Cleveland, United States of America
Live METAR wind (230° at 5 kt), predicted landing/departure runways (landing and departure 24R), hourly sun-angle backlight map, and top photo spots for Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.
As of Mon 26 Oct, 12:00 local, D-ATIS confirms landing and departure 24R. The METAR wind is 230° at 5 kt. 24R shows +5.0 kt headwind and 0.0 kt crosswind from the right. Closed runways: 06R, 24L. Updated Mon 26 Oct, 12:45.
| End | True hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 06R | 50° | 9,953 ft | -5.0 kt | 0.0 kt | Closed |
| 24L | 230° | 9,953 ft | +5.0 kt | 0.0 kt | Closed |
| 06L | 50° | 9,000 ft | -5.0 kt | 0.0 kt | Standby |
| 24R | 230° | 9,000 ft | +5.0 kt | 0.0 kt | Landing + departure |
| 10 | 93° | 6,018 ft | -3.7 kt | 3.4 kt | Standby |
| 28 | 273° | 6,018 ft | +3.7 kt | 3.4 kt | Standby |
TAF at Mon 26 Oct, 15:00 shifts the wind to 290° at 6 kt, favoring 28 in about 2.2 hours.
CLE ARR INFO E 1551Z. 24005KT 10SM FEW250 18/08 A3033 (THREE ZERO THREE THREE). ILS 24R APCH IN USE. LANDING RUNWAY 24R. RY 6R, 24L CLSD. TWY N CLSD BTN TWY, L AND TWY G ;, TWYS A CLSD. BIRD ACTIVITY IN THE VICINITY OF THE ARPT CAUTION ADVISED. READBACK ALL RWY HDSRT ISNS. ...ADVS YOU HAVE INFO E.
METAR KCLE 261551Z 23005KT 10SM FEW250 18/08 A3033 RMK AO2 SLP286 T01830083 $
Live weather
VFR230° @ 5 kt
18°C · 10+ SM · 1027 hPa
FEW250
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 24R - sunny side
Calculated perimeter
Score 80/100
Short final 24R - sunny side sits 508 m from the 28 centerline. Looking toward the aircraft the bearing is 259.3°. That view is front-lit in the morning (best 09:00 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
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 Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE / KCLE): sun direction for every spotting location, scored from latitude 41.412, longitude -81.850, 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 24R - sunny side Runway 24R | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | SIDE LIGHT | BACKLIT / GLARE | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 09:00-10:00 local. Avoid 16:00-18:00 harsh backlit contrast. |
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 120.9 MHz. D-ATIS is 127.85 MHz. A handheld VHF airband scanner (Uniden Bearcat BC125AT) at the fence hears the call as it is made. At 508 m from 28, 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, 12:00 local, D-ATIS confirms landing and departure 24R. The METAR wind is 230° at 5 kt. 24R shows +5.0 kt headwind and 0.0 kt crosswind from the right. Closed runways: 06R, 24L.
At 08:00 local the sun is at 107° azimuth and 1° elevation. Short final 24R - sunny side scores 68/100, 508 m from runway 28, view bearing 259.3°, best as a morning spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 226° and 24°. Short final 24R - sunny side scores 70/100 on a 259.3° 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 Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE/KCLE) is the window marked CLEAN FRONT LIGHT for the fence you are using. Morning (07:00-11:00) front light: Short final 24R - 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.
KCLE spotting locations sun direction: Short final 24R - sunny side (runway 24R) is CLEAN FRONT LIGHT in the morning, SIDE LIGHT at midday, and BACKLIT / GLARE in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 09:00-10:00 local. Avoid 16:00-18:00 harsh backlit contrast.
Short final 24R - sunny side is 508 m from the 28 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 120.9 MHz, Ground 121.7 MHz, Approach 119.625 MHz, ATIS 127.85 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 120.9 MHz.
TAF at Mon 26 Oct, 15:00 shifts the wind to 290° at 6 kt, favoring 28 in about 2.2 hours. 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/KCLE#runway-alerts
Get a Telegram ping when Cleveland Hopkins International Airport changes landing or departure runway. One airport or a short list.