Cape Town, South Africa
Live METAR wind (180° at 19 kt), predicted landing/departure runways (landing and departure 19), hourly sun-angle backlight map, and top photo spots for Cape Town International Airport.
As of Mon 26 Oct, 15:00 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 19. The METAR wind is 180° at 19 kt. 19 shows +18.4 kt headwind and 4.6 kt crosswind from the right. Closed runways: none listed. Updated Mon 26 Oct, 15:40.
| End | True hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | 346° | 10,502 ft | -18.4 kt | 4.6 kt | Standby |
| 19 | 166° | 10,502 ft | +18.4 kt | 4.6 kt | Landing + departure |
| 16 | 136° | 5,581 ft | +13.7 kt | 13.2 kt | Standby |
| 34 | 316° | 5,581 ft | -13.7 kt | 13.2 kt | Standby |
METAR FACT 261300Z 18019KT 9999 FEW030 21/13 Q1018 NOSIG
Live weather
VFR180° @ 19 kt
21°C · 10+ km (9999) · 1018 hPa
FEW030
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 19 - sunny side
Calculated perimeter
Score 90/100
Short final 19 - sunny side sits 1234 m from the 19 centerline. Looking toward the aircraft the bearing is 136.8°. That view is front-lit in the afternoon (best 14:00 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: Frontlit
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 118.1 MHz. D-ATIS is 127.0 MHz. A handheld VHF airband scanner (Uniden Bearcat BC125AT) at the fence hears the call as it is made. At 1234 m from 19, 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, 15:00 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 19. The METAR wind is 180° at 19 kt. 19 shows +18.4 kt headwind and 4.6 kt crosswind from the right. Closed runways: none listed.
At 08:00 local the sun is at 88° azimuth and 25° elevation. Short final 19 - sunny side scores 82/100, 1234 m from runway 19, view bearing 195.2°, best as a morning spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 281° and 38°. Short final 19 - sunny side scores 89/100 on a 136.8° 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.
Short final 19 - sunny side is 1234 m from the 19 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 118.1 MHz, Ground 121.9 MHz, Approach 119.7 MHz, ATIS 127.0 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 118.1 MHz.
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near 180° at 19 kt, so 19 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/FACT#runway-alerts
Get a Telegram ping when Cape Town International Airport changes landing or departure runway. One airport or a short list.