El Paso, United States of America
Live METAR wind (30° at 5 kt), predicted landing/departure runways (landing and departure 22), hourly sun-angle backlight map, and top photo spots for El Paso International Airport.
As of Mon 26 Oct, 15:00 local, D-ATIS confirms landing and departure 22. The METAR wind is 30° at 5 kt. 22 shows -4.7 kt headwind and 1.7 kt crosswind from the right. Closed runways: none listed. Updated Mon 26 Oct, 15:36.
| End | True hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 04 | 50° | 12,020 ft | +4.7 kt | 1.7 kt | Standby |
| 22 | 230° | 12,020 ft | -4.7 kt | 1.7 kt | Landing + departure |
| 08R | 93° | 9,025 ft | +2.2 kt | 4.5 kt | Standby |
| 26L | 273° | 9,025 ft | -2.2 kt | 4.5 kt | Standby |
| 08L | 88° | 5,499 ft | +2.6 kt | 4.3 kt | Standby |
| 26R | 268° | 5,499 ft | -2.6 kt | 4.3 kt | Standby |
ELP ATIS INFO A 2051Z. 02005KT 10SM FEW042 FEW220 BKN250 23/12 A3009 (THREE ZERO ZERO NINER). EXP VISUAL APCH RY 22, 26L. SIMUL APCHS TO PARALLEL AND CONVERGING RUNWAYS IN USE. NOTICE TO AIRMEN. HAZD WX INFO FOR ELP AREA AVBL FM FSS. UAS ACTIVITY REPORTED AT, 1430Z 2NM EAST OF RUNWAY 22 APPROACH END, ORBITING, AT 150 FEET. READBACK ALL RY HOLD SHORT INSTRUCTIONS. USE CAUTION BIGGS ARMY AIRFIELD LOCATED 2 MILES NORTH OF ELP. ...ADVS YOU HAVE INFO A.
METAR KELP 262051Z 03005KT 10SM FEW042 FEW220 BKN250 23/12 A3009 RMK AO2 SLP134 T02280122 58023
Live weather
VFR30° @ 5 kt
23°C · 10+ SM · 1019 hPa
FEW042 FEW220 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 22 - sunny side
Calculated perimeter
Score 68/100
Short final 22 - sunny side sits 1234 m from the 22 centerline. Looking toward the aircraft the bearing is 259.3°. 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: Backlit
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Best time to plane spot at El Paso International Airport (ELP / KELP): sun direction for every spotting location, scored from latitude 31.810, longitude -106.376, 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 22 - sunny side Runway 22 | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | SIDE LIGHT | BACKLIT / GLARE | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 08:00-10:00 local. Avoid 15:00-18:00 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 118.3 MHz. D-ATIS is 120.0 MHz. A handheld VHF airband scanner (Uniden Bearcat BC125AT) at the fence hears the call as it is made. At 1234 m from 22, 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 22. The METAR wind is 30° at 5 kt. 22 shows -4.7 kt headwind and 1.7 kt crosswind from the right. Closed runways: none listed.
At 08:00 local the sun is at 110° azimuth and 8° elevation. Short final 22 - sunny side scores 90/100, 1234 m from runway 22, view bearing 259.3°, best as a morning spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 234° and 26°. Short final 22 - sunny side scores 68/100 on a 200.8° 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 El Paso International Airport (ELP/KELP) is the window marked CLEAN FRONT LIGHT for the fence you are using. Morning (07:00-11:00) front light: Short final 22 - 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.
KELP spotting locations sun direction: Short final 22 - sunny side (runway 22) 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 08:00-10:00 local. Avoid 15:00-18:00 harsh backlit contrast.
Short final 22 - sunny side is 1234 m from the 22 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 118.3 MHz, Ground 121.9 MHz, Approach 119.15 MHz, ATIS 120.0 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 118.3 MHz.
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near 30° at 5 kt, so 22 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/KELP#runway-alerts
Get a Telegram ping when El Paso International Airport changes landing or departure runway. One airport or a short list.