Atlanta, United States of America
Live METAR wind (70° at 5 kt), predicted landing/departure runways (landing and departure 09L), hourly sun-angle backlight map, and top photo spots for Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
As of Mon 26 Oct, 18:00 local, D-ATIS confirms landing and departure 09L. The METAR wind is 70° at 5 kt. 09L shows +4.7 kt headwind and 1.7 kt crosswind from the left. Closed runways: none listed. Updated Mon 26 Oct, 18:14.
| End | True hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09L | 90° | 12,390 ft | +4.7 kt | 1.7 kt | Landing + departure |
| 27R | 270° | 12,390 ft | -4.7 kt | 1.7 kt | Standby |
| 08R | 90° | 9,999 ft | +4.7 kt | 1.7 kt | Standby |
| 26L | 270° | 9,999 ft | -4.7 kt | 1.7 kt | Standby |
| 08L | 90° | 9,000 ft | +4.7 kt | 1.7 kt | Standby |
| 26R | 270° | 9,000 ft | -4.7 kt | 1.7 kt | Standby |
| 09R | 90° | 9,000 ft | +4.7 kt | 1.7 kt | Standby |
| 27L | 270° | 9,000 ft | -4.7 kt | 1.7 kt | Standby |
| 10 | 90° | 9,000 ft | +4.7 kt | 1.7 kt | Standby |
| 28 | 270° | 9,000 ft | -4.7 kt | 1.7 kt | Standby |
ATL ARR INFO J 2152Z. 07005KT 10SM SCT200 BKN250 21/08 A3026 (THREE ZERO TWO SIX) RMK AO2 SLP245 T02060078. SIMULTANEOUS APCHS IN USE VIS 8L, VIS 9R, VIS 10. NOTAMS... TDWR OTS. IM RWY 8L OTS, IM RWY 9R OTS, IM RWY 10 OTS, DME PORTION OF ILS RWY 9L OTS, ATLANTA DME OTS. CRANE WEST OF SC AT 100FT. CRANE AT RAMP 4 155FT. CRANE AT RAMP 1 130FT. LAHSO IN EFCT. BIRD ACTIVITY VC OF ARPT. CRANE MIDFIELD BETWEEN RWY 9R AND RWY 10 AT 80 FT. CRANE OVER E CONCOURSE 80 FT. OPERATE TRANSPONDER WITH MODE C ON ALL RAMPS, TWYS AND RWYS. ...ADVS YOU HAVE INFO J.
METAR KATL 262152Z 07005KT 10SM SCT200 BKN250 21/08 A3026 RMK AO2 SLP245 T02060078
Live weather
VFR70° @ 5 kt
21°C · 10+ SM · 1025 hPa
SCT200 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 09L - sunny side
Calculated perimeter
Score 94/100
Short final 09L - sunny side sits 1202 m from the 09R centerline. Looking toward the aircraft the bearing is 60.7°. That view is front-lit in the afternoon (best 17:00–18:00 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
Google Maps navigationKnow a public fence, mound, or lens that works for a specific threshold? Send it in. Tips are reviewed before they show on the map.
Best time to plane spot at Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL / KATL): sun direction for every spotting location, scored from latitude 33.637, longitude -84.428, and the America/New_York 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 09L - sunny side Runway 09L | 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 119.1 MHz. D-ATIS is 119.65 MHz. A handheld VHF airband scanner (Uniden Bearcat BC125AT) at the fence hears the call as it is made. At 1202 m from 09R, 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, 18:00 local, D-ATIS confirms landing and departure 09L. The METAR wind is 70° at 5 kt. 09L shows +4.7 kt headwind and 1.7 kt crosswind from the left. Closed runways: none listed.
At 08:00 local the sun is at 106° azimuth and 1° elevation. Short final 09L - sunny side scores 66/100, 1202 m from runway 09R, view bearing 60.7°, best as a afternoon spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 226° and 30°. Short final 09L - sunny side scores 93/100 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 Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL/KATL) 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 09L - 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.
KATL spotting locations sun direction: Short final 09L - sunny side (runway 09L) 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 09L - sunny side is 1202 m from the 09R 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 119.1 MHz, Ground 121.65 MHz, Approach 127.9 MHz, ATIS 119.65 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 119.1 MHz.
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near 70° at 5 kt, so 09L 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/KATL#runway-alerts
Get a Telegram ping when Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport changes landing or departure runway. One airport or a short list.