Boise, United States of America
Live METAR wind (340° at 8 kt), predicted landing/departure runways (landing and departure 28L), hourly sun-angle backlight map, and top photo spots for Boise Air Terminal/Gowen Field.
As of Mon 26 Oct, 15:00 local, D-ATIS confirms landing and departure 28L. The METAR wind is 340° at 8 kt. 28L shows +5.7 kt headwind and 5.6 kt crosswind from the right. Closed runways: 28R. Updated Mon 26 Oct, 15:37.
| End | True hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10L | 115° | 10,000 ft | -5.7 kt | 5.6 kt | Standby |
| 28R | 295° | 10,000 ft | +5.7 kt | 5.6 kt | Closed |
| 10R | 115° | 9,763 ft | -5.7 kt | 5.6 kt | Standby |
| 28L | 295° | 9,763 ft | +5.7 kt | 5.6 kt | Landing + departure |
BOI ATIS INFO B 2053Z. 32008KT 10SM OVC070 10/03 A3002 (THREE ZERO ZERO TWO) RMK AO2 RAB1959E22. RNAV RWY 28L AND VISUAL APCHS IN USE. LNDG AND DEPG RWY 28L. NOTICE TO AIRMEN. RWY 28R CLSD. TWY ECHO CLOSED NORTH OF RWY 28L. TWY A CLOSED BETWEEN D AND M. TWY T2 CLSD. RY 28R ILS OTS. RNAV Z RWY 28L UNAVAILABLE. HAZD WX INFO FOR BOI AREA AVBL FM FSS. RWY 28L CONDITION CODES, , 5 , , 5 , , 5 , AT, 2116Z , 100 PERCENT WET. PATTERN WORK AND PRACTICE APCHS ARE NOT AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME. ...ADVS YOU HAVE INFO B.
METAR KBOI 262053Z AUTO 34008KT 10SM OVC070 10/03 A3002 RMK AO2 RAB1959E22 SLP163 P0000 60000 T01000028 50005
Live weather
VFR340° @ 8 kt
10°C · 10+ SM · 1017 hPa
OVC070
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 28L - sunny side
Calculated perimeter
Score 84/100
Short final 28L - sunny side sits 895 m from the 28R centerline. Looking toward the aircraft the bearing is 324.4°. That view is front-lit in the morning (best 11:00 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: Side light
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Best time to plane spot at Boise Air Terminal/Gowen Field (BOI / KBOI): sun direction for every spotting location, scored from latitude 43.564, longitude -116.223, and the America/Boise 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 28L - sunny side Runway 28L | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | SIDE LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 09:00-15:00 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 118.1 MHz. D-ATIS is 123.9 MHz. A handheld VHF airband scanner (Uniden Bearcat BC125AT) at the fence hears the call as it is made. At 895 m from 28R, 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, 15:00 local, D-ATIS confirms landing and departure 28L. The METAR wind is 340° at 8 kt. 28L shows +5.7 kt headwind and 5.6 kt crosswind from the right. Closed runways: 28R.
At 08:00 local the sun is at 104° azimuth and -3° elevation. Short final 28L - sunny side scores 68/100, 763 m from runway 28R, view bearing 265.9°, best as a morning spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 221° and 24°. Short final 28L - sunny side scores 83/100 on a 324.4° 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 Boise Air Terminal/Gowen Field (BOI/KBOI) is the window marked CLEAN FRONT LIGHT for the fence you are using. Morning (07:00-11:00) front light: Short final 28L - 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.
KBOI spotting locations sun direction: Short final 28L - sunny side (runway 28L) 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 09:00-15:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00.
Short final 28L - sunny side is 895 m from the 28R 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 118.1 MHz, Ground 121.7 MHz, ATIS 123.9 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.
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near 340° at 8 kt, so 28L 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/KBOI#runway-alerts
Get a Telegram ping when Boise Air Terminal/Gowen Field changes landing or departure runway. One airport or a short list.