Charlotte, United States of America
Live METAR wind (360° at 4 kt), predicted landing/departure runways (landing and departure 01R+01L+36), hourly sun-angle backlight map, and top photo spots for Charlotte Douglas International Airport.
As of Mon 26 Oct, 10:00 local, D-ATIS confirms landing and departure 01R+01L+36. The METAR wind is 360° at 4 kt. 01R shows -4.0 kt headwind and 0.3 kt crosswind from the left. Closed runways: none listed. Updated Mon 26 Oct, 10:49.
| End | True hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01R | 176° | 10,000 ft | -4.0 kt | 0.3 kt | Landing + departure |
| 19L | 356° | 10,000 ft | +4.0 kt | 0.3 kt | Standby |
| 01L | 176° | 9,000 ft | -4.0 kt | 0.3 kt | Landing + departure |
| 19R | 356° | 9,000 ft | +4.0 kt | 0.3 kt | Standby |
| 18 | 176° | 8,676 ft | -4.0 kt | 0.3 kt | Standby |
| 36 | 356° | 8,676 ft | +4.0 kt | 0.3 kt | Landing + departure |
CLT ARR INFO A 1352Z. 35004KT 10SM CLR 14/08 A3040 (THREE ZERO FOUR ZERO) RMK AO2 SLP306 T01390083. SIMUL APCHS IN USE, EXPECT VISUAL APCH 1L, 1R, 36. NOTAMS... TWY N CLSD, TWY F CLSD BTN TWY, M AND TWY A . TWY V CLSD BTN TWY, Q AND TWY T . TWY T CLSD, TWY J CLSD BTN TWY, F AND TWY J4 . TWY A CLSD BTN TWY, E AND TWY F . TWY U CLSD BTN TWY, U2 AND TWY C, TWY D SOUTH OF D3 RESTRICTED TO GROUP 4 AND SMALLER. TWY A BTWN A3 AND TWY F AND TWY F BTWN TWY A AND TWY F4 RESTRICTED TO GROUP 3 OR SMALLER. 36 <RUNWAYS>, RY 1R ALS OTS, RY 18 REILS OTS, RY 19R PAPI OTS. CHARLOTTE VOR OTS. 100 FOOT CRANE WEST OF FIRE STATION ON SIERRA. RUNWAY 1R, 1L, AND 19R OUTER MARKER OUT OF SERVICE. RUNWAY 19R AND 1L INNER MARKER UNSERVICEABLE. RNAV YANKEE RWY 1R DISREGARD NOTE LNAV PROCEDURE NOT AVAILABLE DURING SIMULTANEOUS OPERATIONS. LIGHTED CRANE 3.2 MILES NW OF CLT 250 FEET TALL. AUTHORIZED DRONE ACTIVITY CLT270003, AT AOB 400FT AGL. BIRD ACTIVITY VICINITY ARPT. TRANSPONDERS REQUIRED TO BE ON WHILE OPERATING ON RWYS AND TWYS. ...ADVS YOU HAVE INFO A.
METAR KCLT 261352Z 36004KT 10SM CLR 14/08 A3040 RMK AO2 SLP306 T01390083
Live weather
VFR360° @ 4 kt
14°C · 10+ SM · 1030 hPa
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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 01R - sunny side
Calculated perimeter
Score 74/100
Short final 01R - sunny side sits 1234 m from the 01R centerline. Looking toward the aircraft the bearing is 205.3°. That view is front-lit in the morning (best 08:00–09:00 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 navigationShort final 01L - sunny side
Calculated perimeter
Score 74/100
Short final 01L - sunny side sits 1234 m from the 01L centerline. Looking toward the aircraft the bearing is 205.3°. That view is front-lit in the morning (best 08:00–09:00 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 Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT / KCLT): sun direction for every spotting location, scored from latitude 35.214, longitude -80.943, 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 01R - sunny side Runway 01R | SIDE LIGHT | BACKLIT / GLARE | BACKLIT / GLARE | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Best local hours for crisp fuselage illumination: 08:00-09:00. Avoid 13:00-18:00 harsh backlit contrast. |
Short final 01L - sunny side Runway 01L | SIDE LIGHT | BACKLIT / GLARE | BACKLIT / GLARE | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Best local hours for crisp fuselage illumination: 08:00-09:00. Avoid 13:00-18:00 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 118.1 MHz. D-ATIS is 121.15 MHz. A handheld VHF airband scanner (Uniden Bearcat BC125AT) at the fence hears the call as it is made. At 1234 m from 01R, 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, 10:00 local, D-ATIS confirms landing and departure 01R+01L+36. The METAR wind is 360° at 4 kt. 01R shows -4.0 kt headwind and 0.3 kt crosswind from the left. Closed runways: none listed.
At 08:00 local the sun is at 108° azimuth and 3° elevation. Short final 01R - sunny side scores 80/100, 1234 m from runway 01R, view bearing 205.3°, best as a morning spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 229° and 27°. Short final 01R - sunny side scores 77/100 on a 146.7° 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 Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT/KCLT) 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.
KCLT spotting locations sun direction: Short final 01R - sunny side (runway 01R) 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 13:00-18:00 harsh backlit contrast. Short final 01L - sunny side (runway 01L) 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 13:00-18:00 harsh backlit contrast.
Short final 01R - sunny side is 1234 m from the 01R 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 121.8 MHz, ATIS 121.15 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 360° at 4 kt, so 01R 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/KCLT#runway-alerts
Get a Telegram ping when Charlotte Douglas International Airport changes landing or departure runway. One airport or a short list.