Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport (OAK / KOAK) Plane Spotting Map & Live Active Runway Predictor
Oakland, United States of America
Oakland San Francisco Bay
OAK/KOAK
Updated Tue 27 Oct, 15:28 local
- Active runway
- 28L / 28R / 30
- METAR wind
- 250° @ 8 kt
- Best spot
- Short final 28L - sunny side
- Sun
- 224° / 28°
Wind vector · +6 kt headwind
VFR
Side-lit
Golden hour in 2h 13m
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Best Oakland San Francisco Bay (OAK) plane spotting locations by time of day & sun angle
Live weather
VFR250° @ 8 kt
18°C · 10+ sm · 1017 hPa
FEW030 SCT200
Golden hour in 2h 13m
Runway alerts for Oakland San Francisco Bay 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 OAK, 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 28L - sunny side Runway 28L | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | SIDE LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 08:00-14:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00. |
| Short final 28R - sunny side Runway 28R | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | SIDE LIGHT | BACKLIT / GLARE | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 08:00-11:00 local. Avoid 16:00-18:00 harsh backlit contrast. |
Runway winds and thresholds
Land 28L / 28R / 30 · Dep 30 / 28L
| End | Hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | 130° | 10,520 ft | -4.0 kt | 6.9 kt | Standby |
| 30 | 310° | 10,520 ft | +4.0 kt | 6.9 kt | Both |
| 10R | 112° | 6,213 ft | -5.9 kt | 5.4 kt | Standby |
| 28L | 292° | 6,213 ft | +5.9 kt | 5.4 kt | Both |
| 10L | 112° | 5,457 ft | -5.9 kt | 5.4 kt | Standby |
| 28R | 292° | 5,457 ft | +5.9 kt | 5.4 kt | Landing |
| 15 | 165° | 3,376 ft | +0.7 kt | 8.0 kt | Standby |
| 33 | 345° | 3,376 ft | -0.7 kt | 8.0 kt | Standby |
Recommended camera lenses & ATC radio frequencies for Oakland San Francisco Bay (KOAK)
| Facility | MHz | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tower | 118.300 | Published |
| Approach | 125.350 | Published |
| Departure | 120.900 | Published |
| Ground | 121.750 | Published |
| Delivery | 121.100 | Published |
| ATIS | 133.775 | 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 Oakland San Francisco Bay (OAK/KOAK)
Which runway is active at Oakland San Francisco Bay (OAK/KOAK) right now?
As of Tue 27 Oct, 15:00 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing 28L+28R+30, departure 30+28L. The METAR wind is 250° at 8 kt. 28L shows +5.9 kt headwind and 5.4 kt crosswind from the left. Closed runways: none listed.
Where is the best place to plane spot at Oakland San Francisco Bay (OAK) in the morning vs. afternoon?
At 08:00 local the sun is at 110° azimuth and 5° elevation. Short final 28R - sunny side scores 91/100, 1234 m from runway 28R, view bearing 263.0°, best as a morning spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 230° and 23°. Short final 28L - sunny side scores 79/100 on a 321.3° 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 Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport?
The best time to plane spot at Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport (OAK/KOAK) is the window marked CLEAN FRONT LIGHT for the fence you are using. Morning (07:00-11:00) front light: Short final 28L - sunny side, Short final 28R - sunny side. 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 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 KOAK spotting locations?
KOAK spotting locations sun direction: Short final 28L - sunny side (runway 28L) is CLEAN FRONT LIGHT in the morning, CLEAN FRONT LIGHT at midday, and SIDE LIGHT in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 08:00-14:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00. Short final 28R - sunny side (runway 28R) is CLEAN FRONT LIGHT in the morning, SIDE LIGHT at midday, and BACKLIT / GLARE in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 08:00-11:00 local. Avoid 16:00-18:00 harsh backlit contrast.
What lens focal length do I need for plane spotting at Oakland San Francisco Bay (OAK)?
Short final 28L - sunny side is 1234 m from the 28L 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 Oakland San Francisco Bay (KOAK)?
Monitor Tower 118.3 MHz, Ground 121.75 MHz, Approach 125.35 MHz, ATIS 133.775 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 Oakland San Francisco Bay (OAK) switches active runways?
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near 250° at 8 kt, so 28L 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/KOAK#runway-alerts