London Heathrow Airport (LHR / EGLL) Plane Spotting Map & Live Active Runway Predictor
London, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Heathrow
LHR/EGLL
Updated Tue 27 Oct, 21:46 local
- Active runway
- 27R / 27L
- METAR wind
- 230° @ 10 kt
- Best spot
- Hatton Cross
- Sun
- 317° / -44°
Wind vector · +8 kt headwind
VFR
Night
Sun below the useful photo window
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Best Heathrow (LHR) plane spotting locations by time of day & sun angle
Live weather
VFR230° @ 10 kt
10°C · 10+ km · 1020 hPa
NCD
Sun below the useful photo window
Runway alerts for London Heathrow 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 LHR, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hatton Cross Runway 27L, 27R | SIDE LIGHT | BACKLIT / GLARE | BACKLIT / GLARE | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Best local hours for crisp fuselage illumination: 10:00. Avoid 11:00-16:00 harsh backlit contrast. |
| Myrtle Avenue approach Runway 27L | 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. |
| Stanwell Moor west Runway 09L, 09R | SIDE LIGHT | SIDE LIGHT | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 15:00-17:00 local. Avoid 08:00-09:00 harsh backlit contrast. |
Runway winds and thresholds
Land 27R / 27L · Dep 27R / 27L
| End | Hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09L | 90° | 12,799 ft | -7.7 kt | 6.4 kt | Standby |
| 27R | 270° | 12,799 ft | +7.7 kt | 6.4 kt | Both |
| 09R | 90° | 12,001 ft | -7.7 kt | 6.4 kt | Standby |
| 27L | 270° | 12,001 ft | +7.7 kt | 6.4 kt | Both |
Recommended camera lenses & ATC radio frequencies for Heathrow (EGLL)
| Facility | MHz | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tower | 118.500 | Published |
| Tower | 118.700 | Published |
| Approach | 120.500 | Assigned |
| Departure | 126.750 | Assigned |
| Ground | 121.700 | Published |
| Ground | 121.850 | Published |
| Delivery | 121.975 | Published |
| ATIS | 113.750 | Published |
| ATIS | 115.100 | 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 Heathrow (LHR/EGLL)
Which runway is active at Heathrow (LHR/EGLL) right now?
As of Tue 27 Oct, 21:20 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 27R+27L. The METAR wind is 230° at 10 kt. 27R shows +7.7 kt headwind and 6.4 kt crosswind from the left. Closed runways: none listed.
Where is the best place to plane spot at Heathrow (LHR) in the morning vs. afternoon?
At 08:00 local the sun is at 124° azimuth and 9° elevation. Myrtle Avenue approach scores 97/100, 1136 m from runway 27L, view bearing 305.0°, best as a morning spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 241° and 6°. Hatton Cross scores 76/100 on a 194.7° 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 Heathrow Airport?
The best time to plane spot at London Heathrow Airport (LHR/EGLL) is the window marked CLEAN FRONT LIGHT for the fence you are using. Morning (07:00-11:00) front light: Myrtle Avenue approach. Afternoon / golden hour (14:00-18:00) front light: Stanwell Moor west. Midday (11:00-14:00) is HIGH SUN / TOP LIGHT at 0 of 3 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 EGLL spotting locations?
EGLL spotting locations sun direction: Hatton Cross (runway 27L, 27R) 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: 10:00. Avoid 11:00-16:00 harsh backlit contrast. Myrtle Avenue approach (runway 27L) 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. Stanwell Moor west (runway 09L, 09R) is SIDE LIGHT in the morning, SIDE LIGHT at midday, and CLEAN FRONT LIGHT in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 15:00-17:00 local. Avoid 08:00-09:00 harsh backlit contrast.
What lens focal length do I need for plane spotting at Heathrow (LHR)?
Hatton Cross is 798 m from the 27L 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 244 m from this pin on a 700 m final.
What ATC radio frequencies should I monitor while spotting at Heathrow (EGLL)?
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.
How do I know when Heathrow (LHR) switches active runways?
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near 230° at 10 kt, so 27R 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