Albuquerque, United States of America
Live METAR wind (350° at 4 kt), predicted landing/departure runways (landing and departure 08), hourly sun-angle backlight map, and top photo spots for Albuquerque International Sunport.
As of Mon 26 Oct, 13:00 local, D-ATIS confirms landing and departure 08. The METAR wind is 350° at 4 kt. 08 shows -0.7 kt headwind and 3.9 kt crosswind from the left. Closed runways: none listed. Updated Mon 26 Oct, 13:24.
| End | True hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 08 | 90° | 13,793 ft | -0.7 kt | 3.9 kt | Landing + departure |
| 26 | 270° | 13,793 ft | +0.7 kt | 3.9 kt | Standby |
| 03 | 45° | 10,000 ft | +2.3 kt | 3.3 kt | Standby |
| 21 | 225° | 10,000 ft | -2.3 kt | 3.3 kt | Standby |
| 12 | 129° | 6,000 ft | -3.0 kt | 2.6 kt | Standby |
| 30 | 309° | 6,000 ft | +3.0 kt | 2.6 kt | Standby |
ABQ ATIS INFO S 1852Z. 34004KT 10SM FEW050 BKN250 16/05 A3025 (THREE ZERO TWO FIVE) RMK AO2 SLP202 T01560050. SIMUL APPROACHES IN USE. ARRIVALS EXPECT VISUAL APCH RWY 8, RWY 3, RNAV Z RUNWAY 8 APPROACH. DEPG RWY 8. NOTICE TO AIRMEN. HAZARDOUS WX IN THE ABQ AREA CONTACT FSS FOR DETAILS. ...ADVS YOU HAVE INFO S.
METAR KABQ 261852Z 35004KT 10SM FEW050 BKN250 16/05 A3025 RMK AO2 SLP202 T01560050
Live weather
VFR350° @ 4 kt
16°C · 10+ SM · 1025 hPa
FEW050 BKN250
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 08 - sunny side
Calculated perimeter
Score 86/100
Short final 08 - sunny side sits 1234 m from the 08 centerline. Looking toward the aircraft the bearing is 60.7°. That view is front-lit in the afternoon (best 16:00–17:00 local) with a 150-600mm 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: Frontlit
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Best time to plane spot at Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ / KABQ): sun direction for every spotting location, scored from latitude 35.040, longitude -106.609, and the America/Denver 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 08 - sunny side Runway 08 | SIDE LIGHT | SIDE LIGHT | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 14:00-18:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00. |
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 120.3 MHz. D-ATIS is 118.0 MHz. A handheld VHF airband scanner (Uniden Bearcat BC125AT) at the fence hears the call as it is made. At 1234 m from 08, bring a 150-600mm lens.
Sony FE 200-600mm
Beyond 450 m you want 150-600mm. A 200-600mm zoom still frames a heavy jet on a long final.
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, 13:00 local, D-ATIS confirms landing and departure 08. The METAR wind is 350° at 4 kt. 08 shows -0.7 kt headwind and 3.9 kt crosswind from the left. Closed runways: none listed.
At 08:00 local the sun is at 110° azimuth and 7° elevation. Short final 08 - sunny side scores 71/100, 1234 m from runway 08, view bearing 60.7°, best as a afternoon spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 232° and 25°. Short final 08 - sunny side scores 94/100 on a 60.7° 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 Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ/KABQ) 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 08 - sunny side. 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.
KABQ spotting locations sun direction: Short final 08 - sunny side (runway 08) 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 14:00-18:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00.
Short final 08 - sunny side is 1234 m from the 08 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.
Monitor Tower 120.3 MHz, Ground 121.9 MHz, Approach 123.9 MHz, ATIS 118.0 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 120.3 MHz.
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near 350° at 4 kt, so 08 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/KABQ#runway-alerts
Get a Telegram ping when Albuquerque International Sunport changes landing or departure runway. One airport or a short list.