Denver, United States of America
Live METAR wind (80° at 9 kt), predicted landing/departure runways (landing and departure 34R), hourly sun-angle backlight map, and top photo spots for Denver International Airport.
As of Mon 26 Oct, 15:00 local, D-ATIS confirms landing and departure 34R. The METAR wind is 80° at 9 kt. 34R shows +1.6 kt headwind and 8.8 kt crosswind from the right. Closed runways: none listed. Updated Mon 26 Oct, 15:39.
| End | True hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16R | 181° | 16,000 ft | -1.6 kt | 8.8 kt | Standby |
| 34L | 1° | 16,000 ft | +1.6 kt | 8.8 kt | Standby |
| 07 | 91° | 12,000 ft | +8.8 kt | 1.6 kt | Standby |
| 25 | 271° | 12,000 ft | -8.8 kt | 1.6 kt | Standby |
| 08 | 91° | 12,000 ft | +8.8 kt | 1.6 kt | Standby |
| 26 | 271° | 12,000 ft | -8.8 kt | 1.6 kt | Standby |
| 16L | 181° | 12,000 ft | -1.6 kt | 8.8 kt | Standby |
| 34R | 1° | 12,000 ft | +1.6 kt | 8.8 kt | Landing + departure |
| 17L | 181° | 12,000 ft | -1.6 kt | 8.8 kt | Standby |
| 35R | 1° | 12,000 ft | +1.6 kt | 8.8 kt | Standby |
| 17R | 181° | 12,000 ft | -1.6 kt | 8.8 kt | Standby |
| 35L | 1° | 12,000 ft | +1.6 kt | 8.8 kt | Standby |
TAF at Mon 26 Oct, 17:00 shifts the wind to 100° at 9 kt, favoring 07+08 in about 1.3 hours.
DEN ARR INFO N 2053Z. 07009KT 10SM SCT023 SCT080 12/06 A3015 (THREE ZERO ONE FIVE). HAZUS WX INFO FOR CO, KS, NE, WY AVBL FM FLT SVC. SIMUL ILS/RNAV APCHS IN USE TO CONVERGING RWYS. EXPECT ILS APCH, RWY 34R, RWY 35L, RWY 35R. NOTICE TO AIRMEN. RWY 3 4 RIGHT INNER MARKER OTS, PAPI OTS. RWY 1 6 RIGHT 3 4 LEFT CLOSED. RWY 35R INNER MARKER OTS. RWY 35L PAPI OTS. NO AIRCRAFT LARGER B737 ON TAXIWAY G BETWEEN B S AND B N. BIRD ACTIVITY VICINITY ARPT. ...ADVS YOU HAVE INFO N.
METAR KDEN 262053Z 08009KT 10SM SCT023 SCT080 12/06 A3015 RMK AO2 SLP183 T01170061 58016
Live weather
VFR80° @ 9 kt
12°C · 10+ SM · 1021 hPa
SCT023 SCT080
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 34R - sunny side
Calculated perimeter
Score 94/100
Short final 34R - sunny side sits 561 m from the 34L centerline. Looking toward the aircraft the bearing is 29.7°. That view is front-lit in the afternoon (best 14:00–15:00 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 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 Denver International Airport (DEN / KDEN): sun direction for every spotting location, scored from latitude 39.860, longitude -104.674, and the America/Denver 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 34R - sunny side Runway 34R | SIDE LIGHT | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 12:00-18:00 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 124.3 MHz. D-ATIS is 125.6 MHz. A handheld VHF airband scanner (Uniden Bearcat BC125AT) at the fence hears the call as it is made. At 561 m from 34L, 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 34R. The METAR wind is 80° at 9 kt. 34R shows +1.6 kt headwind and 8.8 kt crosswind from the right. Closed runways: none listed.
At 08:00 local the sun is at 112° azimuth and 6° elevation. Short final 34R - sunny side scores 89/100, 1121 m from runway 34L, view bearing 331.3°, best as a morning spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 232° and 20°. Short final 34R - sunny side scores 94/100 on a 29.7° 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 Denver International Airport (DEN/KDEN) 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: Short final 34R - sunny side. 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.
KDEN spotting locations sun direction: Short final 34R - sunny side (runway 34R) is SIDE LIGHT in the morning, CLEAN FRONT LIGHT at midday, and CLEAN FRONT LIGHT in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 12:00-18:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00.
Short final 34R - sunny side is 561 m from the 34L 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 124.3 MHz, Ground 121.85 MHz, Approach 119.3 MHz, ATIS 125.6 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 124.3 MHz.
TAF at Mon 26 Oct, 17:00 shifts the wind to 100° at 9 kt, favoring 07+08 in about 1.3 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/KDEN#runway-alerts
Get a Telegram ping when Denver International Airport changes landing or departure runway. One airport or a short list.