London Gatwick Airport (LGW / EGKK) Plane Spotting Map & Live Active Runway Predictor
London, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Gatwick
LGW/EGKK
Updated Tue 27 Oct, 09:58 local
- Active runway
- 26L / 26R
- METAR wind
- 230° @ 7 kt
- Best spot
- Short final 26L - sunny side
- Sun
- 152° / 22°
Wind vector · +6 kt headwind
VFR
Sweet spot
Golden hour in 6h 0m
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Best Gatwick (LGW) plane spotting locations by time of day & sun angle
Live weather
VFR230° @ 7 kt
14°C · 10+ km · 1009 hPa
FEW015 SCT040
Golden hour in 6h 0m
Runway alerts for London Gatwick 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 LGW, 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 26L - sunny side Runway 26L | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | SIDE LIGHT | SIDE LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 08:00-11:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00. |
| Short final 26R - sunny side Runway 26R | SIDE LIGHT | BACKLIT / GLARE | BACKLIT / GLARE | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Best local hours for crisp fuselage illumination: 08:00. Avoid 13:00-17:00 harsh backlit contrast. |
Runway winds and thresholds
Land 26L / 26R · Dep 26L / 26R
| End | Hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 08R | 78° | 10,883 ft | -6.2 kt | 3.3 kt | Standby |
| 26L | 258° | 10,883 ft | +6.2 kt | 3.3 kt | Both |
| 08L | 78° | 8,402 ft | -6.2 kt | 3.3 kt | Standby |
| 26R | 258° | 8,402 ft | +6.2 kt | 3.3 kt | Both |
Recommended camera lenses & ATC radio frequencies for Gatwick (EGKK)
| Facility | MHz | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tower | 124.230 | Published |
| Approach | 126.825 | Published |
| Departure | 124.400 | Assigned |
| Ground | 121.805 | Published |
| Delivery | 121.955 | Published |
| ATIS | 136.525 | 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 Gatwick (LGW/EGKK)
Which runway is active at Gatwick (LGW/EGKK) right now?
As of Tue 27 Oct, 10:00 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 26L+26R. The METAR wind is 230° at 7 kt. 26L shows +6.2 kt headwind and 3.3 kt crosswind from the left. Closed runways: none listed.
Where is the best place to plane spot at Gatwick (LGW) in the morning vs. afternoon?
At 08:00 local the sun is at 125° azimuth and 10° elevation. Short final 26L - sunny side scores 93/100, 1234 m from runway 26L, view bearing 287.3°, best as a morning spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 242° and 6°. Short final 26L - sunny side scores 70/100 on a 287.3° 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 London Gatwick Airport?
The best time to plane spot at London Gatwick Airport (LGW/EGKK) is the window marked CLEAN FRONT LIGHT for the fence you are using. Morning (07:00-11:00) front light: Short final 26L - 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 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 EGKK spotting locations?
EGKK spotting locations sun direction: Short final 26L - sunny side (runway 26L) is CLEAN FRONT LIGHT in the morning, SIDE LIGHT at midday, and SIDE LIGHT in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 08:00-11:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00. Short final 26R - sunny side (runway 26R) 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 13:00-17:00 harsh backlit contrast.
What lens focal length do I need for plane spotting at Gatwick (LGW)?
Short final 26L - sunny side is 1234 m from the 26L 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 Gatwick (EGKK)?
Monitor Tower 124.23 MHz, Ground 121.805 MHz, Approach 126.825 MHz, ATIS 136.525 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 124.23 MHz.
How do I know when Gatwick (LGW) switches active runways?
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near 230° at 7 kt, so 26L 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/EGKK#runway-alerts