Cork, Ireland
Live METAR wind (190° at 23 kt), predicted landing/departure runways (landing and departure 16), hourly sun-angle backlight map, and top photo spots for Cork International Airport.
As of Mon 26 Oct, 18:00 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 16. The METAR wind is 190° at 23 kt. 16 shows +19.9 kt headwind and 11.5 kt crosswind from the right. Closed runways: none listed. Updated Mon 26 Oct, 18:31.
| End | True hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | 160° | 6,998 ft | +19.9 kt | 11.5 kt | Landing + departure |
| 34 | 340° | 6,998 ft | -19.9 kt | 11.5 kt | Standby |
| 07 | 63° | 4,298 ft | -13.8 kt | 18.4 kt | Standby |
| 25 | 243° | 4,298 ft | +13.8 kt | 18.4 kt | Standby |
TAF at Mon 26 Oct, 21:00 shifts the wind to 240° at 20 kt, favoring 25 in about 2.5 hours.
METAR EICK 261800Z 19023G34KT 1800 RADZ BR BKN002 BKN003 14/14 Q0990 TEMPO 3000 RA
Live weather
LIFR190° @ 23 kt G34
14°C · 1.1 SM · 990 hPa
BKN002 BKN003
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 16 - sunny side
Calculated perimeter
Score 66/100
Short final 16 - sunny side sits 1234 m from the 16 centerline. Looking toward the aircraft the bearing is 130.7°. That view is front-lit in the afternoon (best 16:00 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 Cork International Airport (ORK / EICK): sun direction for every spotting location, scored from latitude 51.841, longitude -8.491, and the Europe/Dublin 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 16 - sunny side Runway 16 | BACKLIT / GLARE | SIDE LIGHT | SIDE LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Best local hours for crisp fuselage illumination: 16:00. Avoid 08:00-12:00 harsh backlit contrast. |
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 119.3 MHz. D-ATIS is 120.925 MHz. A handheld VHF airband scanner (Uniden Bearcat BC125AT) at the fence hears the call as it is made. At 1234 m from 16, 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, 18:00 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 16. The METAR wind is 190° at 23 kt. 16 shows +19.9 kt headwind and 11.5 kt crosswind from the right. Closed runways: none listed.
At 08:00 local the sun is at 118° azimuth and 5° elevation. Short final 16 - sunny side scores 75/100, 1234 m from runway 16, view bearing 189.2°, best as a midday spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 235° and 10°. Short final 16 - sunny side scores 81/100 on a 130.7° 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.
The best time to plane spot at Cork International Airport (ORK/EICK) is the window marked CLEAN FRONT LIGHT for the fence you are using. Morning (07:00-11:00) front light: no listed spot stays fully front-lit. 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.
EICK spotting locations sun direction: Short final 16 - sunny side (runway 16) is BACKLIT / GLARE in the morning, SIDE LIGHT at midday, and SIDE LIGHT in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Best local hours for crisp fuselage illumination: 16:00. Avoid 08:00-12:00 harsh backlit contrast.
Short final 16 - sunny side is 1234 m from the 16 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 119.3 MHz, Ground 121.85 MHz, Approach 119.9 MHz, ATIS 120.925 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 119.3 MHz.
TAF at Mon 26 Oct, 21:00 shifts the wind to 240° at 20 kt, favoring 25 in about 2.5 hours. 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/EICK#runway-alerts
Get a Telegram ping when Cork International Airport changes landing or departure runway. One airport or a short list.