London, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Live METAR wind (170° at 15 kt), predicted landing/departure runways (landing and departure 09L+09R), hourly sun-angle backlight map, and top photo spots for London Heathrow Airport.
As of Mon 26 Oct, 12:20 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 09L+09R. The METAR wind is 170° at 15 kt. 09L shows +2.6 kt headwind and 14.8 kt crosswind from the right. Closed runways: none listed. Updated Mon 26 Oct, 12:46.
| End | True hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09L | 90° | 12,799 ft | +2.6 kt | 14.8 kt | Landing + departure |
| 27R | 270° | 12,799 ft | -2.6 kt | 14.8 kt | Standby |
| 09R | 90° | 12,001 ft | +2.6 kt | 14.8 kt | Landing + departure |
| 27L | 270° | 12,001 ft | -2.6 kt | 14.8 kt | Standby |
METAR EGLL 261220Z AUTO 17015KT 160V230 9999 -RADZ BKN009 13/12 Q1008
Live weather
IFR170° @ 15 kt
13°C · 10+ km (9999) · 1008 hPa
BKN009
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.
Stanwell Moor west
Landmark
Score 76/100
Stanwell Moor west sits 1331 m from the 09L centerline. Looking toward the aircraft the bearing is 115.0°. That view is front-lit in the afternoon (best 16:00 local) with a 150-600mm lens.
West of the 09 thresholds for easterly arrivals. Flat fields and a public road, often muddy.
Now: Side light
Google Maps navigationHatton Cross
Landmark
Score 30/100
Hatton Cross sits 798 m from the 27L centerline. Looking toward the aircraft the bearing is 267.2°. That view is front-lit in the morning (best 08:00 local) with a 150-600mm lens.
Public pavement by the station, east of the 27s. Planes are low. Keep clear of the road.
Now: Side light
Google Maps navigationMyrtle Avenue approach
Landmark
Score 28/100
Myrtle Avenue approach sits 1136 m from the 27L centerline. Looking toward the aircraft the bearing is 272.8°. That view is front-lit in the morning (best 08:00 local) with a 150-600mm lens.
Residential street south of the 27L extended centerline. Be a guest: no ladders on private fences, no blocking drives.
Now: Side light
Google Maps navigationKnow a public fence, mound, or lens that works for a specific threshold? Send it in. Tips are reviewed before they show on the map.
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 118.5 MHz. D-ATIS is 113.75 MHz. A handheld VHF airband scanner (Uniden Bearcat BC125AT) at the fence hears the call as it is made. At 1331 m from 09L, 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, 12:20 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 09L+09R. The METAR wind is 170° at 15 kt. 09L shows +2.6 kt headwind and 14.8 kt crosswind from the right. Closed runways: none listed.
At 08:00 local the sun is at 124° azimuth and 10° elevation. Stanwell Moor west scores 62/100, 1331 m from runway 09L, view bearing 115.0°, best as a afternoon spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 241° and 6°. Stanwell Moor west scores 84/100 on a 115.0° 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.
Stanwell Moor west is 1331 m from the 09L 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 662 m from this pin on a 700 m final.
Monitor Tower 118.5 MHz, Ground 121.7 MHz, ATIS 113.75 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 118.5 MHz.
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near 170° at 15 kt, so 09L 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/EGLL#runway-alerts
Get a Telegram ping when London Heathrow Airport changes landing or departure runway. One airport or a short list.