Tenerife Norte-Ciudad de La Laguna Airport (TFN / GCXO) Plane Spotting Map & Live Active Runway Predictor
Tenerife, Spain
Tenerife
TFN/GCXO
Updated Tue 27 Oct, 09:54 local
- Active runway
- 30
- METAR wind
- 280° @ 6 kt
- Best spot
- Short final 30 - sunny side
- Sun
- 128° / 31°
Wind vector · +6 kt headwind
VFR
Sweet spot
Golden hour in 7h 59m
Sweet spotWant a Telegram ping when GCXO flips runways? Subscribe for $3/mo
Best Tenerife (TFN) plane spotting locations by time of day & sun angle
Live weather
VFR280° @ 6 kt
21°C · 10+ km · 1023 hPa
FEW004
Golden hour in 7h 59m
Runway alerts for Tenerife Norte-Ciudad de La Laguna 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 TFN, 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 30 - sunny side Runway 30 | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | SIDE LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 08:00-14:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00. |
Runway winds and thresholds
Land 30 · Dep 30
| End | Hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | 111° | 10,404 ft | -5.9 kt | 1.1 kt | Standby |
| 30 | 291° | 10,404 ft | +5.9 kt | 1.1 kt | Both |
Recommended camera lenses & ATC radio frequencies for Tenerife (GCXO)
| Facility | MHz | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tower | 118.700 | Published |
| Approach | 124.800 | Published |
| Approach | 128.850 | Published |
| Departure | 126.125 | Assigned |
| Ground | 121.700 | Published |
| Delivery | 128.525 | Assigned |
| ATIS | 118.575 | 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 Tenerife (TFN/GCXO)
Which runway is active at Tenerife (TFN/GCXO) right now?
As of Tue 27 Oct, 09:30 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 30. The METAR wind is 280° at 6 kt. 30 shows +5.9 kt headwind and 1.1 kt crosswind from the left. Closed runways: none listed.
Where is the best place to plane spot at Tenerife (TFN) in the morning vs. afternoon?
At 08:00 local the sun is at 110° azimuth and 9° elevation. Short final 30 - sunny side scores 91/100, 1234 m from runway 30, view bearing 261.8°, best as a morning spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 235° and 28°. Short final 30 - sunny side scores 78/100 on a 320.3° 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 Tenerife Norte-Ciudad de La Laguna Airport?
The best time to plane spot at Tenerife Norte-Ciudad de La Laguna Airport (TFN/GCXO) is the window marked CLEAN FRONT LIGHT for the fence you are using. Morning (07:00-11:00) front light: Short final 30 - 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 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 GCXO spotting locations?
GCXO spotting locations sun direction: Short final 30 - sunny side (runway 30) is CLEAN FRONT LIGHT in the morning, CLEAN FRONT LIGHT at midday, and SIDE LIGHT in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 08:00-14:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00.
What lens focal length do I need for plane spotting at Tenerife (TFN)?
Short final 30 - sunny side is 1234 m from the 30 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 Tenerife (GCXO)?
Monitor Tower 118.7 MHz, Ground 121.7 MHz, Approach 124.8 MHz, ATIS 118.575 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 118.7 MHz.
How do I know when Tenerife (TFN) switches active runways?
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near 280° at 6 kt, so 30 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/GCXO#runway-alerts