Bujumbura Melchior Ndadaye International Airport (BJM / HBBA) Plane Spotting Map & Live Active Runway Predictor
Bujumbura, Burundi
Bujumbura Melchior Ndadaye
BJM/HBBA
Updated Tue 27 Oct, 11:53 local
- Active runway
- 17
- METAR wind
- CALM
- Best spot
- Short final 17 - sunny side
- Sun
- 190° / 80°
Wind vector · +0 kt headwind
VFR
Side-lit
Golden hour in 5h 33m
Side-litWant a Telegram ping when HBBA flips runways? Subscribe for $3/mo
Best Bujumbura Melchior Ndadaye (BJM) plane spotting locations by time of day & sun angle
Live weather
VFRCALM
31°C · 5.6 sm · 1016 hPa
FEW030
Golden hour in 5h 33m
Runway alerts for Bujumbura Melchior Ndadaye 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 BJM, 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 17 - sunny side Runway 17 | BACKLIT / GLARE | HIGH SUN / TOP LIGHT | SIDE LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Best local hours for crisp fuselage illumination: 14:00-17:00. Avoid 08:00-12:00 harsh backlit contrast. |
Runway winds and thresholds
Land 17 · Dep 17
| End | Hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | 172° | 11,811 ft | +0.0 kt | 0.0 kt | Both |
| 35 | 352° | 11,811 ft | +0.0 kt | 0.0 kt | Standby |
Recommended camera lenses & ATC radio frequencies for Bujumbura Melchior Ndadaye (HBBA)
| Facility | MHz | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tower | 118.100 | Published |
| Approach | 119.700 | Published |
| Departure | 126.225 | Assigned |
| Ground | 121.900 | Published |
| Delivery | 128.625 | Assigned |
| ATIS | 134.725 | Assigned |
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 Bujumbura Melchior Ndadaye (BJM/HBBA)
Which runway is active at Bujumbura Melchior Ndadaye (BJM/HBBA) right now?
As of Tue 27 Oct, 10:00 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 17. The METAR wind is calm. 17 is the long-runway pick because the wind is calm or variable. Closed runways: none listed.
Where is the best place to plane spot at Bujumbura Melchior Ndadaye (BJM) in the morning vs. afternoon?
At 08:00 local the sun is at 103° azimuth and 33° elevation. Short final 17 - sunny side scores 80/100, 1234 m from runway 17, view bearing 201.2°, best as a morning spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 257° and 27°. Short final 17 - sunny side scores 83/100 on a 142.8° 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.
What is the best time to plane spot at Bujumbura Melchior Ndadaye International Airport?
The best time to plane spot at Bujumbura Melchior Ndadaye International Airport (BJM/HBBA) 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.
What is the sun direction at HBBA spotting locations?
HBBA spotting locations sun direction: Short final 17 - sunny side (runway 17) is BACKLIT / GLARE in the morning, HIGH SUN / TOP LIGHT at midday, and SIDE LIGHT in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Best local hours for crisp fuselage illumination: 14:00-17:00. Avoid 08:00-12:00 harsh backlit contrast.
What lens focal length do I need for plane spotting at Bujumbura Melchior Ndadaye (BJM)?
Short final 17 - sunny side is 1234 m from the 17 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 Bujumbura Melchior Ndadaye (HBBA)?
Monitor Tower 118.1 MHz, Ground 121.9 MHz, Approach 119.7 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 Bujumbura Melchior Ndadaye (BJM) switches active runways?
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near calm, so 17 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/HBBA#runway-alerts