Amsterdam, Netherlands, Kingdom of the
Live METAR wind (190° at 15 kt), predicted landing/departure runways (landing 18R+18L+18C, departure 18R+18L), hourly sun-angle backlight map, and top photo spots for Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.
As of Mon 26 Oct, 22:25 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing 18R+18L+18C, departure 18R+18L. The METAR wind is 190° at 15 kt. 18R shows +14.9 kt headwind and 1.8 kt crosswind from the right. Closed runways: none listed. Updated Mon 26 Oct, 22:34.
| End | True hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18R | 183° | 12,467 ft | +14.9 kt | 1.8 kt | Landing + departure |
| 36L | 3° | 12,467 ft | -14.9 kt | 1.8 kt | Standby |
| 09 | 87° | 11,329 ft | -3.4 kt | 14.6 kt | Standby |
| 27 | 267° | 11,329 ft | +3.4 kt | 14.6 kt | Standby |
| 06 | 58° | 11,283 ft | -10.0 kt | 11.1 kt | Standby |
| 24 | 238° | 11,283 ft | +10.0 kt | 11.1 kt | Standby |
| 18L | 183° | 11,155 ft | +14.9 kt | 1.8 kt | Landing + departure |
| 36R | 3° | 11,155 ft | -14.9 kt | 1.8 kt | Standby |
| 18C | 183° | 10,826 ft | +14.9 kt | 1.8 kt | Landing |
| 36C | 3° | 10,826 ft | -14.9 kt | 1.8 kt | Standby |
| 04 | 41° | 6,627 ft | -12.9 kt | 7.7 kt | Standby |
| 22 | 221° | 6,627 ft | +12.9 kt | 7.7 kt | Standby |
METAR EHAM 262125Z 19015KT 9999 FEW006 BKN008 12/11 Q1010 TEMPO BKN012
Live weather
IFR190° @ 15 kt
12°C · 10+ km (9999) · 1010 hPa
FEW006 BKN008
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.
Vijfhuizen Polderbaan
Landmark
Score 63/100
Vijfhuizen Polderbaan sits 1429 m from the 18R centerline. Looking toward the aircraft the bearing is 204.8°. That view is front-lit in the morning (best 08:00 local) with a 150-600mm lens.
North of the Polderbaan. Open polder, windy, very little cover.
Now: Night / Low light
Google Maps navigationSpottersplaats Buitenveldertbaan
Landmark
Score 55/100
Spottersplaats Buitenveldertbaan sits 294 m from the 27 centerline. Looking toward the aircraft the bearing is 310.8°. That view is front-lit in the morning (best 09:00–10:00 local) with a 100-400mm lens.
Official paved spotter place beside the Buitenveldertbaan. Family-friendly, respect the fence line.
Now: Night / Low light
Google Maps navigationSchiphol Panorama Terrace
Landmark
Score 30/100
Schiphol Panorama Terrace sits 834 m from the 24 centerline. Looking toward the aircraft the bearing is 332.0°. That view is front-lit in the morning (best 10:00–11:00 local) with a 150-600mm lens.
Terminal terrace. Short walk from security, no fence, house rules apply.
Now: Night / Low 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.
Best time to plane spot at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS / EHAM): sun direction for every spotting location, scored from latitude 52.309, longitude 4.764, and the Europe/Amsterdam 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Vijfhuizen Polderbaan Runway 18R, 36L | SIDE LIGHT | BACKLIT / GLARE | BACKLIT / GLARE | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Best local hours for crisp fuselage illumination: 08:00. Avoid 12:00-17:00 harsh backlit contrast. |
Spottersplaats Buitenveldertbaan Runway 27, 09 | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | SIDE LIGHT | SIDE LIGHT | Recommended focal length 100-400mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 08:00-13:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00. |
Schiphol Panorama Terrace Runway 18C, 36C, 24, 06 | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | SIDE LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 08:00-14:00 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 118.105 MHz. D-ATIS is 122.2 MHz. A handheld VHF airband scanner (Uniden Bearcat BC125AT) at the fence hears the call as it is made. At 1429 m from 18R, 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, 22:25 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing 18R+18L+18C, departure 18R+18L. The METAR wind is 190° at 15 kt. 18R shows +14.9 kt headwind and 1.8 kt crosswind from the right. Closed runways: none listed.
At 08:00 local the sun is at 116° azimuth and 4° elevation. Spottersplaats Buitenveldertbaan scores 83/100, 294 m from runway 27, view bearing 310.8°, best as a morning spot with a 100-400mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 233° and 11°. Spottersplaats Buitenveldertbaan scores 66/100 on a 310.8° 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 Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS/EHAM) is the window marked CLEAN FRONT LIGHT for the fence you are using. Morning (07:00-11:00) front light: Spottersplaats Buitenveldertbaan, Schiphol Panorama Terrace. 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 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.
EHAM spotting locations sun direction: Vijfhuizen Polderbaan (runway 18R, 36L) 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 12:00-17:00 harsh backlit contrast. Spottersplaats Buitenveldertbaan (runway 27, 09) is CLEAN FRONT LIGHT in the morning, SIDE LIGHT at midday, and SIDE LIGHT in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 100-400mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 08:00-13:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00. Schiphol Panorama Terrace (runway 18C, 36C, 24, 06) 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 08:00-14:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00.
Vijfhuizen Polderbaan is 1429 m from the 18R 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 754 m from this pin on a 700 m final.
Monitor Tower 118.105 MHz, Ground 121.56 MHz, Approach 119.055 MHz, ATIS 122.2 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 118.105 MHz.
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near 190° at 15 kt, so 18R 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/EHAM#runway-alerts
Get a Telegram ping when Amsterdam Airport Schiphol changes landing or departure runway. One airport or a short list.