Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD / KIAD) Plane Spotting Map & Live Active Runway Predictor
Dulles, United States of America
Dulles
IAD/KIAD
Updated Tue 27 Oct, 19:28 local
- Active runway
- 12
- METAR wind
- 90° @ 3 kt
- Best spot
- Short final 12 - sunny side
- Sun
- 265° / -15°
D-ATIS · +3 kt headwind
VFR
Night
Sun below the useful photo window
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Best Dulles (IAD) plane spotting locations by time of day & sun angle
Live weather
VFR90° @ 3 kt
16°C · 10+ sm · 1027 hPa
FEW250
Sun below the useful photo window
Runway alerts for Washington Dulles 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 IAD, 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 12 - sunny side Runway 12 | BACKLIT / GLARE | SIDE LIGHT | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 15:00-18:00 local. Avoid 08:00-10:00 harsh backlit contrast. |
| Climb-out 30 - sunny side Runway 30 | BACKLIT / GLARE | SIDE LIGHT | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 15:00-18:00 local. Avoid 08:00-10:00 harsh backlit contrast. |
Runway winds and thresholds
Land 12 · Dep 30
| End | Hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01C | 1° | 11,500 ft | +0.1 kt | 3.0 kt | Closed |
| 19C | 181° | 11,500 ft | -0.1 kt | 3.0 kt | Closed |
| 01R | 1° | 11,500 ft | +0.0 kt | 3.0 kt | Standby |
| 19L | 181° | 11,500 ft | -0.0 kt | 3.0 kt | Standby |
| 12 | 111° | 10,501 ft | +2.8 kt | 1.1 kt | Landing |
| 30 | 291° | 10,501 ft | -2.8 kt | 1.1 kt | Departure |
| 01L | 1° | 9,400 ft | +0.1 kt | 3.0 kt | Standby |
| 19R | 181° | 9,400 ft | -0.1 kt | 3.0 kt | Standby |
Recommended camera lenses & ATC radio frequencies for Dulles (KIAD)
| Facility | MHz | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tower | 120.100 | Published |
| Approach | 120.450 | Published |
| Departure | 125.050 | Published |
| Ground | 121.900 | Published |
| Delivery | 135.700 | Published |
| ATIS | 134.850 | 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 Dulles (IAD/KIAD)
Which runway is active at Dulles (IAD/KIAD) right now?
As of Tue 27 Oct, 19:00 local, D-ATIS confirms landing 12, departure 30. The METAR wind is 90° at 3 kt. 12 shows +2.8 kt headwind and 1.1 kt crosswind from the left. Closed runways: 01C, 19C.
Where is the best place to plane spot at Dulles (IAD) in the morning vs. afternoon?
At 08:00 local the sun is at 110° azimuth and 4° elevation. Short final 12 - sunny side scores 67/100, 1234 m from runway 12, view bearing 139.8°, best as a afternoon spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 230° and 22°. Short final 12 - sunny side scores 90/100 on a 81.3° 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 Washington Dulles International Airport?
The best time to plane spot at Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD/KIAD) 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 12 - sunny side, Climb-out 30 - 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.
What is the sun direction at KIAD spotting locations?
KIAD spotting locations sun direction: Short final 12 - sunny side (runway 12) is BACKLIT / GLARE 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. Avoid 08:00-10:00 harsh backlit contrast. Climb-out 30 - sunny side (runway 30) is BACKLIT / GLARE 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. Avoid 08:00-10:00 harsh backlit contrast.
What lens focal length do I need for plane spotting at Dulles (IAD)?
Short final 12 - sunny side is 1234 m from the 12 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 Dulles (KIAD)?
Monitor Tower 120.1 MHz, Ground 121.9 MHz, Approach 120.45 MHz, ATIS 134.85 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 120.1 MHz.
How do I know when Dulles (IAD) switches active runways?
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near 90° at 3 kt, so 12 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/KIAD#runway-alerts