El Paso International Airport (ELP / KELP) Plane Spotting Map & Live Active Runway Predictor
El Paso, United States of America
El Paso
ELP/KELP
Updated Tue 27 Oct, 18:19 local
- Active runway
- 22
- METAR wind
- 220° @ 5 kt
- Best spot
- Short final 22 - sunny side
- Sun
- 255° / -1°
D-ATIS · +5 kt headwind
VFR
Night
Evening golden hour now, sunset in 2 min
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Best El Paso (ELP) plane spotting locations by time of day & sun angle
Live weather
VFR220° @ 5 kt
24°C · 10+ sm · 1018 hPa
FEW070
Evening golden hour now, sunset in 2 min
Runway alerts for El Paso International 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 ELP, 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 22 - sunny side Runway 22 | SIDE LIGHT | BACKLIT / GLARE | BACKLIT / GLARE | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Best local hours for crisp fuselage illumination: 08:00-09:00. Avoid 12:00-17:00 harsh backlit contrast. |
Runway winds and thresholds
Land 22 · Dep 22 / 26L
| End | Hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 04 | 50° | 12,020 ft | -4.9 kt | 0.9 kt | Standby |
| 22 | 230° | 12,020 ft | +4.9 kt | 0.9 kt | Both |
| 08R | 93° | 9,025 ft | -3.0 kt | 4.0 kt | Standby |
| 26L | 273° | 9,025 ft | +3.0 kt | 4.0 kt | Departure |
| 08L | 88° | 5,499 ft | -3.3 kt | 3.7 kt | Standby |
| 26R | 268° | 5,499 ft | +3.3 kt | 3.7 kt | Standby |
Recommended camera lenses & ATC radio frequencies for El Paso (KELP)
| Facility | MHz | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tower | 118.300 | Published |
| Approach | 119.150 | Published |
| Departure | 119.150 | Published |
| Ground | 121.900 | Published |
| Delivery | 125.000 | Published |
| ATIS | 120.000 | 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 El Paso (ELP/KELP)
Which runway is active at El Paso (ELP/KELP) right now?
As of Tue 27 Oct, 18:00 local, D-ATIS confirms landing 22, departure 22+26L. The METAR wind is 220° at 5 kt. 22 shows +4.9 kt headwind and 0.9 kt crosswind from the left. Closed runways: none listed.
Where is the best place to plane spot at El Paso (ELP) in the morning vs. afternoon?
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 233° 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.
What is the best time to plane spot at El Paso International Airport?
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: 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 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.
What is the sun direction at KELP spotting locations?
KELP spotting locations sun direction: Short final 22 - sunny side (runway 22) 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 12:00-17:00 harsh backlit contrast.
What lens focal length do I need for plane spotting at El Paso (ELP)?
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.
What ATC radio frequencies should I monitor while spotting at El Paso (KELP)?
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.
How do I know when El Paso (ELP) switches active runways?
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near 220° 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