Warsaw Chopin Airport (WAW / EPWA) Plane Spotting Map & Live Active Runway Predictor
Warsaw, Poland
Warsaw Chopin
WAW/EPWA
Updated Tue 27 Oct, 10:56 local
- Active runway
- 15
- METAR wind
- 150° @ 4 kt
- Best spot
- Short final 15 - sunny side
- Sun
- 174° / 25°
Wind vector · +4 kt headwind
VFR
Side-lit
Golden hour in 4h 34m
Side-litWant a Telegram ping when EPWA flips runways? Subscribe for $3/mo
Best Warsaw Chopin (WAW) plane spotting locations by time of day & sun angle
Live weather
VFR150° @ 4 kt
10°C · 10+ km · 1026 hPa
CAVOK
Golden hour in 4h 34m
Runway alerts for Warsaw Chopin 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 WAW, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Short final 15 - sunny side Runway 15 | BACKLIT / GLARE | SIDE LIGHT | SIDE LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Best local hours for crisp fuselage illumination: 15:00. Avoid 07:00-11:00 harsh backlit contrast. |
Runway winds and thresholds
Land 15 · Dep 15
| End | Hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | 152° | 12,106 ft | +4.0 kt | 0.1 kt | Both |
| 33 | 332° | 12,106 ft | -4.0 kt | 0.1 kt | Standby |
| 11 | 115° | 9,186 ft | +3.3 kt | 2.3 kt | Standby |
| 29 | 295° | 9,186 ft | -3.3 kt | 2.3 kt | Standby |
Recommended camera lenses & ATC radio frequencies for Warsaw Chopin (EPWA)
| Facility | MHz | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tower | 118.305 | Published |
| Approach | 125.055 | Published |
| Approach | 128.805 | Published |
| Departure | 124.375 | Assigned |
| Ground | 121.905 | Published |
| Delivery | 121.605 | Published |
| ATIS | 120.455 | Published |
| ATIS | 123.430 | 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 Warsaw Chopin (WAW/EPWA)
Which runway is active at Warsaw Chopin (WAW/EPWA) right now?
As of Tue 27 Oct, 10:30 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 15. The METAR wind is 150° at 4 kt. 15 shows +4.0 kt headwind and 0.1 kt crosswind from the left. Closed runways: none listed.
Where is the best place to plane spot at Warsaw Chopin (WAW) in the morning vs. afternoon?
At 08:00 local the sun is at 130° azimuth and 12° elevation. Short final 15 - sunny side scores 71/100, 1234 m from runway 15, view bearing 181.2°, best as a midday spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 246° and 2°. Short final 15 - sunny side scores 85/100 on a 122.7° 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 Warsaw Chopin Airport?
The best time to plane spot at Warsaw Chopin Airport (WAW/EPWA) 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.
What is the sun direction at EPWA spotting locations?
EPWA spotting locations sun direction: Short final 15 - sunny side (runway 15) 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: 15:00. Avoid 07:00-11:00 harsh backlit contrast.
What lens focal length do I need for plane spotting at Warsaw Chopin (WAW)?
Short final 15 - sunny side is 1234 m from the 15 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.
What ATC radio frequencies should I monitor while spotting at Warsaw Chopin (EPWA)?
Monitor Tower 118.305 MHz, Ground 121.905 MHz, Approach 125.055 MHz, ATIS 120.455 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 118.305 MHz.
How do I know when Warsaw Chopin (WAW) switches active runways?
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near 150° at 4 kt, so 15 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/EPWA#runway-alerts