City of Colorado Springs Municipal Airport (COS / KCOS) Plane Spotting Map & Live Active Runway Predictor
Colorado Springs, United States of America
Colorado Springs
COS/KCOS
Updated Tue 27 Oct, 15:46 local
- Active runway
- 17L / 17R
- METAR wind
- VRB @ 5 kt
- Best spot
- Short final 17L - sunny side
- Sun
- 229° / 23°
Wind vector · +0 kt headwind
VFR
Side-lit
Golden hour in 1h 43m
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Best Colorado Springs (COS) plane spotting locations by time of day & sun angle
Live weather
VFRVRB @ 5 kt
19°C · 10+ sm · 1016 hPa
SCT250
Golden hour in 1h 43m
Runway alerts for City of Colorado Springs Municipal Airport
$3/mo
Spotting guideRunway windsATC frequencies
Lighting schedule
Morning 07:00-11:00, midday 11:00-14:00, afternoon 14:00-18:00 at COS, scored from each spot's view bearing.
| Spotting Location | Morning (07:00-11:00) | Midday (11:00-14:00) | Afternoon / Golden Hour (14:00-18:00) | JetPhotos / Camera Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Short final 17L - sunny side Runway 17L | BACKLIT / GLARE | BACKLIT / GLARE | SIDE LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Best local hours for crisp fuselage illumination: 17:00. Avoid 08:00-14:00 harsh backlit contrast. |
| Short final 17R - sunny side Runway 17R | BACKLIT / GLARE | BACKLIT / GLARE | SIDE LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Best local hours for crisp fuselage illumination: 17:00. Avoid 08:00-14:00 harsh backlit contrast. |
Runway winds and thresholds
Land 17L / 17R · Dep 17L / 17R
TAF at Tue 27 Oct, 20:00 shifts the wind to 120° at 6 kt, favoring 12 in about 4.2 hours.
| End | Hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17L | 180° | 13,500 ft | +0.0 kt | 0.0 kt | Both |
| 35R | 0° | 13,500 ft | +0.0 kt | 0.0 kt | Standby |
| 17R | 180° | 11,022 ft | +0.0 kt | 0.0 kt | Both |
| 35L | 0° | 11,022 ft | +0.0 kt | 0.0 kt | Standby |
| 12 | 135° | 8,272 ft | +0.0 kt | 0.0 kt | Standby |
| 30 | 315° | 8,272 ft | +0.0 kt | 0.0 kt | Standby |
Recommended camera lenses & ATC radio frequencies for Colorado Springs (KCOS)
| Facility | MHz | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tower | 119.900 | Published |
| Approach | 118.500 | Published |
| Departure | 124.000 | Published |
| Ground | 121.700 | Published |
| Delivery | 134.450 | Published |
| ATIS | 125.000 | Published |
Lens for the top pin: Sony FE 200-600mm, Uniden Bearcat BC125AT, FlightAware Pro Stick. Sony FE 200-600mmUniden Bearcat BC125ATFlightAware Pro Stick
Open the ATC frequency pageFrequently asked questions about plane spotting at Colorado Springs (COS/KCOS)
Which runway is active at Colorado Springs (COS/KCOS) right now?
As of Tue 27 Oct, 15:00 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 17L+17R. The METAR wind is variable at 5 kt. 17L is the long-runway pick because the wind is calm or variable. Closed runways: none listed.
Where is the best place to plane spot at Colorado Springs (COS) in the morning vs. afternoon?
At 08:00 local the sun is at 112° azimuth and 6° elevation. Short final 17L - sunny side scores 80/100, 1234 m from runway 17L, view bearing 209.3°, best as a morning spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 232° and 21°. Short final 17L - sunny side scores 77/100 on a 150.7° 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.
What is the best time to plane spot at City of Colorado Springs Municipal Airport?
The best time to plane spot at City of Colorado Springs Municipal Airport (COS/KCOS) 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.
What is the sun direction at KCOS spotting locations?
KCOS spotting locations sun direction: Short final 17L - sunny side (runway 17L) is BACKLIT / GLARE in the morning, BACKLIT / GLARE at midday, and SIDE LIGHT in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Best local hours for crisp fuselage illumination: 17:00. Avoid 08:00-14:00 harsh backlit contrast. Short final 17R - sunny side (runway 17R) is BACKLIT / GLARE in the morning, BACKLIT / GLARE at midday, and SIDE LIGHT in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Best local hours for crisp fuselage illumination: 17:00. Avoid 08:00-14:00 harsh backlit contrast.
What lens focal length do I need for plane spotting at Colorado Springs (COS)?
Short final 17L - sunny side is 1234 m from the 17L 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.
What ATC radio frequencies should I monitor while spotting at Colorado Springs (KCOS)?
Monitor Tower 119.9 MHz, Ground 121.7 MHz, Approach 118.5 MHz, ATIS 125.0 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 119.9 MHz.
How do I know when Colorado Springs (COS) switches active runways?
TAF at Tue 27 Oct, 20:00 shifts the wind to 120° at 6 kt, favoring 12 in about 4.2 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/KCOS#runway-alerts