Milwaukee, United States of America
Live METAR wind (30° at 11 kt), predicted landing/departure runways (landing and departure 07R), hourly sun-angle backlight map, and top photo spots for General Mitchell International Airport.
As of Mon 26 Oct, 13:00 local, D-ATIS confirms landing and departure 07R. The METAR wind is 30° at 11 kt. 07R shows +8.2 kt headwind and 7.4 kt crosswind from the left. Closed runways: 01L, 19R, 01R, 19L. Updated Mon 26 Oct, 13:37.
| End | True hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01L | 7° | 9,990 ft | +10.1 kt | 4.3 kt | Closed |
| 19R | 187° | 9,990 ft | -10.1 kt | 4.3 kt | Closed |
| 07R | 72° | 8,300 ft | +8.2 kt | 7.4 kt | Landing + departure |
| 25L | 252° | 8,300 ft | -8.2 kt | 7.4 kt | Standby |
| 13 | 132° | 5,537 ft | -2.3 kt | 10.8 kt | Standby |
| 31 | 312° | 5,537 ft | +2.3 kt | 10.8 kt | Standby |
| 07L | 71° | 4,797 ft | +8.3 kt | 7.2 kt | Standby |
| 25R | 251° | 4,797 ft | -8.3 kt | 7.2 kt | Standby |
| 01R | 7° | 4,182 ft | +10.1 kt | 4.3 kt | Closed |
| 19L | 187° | 4,182 ft | -10.1 kt | 4.3 kt | Closed |
MKE ATIS INFO Q 1752Z. 03011G22KT 10SM FEW030 SCT120 BKN250 14/07 A3038 (THREE ZERO THREE EIGHT). VISUAL APCH RY 7R. LDG RY 7R. DEPG RY 7R. SIMUL OPS TO PARL RWYS IN USE. NOTAMS... RY 1L, 19R, 1R, 19L CLSD. ILS RWY 1L OTS, ILS RWY 7R OTS. USE CAUTION FOR NUMEROUS TWY CLOSURES ON AIRPORT. TRANSPONDERS REQUIRED TO BE ON WHILE OPERATING ON RWYS AND TWYS. BIRD ACTIVITY VICINITY ARPT. ALL ACFT RBCK ALL HOLD SHORT INSTRUCTIONS. ALL TAXIING DEPG ACFT REMAIN ON GROUND CONTROL FREQ UNTIL ADZD, FOR CD CTC GC FREQ. ...ADVS YOU HAVE INFO Q.
METAR KMKE 261752Z 03011G22KT 10SM FEW030 SCT120 BKN250 14/07 A3038 RMK AO2 SLP290 T01390072 10144 20106 58006
Live weather
VFR30° @ 11 kt G22
14°C · 10+ SM · 1029 hPa
FEW030 SCT120 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 07R - sunny side
Calculated perimeter
Score 91/100
Short final 07R - sunny side sits 1234 m from the 07R centerline. Looking toward the aircraft the bearing is 42.7°. That view is front-lit in the afternoon (best 15:00–16:00 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 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 General Mitchell International Airport (MKE / KMKE): sun direction for every spotting location, scored from latitude 42.947, longitude -87.897, and the America/Chicago 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 07R - sunny side Runway 07R | SIDE LIGHT | SIDE LIGHT | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 13:00-18:00 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 119.1 MHz. D-ATIS is 126.4 MHz. A handheld VHF airband scanner (Uniden Bearcat BC125AT) at the fence hears the call as it is made. At 1234 m from 07R, 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, 13:00 local, D-ATIS confirms landing and departure 07R. The METAR wind is 30° at 11 kt. 07R shows +8.2 kt headwind and 7.4 kt crosswind from the left. Closed runways: 01L, 19R, 01R, 19L.
At 08:00 local the sun is at 113° azimuth and 6° elevation. Short final 07R - sunny side scores 75/100, 1234 m from runway 07R, view bearing 42.7°, best as a afternoon spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 233° and 18°. Short final 07R - sunny side scores 94/100 on a 42.7° 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 General Mitchell International Airport (MKE/KMKE) 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 07R - sunny side. 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.
KMKE spotting locations sun direction: Short final 07R - sunny side (runway 07R) 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 13:00-18:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00.
Short final 07R - sunny side is 1234 m from the 07R 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 119.1 MHz, Ground 121.8 MHz, Approach 118.0 MHz, ATIS 126.4 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 119.1 MHz.
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near 30° at 11 kt, so 07R 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/KMKE#runway-alerts
Get a Telegram ping when General Mitchell International Airport changes landing or departure runway. One airport or a short list.