Luanda, Angola
Live METAR wind (230° at 10 kt), predicted landing/departure runways (landing and departure 23), hourly sun-angle backlight map, and top photo spots for Quatro de Fevereiro International Airport.
As of Mon 26 Oct, 20:00 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 23. The METAR wind is 230° at 10 kt. 23 shows +10.0 kt headwind and 0.5 kt crosswind from the right. Closed runways: none listed. Updated Mon 26 Oct, 20:29.
| End | True hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 05 | 47° | 12,190 ft | -10.0 kt | 0.5 kt | Standby |
| 23 | 227° | 12,190 ft | +10.0 kt | 0.5 kt | Landing + departure |
| 07 | 68° | 8,530 ft | -9.5 kt | 3.1 kt | Standby |
| 25 | 248° | 8,530 ft | +9.5 kt | 3.1 kt | Standby |
METAR FNLU 261900Z 23010KT 8000 SCT020 26/23 Q1011 NOSIG
Live weather
MVFR230° @ 10 kt
26°C · 5 SM · 1011 hPa
SCT020
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 23 - sunny side
Calculated perimeter
Score 68/100
Short final 23 - sunny side sits 308 m from the 25 centerline. Looking toward the aircraft the bearing is 197.8°. That view is front-lit in the morning (best 06:00–10:00 local) with a 100-400mm 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 Quatro de Fevereiro International Airport (LAD / FNLU): sun direction for every spotting location, scored from latitude -8.858, longitude 13.231, and the Africa/Luanda 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 23 - sunny side Runway 23 | SIDE LIGHT | HIGH SUN / TOP LIGHT | SIDE LIGHT | Recommended focal length 100-400mm. Best local hours for crisp fuselage illumination: 06:00-10:00. Avoid 12:00-13:00 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 118.1 MHz. A handheld VHF airband scanner (Uniden Bearcat BC125AT) at the fence hears the call as it is made. At 308 m from 25, bring a 100-400mm lens.
Canon RF 100-500mm
From 250 m to 450 m off the centerline, 100-400mm (or this 100-500mm zoom) keeps the airframe tight.
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, 20:00 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 23. The METAR wind is 230° at 10 kt. 23 shows +10.0 kt headwind and 0.5 kt crosswind from the right. Closed runways: none listed.
At 08:00 local the sun is at 99° azimuth and 33° elevation. Short final 23 - sunny side scores 93/100, 236 m from runway 25, view bearing 256.2°, best as a morning spot with a 70-200mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 261° and 29°. Short final 23 - sunny side scores 76/100 on a 197.8° 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 Quatro de Fevereiro International Airport (LAD/FNLU) 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 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.
FNLU spotting locations sun direction: Short final 23 - sunny side (runway 23) is SIDE LIGHT in the morning, HIGH SUN / TOP LIGHT at midday, and SIDE LIGHT in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 100-400mm. Best local hours for crisp fuselage illumination: 06:00-10:00. Avoid 12:00-13:00 harsh backlit contrast.
Short final 23 - sunny side is 308 m from the 25 centerline, so the lens is 100-400mm. 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 119.1 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 230° at 10 kt, so 23 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/FNLU#runway-alerts
Get a Telegram ping when Quatro de Fevereiro International Airport changes landing or departure runway. One airport or a short list.