Indianapolis International Airport (IND / KIND) Plane Spotting Map & Live Active Runway Predictor
Indianapolis, United States of America
Indianapolis
IND/KIND
Updated Tue 27 Oct, 17:47 local
- Active runway
- 05L / 23R
- METAR wind
- 220° @ 3 kt
- Best spot
- Short final 05L - sunny side
- Sun
- 243° / 10°
D-ATIS · -3 kt headwind
VFR
Sweet spot
Golden hour in 26m
Sweet spotWant a Telegram ping when KIND flips runways? Subscribe for $3/mo
Best Indianapolis (IND) plane spotting locations by time of day & sun angle
Live weather
VFR220° @ 3 kt
22°C · 10+ sm · 1024 hPa
FEW050 SCT220 BKN300
Golden hour in 26m
Runway alerts for Indianapolis 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 IND, 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 05L - sunny side Runway 05L | SIDE LIGHT | SIDE LIGHT | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 15:00-18:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00. |
| Short final 23R - sunny side Runway 23R | SIDE LIGHT | BACKLIT / GLARE | BACKLIT / GLARE | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Best local hours for crisp fuselage illumination: 09:00. Avoid 13:00-18:00 harsh backlit contrast. |
Runway winds and thresholds
Land 05L / 23R · Dep 05L / 23R
TAF at Tue 27 Oct, 22:00 shifts the wind to 170° at 2 kt, favoring 23R+23L in about 4.2 hours.
| End | Hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 05L | 45° | 11,200 ft | -3.0 kt | 0.2 kt | Both |
| 23R | 225° | 11,200 ft | +3.0 kt | 0.2 kt | Both |
| 05R | 45° | 10,000 ft | -3.0 kt | 0.2 kt | Standby |
| 23L | 225° | 10,000 ft | +3.0 kt | 0.2 kt | Standby |
| 14 | 135° | 7,278 ft | +0.2 kt | 3.0 kt | Standby |
| 32 | 315° | 7,278 ft | -0.2 kt | 3.0 kt | Standby |
Recommended camera lenses & ATC radio frequencies for Indianapolis (KIND)
| Facility | MHz | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tower | 120.900 | Published |
| Approach | 128.175 | Published |
| Approach | 127.150 | Published |
| Departure | 124.950 | Published |
| Ground | 121.800 | Published |
| Delivery | 128.750 | Published |
| ATIS | 134.250 | 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 Indianapolis (IND/KIND)
Which runway is active at Indianapolis (IND/KIND) right now?
As of Tue 27 Oct, 17:00 local, D-ATIS confirms landing and departure 05L+23R. The METAR wind is 220° at 3 kt. 05L shows -3.0 kt headwind and 0.2 kt crosswind from the right. Closed runways: none listed.
Where is the best place to plane spot at Indianapolis (IND) in the morning vs. afternoon?
At 08:00 local the sun is at 105° azimuth and -2° elevation. Short final 05L - sunny side scores 66/100, 1234 m from runway 05L, view bearing 15.2°, best as a afternoon spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 222° and 27°. Short final 05L - sunny side scores 91/100 on a 15.2° 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 Indianapolis International Airport?
The best time to plane spot at Indianapolis International Airport (IND/KIND) 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 05L - 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 KIND spotting locations?
KIND spotting locations sun direction: Short final 05L - sunny side (runway 05L) is SIDE LIGHT 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. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00. Short final 23R - sunny side (runway 23R) 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: 09:00. Avoid 13:00-18:00 harsh backlit contrast.
What lens focal length do I need for plane spotting at Indianapolis (IND)?
Short final 05L - sunny side is 1233 m from the 05L 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 Indianapolis (KIND)?
Monitor Tower 120.9 MHz, Ground 121.8 MHz, Approach 128.175 MHz, ATIS 134.25 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 120.9 MHz.
How do I know when Indianapolis (IND) switches active runways?
TAF at Tue 27 Oct, 22:00 shifts the wind to 170° at 2 kt, favoring 23R+23L 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/KIND#runway-alerts