Columbus, United States of America
Live METAR wind (calm), predicted landing/departure runways (landing and departure 10R+28L+28R), hourly sun-angle backlight map, and top photo spots for John Glenn Columbus International Airport.
As of Mon 26 Oct, 17:00 local, D-ATIS confirms landing and departure 10R+28L+28R. The METAR wind is calm. 10R is the long-runway pick because the wind is calm or variable. Closed runways: none listed. Updated Mon 26 Oct, 17:36.
| End | True hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10R | 94° | 10,114 ft | +0.0 kt | 0.0 kt | Landing + departure |
| 28L | 274° | 10,114 ft | +0.0 kt | 0.0 kt | Landing + departure |
| 10L | 94° | 8,000 ft | +0.0 kt | 0.0 kt | Standby |
| 28R | 274° | 8,000 ft | +0.0 kt | 0.0 kt | Landing + departure |
CMH ATIS INFO Y 2051Z. 00000KT 10SM BKN250 22/08 A3027 (THREE ZERO TWO SEVEN) RMK AO2 SLP250 T02220083 56016. ILS, RWY 28L, ILS, RWY 28R, SIMUL APCH IN USE. NOTAMS... TWY H CLSD BTWN TWY E AND TWY C . TAXIWAY ALFA FIVE CLOSED, TAXIWAY ALFA CLOSED WEST OF ALFA FOUR. MULTIPLE CONSTRUCTION CRANES, EAST OF TWY HOTEL, WEST OF THE TOWER. BIRD ACVTY VC CMH. SPECIAL AUTHORIZATION ILS RWY 10R CAT 1 AND CAT 2 NOT AUTHORIZED. READBACK ALL RWY HOLD SHORT INSTRUCTIONS. ...ADVS YOU HAVE INFO Y.
METAR KCMH 262051Z 00000KT 10SM BKN250 22/08 A3027 RMK AO2 SLP250 T02220083 56016
Live weather
VFRCALM
22°C · 10+ SM · 1025 hPa
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 10R - sunny side
Calculated perimeter
Score 96/100
Short final 10R - sunny side sits 1234 m from the 10R centerline. Looking toward the aircraft the bearing is 64.9°. 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 navigationShort final 28L - sunny side
Calculated perimeter
Score 73/100
Short final 28L - sunny side sits 1234 m from the 28L centerline. Looking toward the aircraft the bearing is 303.5°. That view is front-lit in the morning (best 09:00–10:00 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 John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH / KCMH): sun direction for every spotting location, scored from latitude 39.998, longitude -82.892, 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 10R - sunny side Runway 10R | SIDE LIGHT | SIDE LIGHT | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 15:00-18:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00. |
Short final 28L - sunny side Runway 28L | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | SIDE LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 09:00-13:00 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 132.7 MHz. D-ATIS is 124.6 MHz. A handheld VHF airband scanner (Uniden Bearcat BC125AT) at the fence hears the call as it is made. At 1234 m from 10R, 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, 17:00 local, D-ATIS confirms landing and departure 10R+28L+28R. The METAR wind is calm. 10R is the long-runway pick because the wind is calm or variable. Closed runways: none listed.
At 08:00 local the sun is at 107° azimuth and 0° elevation. Short final 10R - sunny side scores 66/100, 1234 m from runway 10R, view bearing 64.9°, best as a afternoon spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 225° and 25°. Short final 10R - sunny side scores 92/100 on a 64.9° 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 John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH/KCMH) 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: Short final 10R - sunny side. 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.
KCMH spotting locations sun direction: Short final 10R - sunny side (runway 10R) 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 15:00-18:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00. 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 09:00-13:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00.
Short final 10R - sunny side is 1234 m from the 10R 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 132.7 MHz, Ground 121.9 MHz, ATIS 124.6 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 132.7 MHz.
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near calm, so 10R 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/KCMH#runway-alerts
Get a Telegram ping when John Glenn Columbus International Airport changes landing or departure runway. One airport or a short list.