Las Vegas, United States of America
Live METAR wind (calm), predicted landing/departure runways (landing 26L+19R, departure 26R+19R+19L), hourly sun-angle backlight map, and top photo spots for Harry Reid International Airport.
As of Mon 26 Oct, 10:00 local, D-ATIS confirms landing 26L+19R, departure 26R+19R+19L. The METAR wind is calm. 26L is the long-runway pick because the wind is calm or variable. Closed runways: none listed. Updated Mon 26 Oct, 10:42.
| End | True hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 08L | 90° | 14,835 ft | +0.0 kt | 0.0 kt | Standby |
| 26R | 270° | 14,835 ft | +0.0 kt | 0.0 kt | Departure |
| 08R | 90° | 10,526 ft | +0.0 kt | 0.0 kt | Standby |
| 26L | 270° | 10,526 ft | +0.0 kt | 0.0 kt | Landing |
| 01L | 25° | 9,770 ft | +0.0 kt | 0.0 kt | Standby |
| 19R | 205° | 9,770 ft | +0.0 kt | 0.0 kt | Landing + departure |
| 01R | 25° | 9,769 ft | +0.0 kt | 0.0 kt | Standby |
| 19L | 205° | 9,769 ft | +0.0 kt | 0.0 kt | Departure |
TAF at Mon 26 Oct, 14:00 shifts the wind to 140° at 7 kt, favoring 08L+08R in about 3.3 hours.
LAS ATIS INFO A 1656Z. 00000KT 10SM FEW200 FEW250 18/04 A3015 (THREE ZERO ONE FIVE). VISUAL APPROACHES IN USE. LANDING RWYS 26L AND 19R. DEPG RWYS 26R, 19R AND 19L. SIMUL APCHS TO CROSSING AND PARALLEL RUNWAYS IN USE, CONVERGING RUNWAY OPERATIONS IN EFFECT. NOTICE TO AIRMEN. GC COMBINED ON 121.1, HELICOPTOR CONTROL OPEN ON 118.75. HELICOPTERS OVER THE STRIP AT 3000. ...ADVS YOU HAVE INFO A.
METAR KLAS 261656Z 00000KT 10SM FEW200 FEW250 18/04 A3015 RMK AO2 SLP198 T01830044 $
Live weather
VFRCALM
18°C · 10+ SM · 1021 hPa
FEW200 FEW250
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 26L - sunny side
Calculated perimeter
Score 92/100
Short final 26L - sunny side sits 945 m from the 26R centerline. Looking toward the aircraft the bearing is 299.3°. 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: Frontlit
Google Maps navigationShort final 19R - sunny side
Calculated perimeter
Score 79/100
Short final 19R - sunny side sits 951 m from the 19L centerline. Looking toward the aircraft the bearing is 234.3°. That view is front-lit in the morning (best 08:00 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: Side light
Google Maps navigationClimb-out 26R - sunny side
Calculated perimeter
Score 39/100
Climb-out 26R - sunny side sits 1234 m from the 08L centerline. Looking toward the aircraft the bearing is 39.3°. 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 beyond the far end of the departure runway, offset 280 m to the sunny side of the climb.
Now: Side light
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 Harry Reid International Airport (LAS / KLAS): sun direction for every spotting location, scored from latitude 36.083, longitude -115.152, and the America/Los_Angeles 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 26L - sunny side Runway 26L | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | SIDE LIGHT | SIDE LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 08:00-12:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00. |
Short final 19R - sunny side Runway 19R | SIDE LIGHT | SIDE LIGHT | BACKLIT / GLARE | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Best local hours for crisp fuselage illumination: 08:00. Avoid 14:00-18:00 harsh backlit contrast. |
Climb-out 26R - sunny side Runway 26R | 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 119.9 MHz. D-ATIS is 132.4 MHz. A handheld VHF airband scanner (Uniden Bearcat BC125AT) at the fence hears the call as it is made. At 945 m from 26R, 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, 10:00 local, D-ATIS confirms landing 26L+19R, departure 26R+19R+19L. The METAR wind is calm. 26L is the long-runway pick because the wind is calm or variable. Closed runways: none listed.
At 08:00 local the sun is at 114° azimuth and 11° elevation. Short final 26L - sunny side scores 96/100, 945 m from runway 26R, view bearing 299.3°, best as a morning spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 237° and 20°. Short final 26L - sunny side scores 75/100 on a 299.3° 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.
The best time to plane spot at Harry Reid International Airport (LAS/KLAS) is the window marked CLEAN FRONT LIGHT for the fence you are using. Morning (07:00-11:00) front light: Short final 26L - sunny side. Afternoon / golden hour (14:00-18:00) front light: Climb-out 26R - sunny side. Midday (11:00-14:00) is HIGH SUN / TOP LIGHT at 0 of 3 spotting locations. Read the Best Time of Day & Lighting Schedule by Spot table for the lens and the hours to avoid harsh backlit contrast.
KLAS spotting locations sun direction: Short final 26L - sunny side (runway 26L) is CLEAN FRONT LIGHT in the morning, SIDE LIGHT at midday, and SIDE LIGHT in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 08:00-12:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00. Short final 19R - sunny side (runway 19R) is SIDE LIGHT in the morning, SIDE LIGHT at midday, and BACKLIT / GLARE in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Best local hours for crisp fuselage illumination: 08:00. Avoid 14:00-18:00 harsh backlit contrast. Climb-out 26R - sunny side (runway 26R) 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 26L - sunny side is 945 m from the 26R 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 119.9 MHz, Ground 121.1 MHz, Approach 125.025 MHz, ATIS 132.4 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 119.9 MHz.
TAF at Mon 26 Oct, 14:00 shifts the wind to 140° at 7 kt, favoring 08L+08R in about 3.3 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/KLAS#runway-alerts
Get a Telegram ping when Harry Reid International Airport changes landing or departure runway. One airport or a short list.