London, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Live METAR wind (210° at 11 kt), predicted landing/departure runways (landing and departure 27), hourly sun-angle backlight map, and top photo spots for London City Airport.
As of Mon 26 Oct, 18:20 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 27. The METAR wind is 210° at 11 kt. 27 shows +5.0 kt headwind and 9.8 kt crosswind from the left. Closed runways: none listed. Updated Mon 26 Oct, 18:30.
| End | True hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09 | 93° | 4,948 ft | -5.0 kt | 9.8 kt | Standby |
| 27 | 273° | 4,948 ft | +5.0 kt | 9.8 kt | Landing + departure |
METAR EGLC 261820Z AUTO 21011KT 190V250 9999 OVC043 17/13 Q1007
Live weather
VFR210° @ 11 kt
17°C · 10+ km (9999) · 1007 hPa
OVC043
Front-lit sector
Backlight / glare cone
Sun ray · amber pins are landmarks
Green pins are calculated. Blue pins are OpenStreetMap parks and viewpoints.
Every pin below carries original geometry: meters to the nearest runway centerline, the compass bearing toward the aircraft, the morning or afternoon that puts the sun behind that view, and a lens picked only from that distance.
Short final 27 - sunny side
Calculated perimeter
Score 66/100
Short final 27 - sunny side sits 1234 m from the 27 centerline. Looking toward the aircraft the bearing is 302.3°. That view is front-lit in the morning (best 08:00 local) with a 150-600mm lens.
Calculated public-side point about 1.2 km from the landing threshold and 280 m off the centerline, on the sunny side. Confirm the fence is between you and the runway before you stop.
Now: Night / Low light
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Best time to plane spot at London City Airport (LCY / EGLC): sun direction for every spotting location, scored from latitude 51.505, longitude 0.055, and the Europe/London clock plus each spot's view bearing. Morning is 07:00-11:00, midday is 11:00-14:00, and afternoon / golden hour is 14:00-18:00. CLEAN FRONT LIGHT means the sun sits behind the camera. BACKLIT / GLARE means the sun is in the lens. HIGH SUN / TOP LIGHT is overhead midday light.
| Spotting Location | Morning (07:00-11:00) | Midday (11:00-14:00) | Afternoon / Golden Hour (14:00-18:00) | JetPhotos / Camera Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Short final 27 - sunny side Runway 27 | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | SIDE LIGHT | SIDE LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 08:00-12:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00. |
Zero-Delay Fence Audio
Online streams lag by 30 seconds or more, which is enough to miss the runway change and be on the wrong side of the field. Tower is 118.075 MHz. D-ATIS is 136.35 MHz. A handheld VHF airband scanner (Uniden Bearcat BC125AT) at the fence hears the call as it is made. At 1234 m from 27, bring a 150-600mm lens.
Sony FE 200-600mm
Beyond 450 m you want 150-600mm. A 200-600mm zoom still frames a heavy jet on a long final.
Search this gearUniden Bearcat BC125AT
Handheld VHF airband scanner for tower and ATIS at the fence. Online streams run 30 seconds or more behind.
Search this gearFlightAware Pro Stick
USB ADS-B receiver if you want tail numbers on a laptop beside the photos.
Search this gearAs of Mon 26 Oct, 18:20 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 27. The METAR wind is 210° at 11 kt. 27 shows +5.0 kt headwind and 9.8 kt crosswind from the left. Closed runways: none listed.
At 08:00 local the sun is at 125° azimuth and 10° elevation. Short final 27 - sunny side scores 95/100, 1234 m from runway 27, view bearing 302.3°, best as a morning spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 242° and 6°. Short final 27 - sunny side scores 73/100 on a 302.3° 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.
The best time to plane spot at London City Airport (LCY/EGLC) is the window marked CLEAN FRONT LIGHT for the fence you are using. Morning (07:00-11:00) front light: Short final 27 - 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.
EGLC spotting locations sun direction: Short final 27 - sunny side (runway 27) 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 08:00-12:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00.
Short final 27 - sunny side is 1234 m from the 27 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.
Monitor Tower 118.075 MHz, Ground 121.825 MHz, Approach 132.7 MHz, ATIS 136.35 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 118.075 MHz.
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near 210° at 11 kt, so 27 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/EGLC#runway-alerts
Get a Telegram ping when London City Airport changes landing or departure runway. One airport or a short list.