approach | 118.050 | Published |
| Approach | 123.975 | Published |
| Departure | 125.550 | Assigned |
| Ground | 121.800 | Published |
| Delivery | 128.450 | Assigned |
| ATIS | 136.020 | 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 Birmingham (BHX/EGBB)
Which runway is active at Birmingham (BHX/EGBB) right now?
As of Tue 27 Oct, 10:00 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 33. The METAR wind is 240° at 9 kt. 33 shows +0.3 kt headwind and 9.0 kt crosswind from the left. Closed runways: none listed.
Where is the best place to plane spot at Birmingham (BHX) in the morning vs. afternoon?
At 08:00 local the sun is at 123° azimuth and 8° elevation. Short final 33 - sunny side scores 95/100, 1233 m from runway 33, view bearing 298.8°, best as a morning spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 240° and 6°. Short final 33 - sunny side scores 84/100 on a 357.3° 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 Birmingham Airport?
The best time to plane spot at Birmingham Airport (BHX/EGBB) is the window marked CLEAN FRONT LIGHT for the fence you are using. Morning (07:00-11:00) front light: Short final 33 - sunny side. 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 EGBB spotting locations?
EGBB spotting locations sun direction: Short final 33 - sunny side (runway 33) is CLEAN FRONT LIGHT in the morning, CLEAN FRONT LIGHT at midday, and SIDE LIGHT in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 09:00-15:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00.
What lens focal length do I need for plane spotting at Birmingham (BHX)?
Short final 33 - sunny side is 1234 m from the 33 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 Birmingham (EGBB)?
Monitor Tower 118.3 MHz, Ground 121.8 MHz, Approach 118.05 MHz, ATIS 136.02 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 118.3 MHz.
How do I know when Birmingham (BHX) switches active runways?
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near 240° at 9 kt, so 33 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/EGBB#runway-alerts