Gran Canaria Airport (LPA / GCLP) Plane Spotting Map & Live Active Runway Predictor
Gran Canaria Island, Spain
Gran Canaria
LPA/GCLP
Updated Tue 27 Oct, 17:53 local
- Active runway
- 03L / 03R
- METAR wind
- 20° @ 12 kt
- Best spot
- Short final 03L - sunny side
- Sun
- 253° / 5°
Wind vector · +12 kt headwind
VFR
Sweet spot
Evening golden hour now, sunset in 29 min
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Best Gran Canaria (LPA) plane spotting locations by time of day & sun angle
Live weather
VFR20° @ 12 kt
25°C · 10+ km · 1017 hPa
FEW020
Evening golden hour now, sunset in 29 min
Runway alerts for Gran Canaria 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 LPA, 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 03L - sunny side Runway 03L | SIDE LIGHT | SIDE LIGHT | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 13:00-18:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00. |
| Short final 03R - sunny side Runway 03R | SIDE LIGHT | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | SIDE LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 10:00-15:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00. |
Runway winds and thresholds
Land 03L / 03R · Dep 03L / 03R
| End | Hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 03L | 22° | 10,171 ft | +12.0 kt | 0.4 kt | Both |
| 21R | 202° | 10,171 ft | -12.0 kt | 0.4 kt | Standby |
| 03R | 22° | 10,171 ft | +12.0 kt | 0.4 kt | Both |
| 21L | 202° | 10,171 ft | -12.0 kt | 0.4 kt | Standby |
Recommended camera lenses & ATC radio frequencies for Gran Canaria (GCLP)
| Facility | MHz | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tower | 118.300 | Published |
| Approach | 120.900 | Published |
| Departure | 124.200 | Assigned |
| Ground | 121.700 | Published |
| Delivery | 128.800 | Assigned |
| ATIS | 118.600 | 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 Gran Canaria (LPA/GCLP)
Which runway is active at Gran Canaria (LPA/GCLP) right now?
As of Tue 27 Oct, 17:30 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 03L+03R. The METAR wind is 20° at 12 kt. 03L shows +12.0 kt headwind and 0.4 kt crosswind from the left. Closed runways: none listed.
Where is the best place to plane spot at Gran Canaria (LPA) in the morning vs. afternoon?
At 08:00 local the sun is at 110° azimuth and 10° elevation. Short final 03R - sunny side scores 84/100, 1234 m from runway 03R, view bearing 352.8°, best as a midday spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 236° and 28°. Short final 03L - sunny side scores 95/100 on a 51.2° 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 Gran Canaria Airport?
The best time to plane spot at Gran Canaria Airport (LPA/GCLP) 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: Short final 03L - sunny side. Midday (11:00-14:00) is HIGH SUN / TOP LIGHT at 0 of 2 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 GCLP spotting locations?
GCLP spotting locations sun direction: Short final 03L - sunny side (runway 03L) is SIDE LIGHT in the morning, SIDE LIGHT at midday, and CLEAN FRONT LIGHT in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 13:00-18:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00. Short final 03R - sunny side (runway 03R) is SIDE LIGHT in the morning, CLEAN FRONT LIGHT at midday, and SIDE LIGHT in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 10:00-15:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00.
What lens focal length do I need for plane spotting at Gran Canaria (LPA)?
Short final 03L - sunny side is 1234 m from the 03L 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 Gran Canaria (GCLP)?
Monitor Tower 118.3 MHz, Ground 121.7 MHz, Approach 120.9 MHz, ATIS 118.6 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 118.3 MHz.
How do I know when Gran Canaria (LPA) switches active runways?
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near 20° at 12 kt, so 03L 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/GCLP#runway-alerts