Cape Town International Airport (CPT / FACT) Plane Spotting Map & Live Active Runway Predictor
Cape Town, South Africa
Cape Town
CPT/FACT
Updated Tue 27 Oct, 11:56 local
- Active runway
- 34
- METAR wind
- 280° @ 8 kt
- Best spot
- Short final 34 - sunny side
- Sun
- 22° / 67°
Wind vector · +6 kt headwind
VFR
Side-lit
Golden hour in 6h 40m
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Best Cape Town (CPT) plane spotting locations by time of day & sun angle
Live weather
VFR280° @ 8 kt
22°C · 10+ km · 1022 hPa
FEW035
Golden hour in 6h 40m
Runway alerts for Cape Town International 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 CPT, 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 34 - sunny side Runway 34 | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | HIGH SUN / TOP LIGHT | BACKLIT / GLARE | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 07:00-11:00 local. Avoid 14:00-18:00 harsh backlit contrast. |
Runway winds and thresholds
Land 34 · Dep 34
TAF at Tue 27 Oct, 13:00 shifts the wind to 180° at 12 kt, favoring 19 in about 1.1 hours.
| End | Hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | 346° | 10,502 ft | +3.3 kt | 7.3 kt | Standby |
| 19 | 166° | 10,502 ft | -3.3 kt | 7.3 kt | Standby |
| 16 | 136° | 5,581 ft | -6.5 kt | 4.7 kt | Standby |
| 34 | 316° | 5,581 ft | +6.5 kt | 4.7 kt | Both |
Recommended camera lenses & ATC radio frequencies for Cape Town (FACT)
| Facility | MHz | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tower | 118.100 | Published |
| Approach | 119.700 | Published |
| Approach | 124.500 | Published |
| Departure | 124.700 | Assigned |
| Ground | 121.900 | Published |
| Delivery | 122.100 | Published |
| ATIS | 127.000 | Published |
| ATIS | 127.600 | 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 Cape Town (CPT/FACT)
Which runway is active at Cape Town (CPT/FACT) right now?
As of Tue 27 Oct, 11:00 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 34. The METAR wind is 280° at 8 kt. 34 shows +6.5 kt headwind and 4.7 kt crosswind from the left. Closed runways: none listed.
Where is the best place to plane spot at Cape Town (CPT) in the morning vs. afternoon?
At 08:00 local the sun is at 88° azimuth and 26° elevation. Short final 34 - sunny side scores 92/100, 1234 m from runway 34, view bearing 286.7°, best as a morning spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 281° and 38°. Short final 34 - sunny side scores 74/100 on a 345.2° 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 Cape Town International Airport?
The best time to plane spot at Cape Town International Airport (CPT/FACT) is the window marked CLEAN FRONT LIGHT for the fence you are using. Morning (07:00-11:00) front light: Short final 34 - sunny side. 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 1 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 FACT spotting locations?
FACT spotting locations sun direction: Short final 34 - sunny side (runway 34) is CLEAN FRONT LIGHT in the morning, HIGH SUN / TOP LIGHT at midday, and BACKLIT / GLARE in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 07:00-11:00 local. Avoid 14:00-18:00 harsh backlit contrast.
What lens focal length do I need for plane spotting at Cape Town (CPT)?
Short final 34 - sunny side is 1234 m from the 34 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 Cape Town (FACT)?
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.
How do I know when Cape Town (CPT) switches active runways?
TAF at Tue 27 Oct, 13:00 shifts the wind to 180° at 12 kt, favoring 19 in about 1.1 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/FACT#runway-alerts