Cairo International Airport (CAI / HECA) Plane Spotting Map & Live Active Runway Predictor
Cairo, Egypt
Cairo
CAI/HECA
Updated Tue 27 Oct, 16:27 local
- Active runway
- 23C / 23L / 23R
- METAR wind
- 220° @ 10 kt
- Best spot
- Short final 23C - sunny side
- Sun
- 241° / 20°
Wind vector · +10 kt headwind
VFR
Side-lit
Golden hour in 1h 13m
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Best Cairo (CAI) plane spotting locations by time of day & sun angle
Live weather
VFR220° @ 10 kt
28°C · 10+ km · 1013 hPa
SCT025 BKN070
Golden hour in 1h 13m
Runway alerts for Cairo 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 CAI, 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 23C - sunny side Runway 23C | SIDE LIGHT | BACKLIT / GLARE | BACKLIT / GLARE | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Best local hours for crisp fuselage illumination: 08:00-09:00. Avoid 12:00-16:00 harsh backlit contrast. |
| Short final 23L - sunny side Runway 23L | SIDE LIGHT | BACKLIT / GLARE | BACKLIT / GLARE | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Best local hours for crisp fuselage illumination: 08:00-09:00. Avoid 12:00-17:00 harsh backlit contrast. |
Runway winds and thresholds
Land 23C / 23L / 23R · Dep 23L / 23C
| End | Hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 05R | 49° | 13,124 ft | -9.9 kt | 1.6 kt | Standby |
| 23L | 229° | 13,124 ft | +9.9 kt | 1.6 kt | Both |
| 05C | 45° | 13,123 ft | -10.0 kt | 0.9 kt | Standby |
| 23C | 225° | 13,123 ft | +10.0 kt | 0.9 kt | Both |
| 05L | 49° | 10,827 ft | -9.9 kt | 1.6 kt | Standby |
| 23R | 229° | 10,827 ft | +9.9 kt | 1.6 kt | Landing |
Recommended camera lenses & ATC radio frequencies for Cairo (HECA)
| Facility | MHz | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tower | 118.100 | Published |
| Approach | 119.050 | Published |
| Departure | 124.225 | Assigned |
| Ground | 121.900 | Published |
| Delivery | 129.225 | Assigned |
| ATIS | 122.600 | 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 Cairo (CAI/HECA)
Which runway is active at Cairo (CAI/HECA) right now?
As of Tue 27 Oct, 16:00 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing 23C+23L+23R, departure 23L+23C. The METAR wind is 220° at 10 kt. 23C shows +10.0 kt headwind and 0.9 kt crosswind from the left. Closed runways: none listed.
Where is the best place to plane spot at Cairo (CAI) in the morning vs. afternoon?
At 08:00 local the sun is at 111° azimuth and 11° elevation. Short final 23L - sunny side scores 90/100, 1234 m from runway 23L, view bearing 258.5°, best as a morning spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 236° and 25°. Short final 23C - sunny side scores 69/100 on a 195.8° 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 Cairo International Airport?
The best time to plane spot at Cairo International Airport (CAI/HECA) 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 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 HECA spotting locations?
HECA spotting locations sun direction: Short final 23C - sunny side (runway 23C) is SIDE LIGHT in the morning, BACKLIT / GLARE at midday, and BACKLIT / GLARE in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Best local hours for crisp fuselage illumination: 08:00-09:00. Avoid 12:00-16:00 harsh backlit contrast. Short final 23L - sunny side (runway 23L) is SIDE LIGHT in the morning, BACKLIT / GLARE at midday, and BACKLIT / GLARE in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Best local hours for crisp fuselage illumination: 08:00-09:00. Avoid 12:00-17:00 harsh backlit contrast.
What lens focal length do I need for plane spotting at Cairo (CAI)?
Short final 23C - sunny side is 1234 m from the 23C 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 Cairo (HECA)?
Monitor Tower 118.1 MHz, Ground 121.9 MHz, Approach 119.05 MHz, ATIS 122.6 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 118.1 MHz.
How do I know when Cairo (CAI) switches active runways?
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near 220° at 10 kt, so 23C 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/HECA#runway-alerts