Norfolk, United States of America
Live METAR wind (10° at 8 kt), predicted landing/departure runways (landing and departure 05), hourly sun-angle backlight map, and top photo spots for Norfolk International Airport.
As of Mon 26 Oct, 11:00 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 05. The METAR wind is 10° at 8 kt. 05 shows +7.1 kt headwind and 3.8 kt crosswind from the left. Closed runways: none listed. Updated Mon 26 Oct, 11:43.
| End | True hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 05 | 38° | 9,001 ft | +7.1 kt | 3.8 kt | Landing + departure |
| 23 | 218° | 9,001 ft | -7.1 kt | 3.8 kt | Standby |
| 14 | 128° | 4,876 ft | -3.8 kt | 7.1 kt | Standby |
| 32 | 308° | 4,876 ft | +3.8 kt | 7.1 kt | Standby |
METAR KORF 261451Z 01008KT 10SM CLR 16/12 A3038 RMK AO2 SLP286 T01560117 53003
Live weather
VFR10° @ 8 kt
16°C · 10+ SM · 1029 hPa
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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 05 - sunny side
Calculated perimeter
Score 90/100
Short final 05 - sunny side sits 1234 m from the 05 centerline. Looking toward the aircraft the bearing is 8.7°. That view is front-lit around midday (best 13:00–14:00 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
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Best time to plane spot at Norfolk International Airport (ORF / KORF): sun direction for every spotting location, scored from latitude 36.895, longitude -76.201, and the America/New_York 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 05 - sunny side Runway 05 | SIDE LIGHT | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 11:00-17:00 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 120.8 MHz. D-ATIS is 127.15 MHz. A handheld VHF airband scanner (Uniden Bearcat BC125AT) at the fence hears the call as it is made. At 1234 m from 05, 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, 11:00 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 05. The METAR wind is 10° at 8 kt. 05 shows +7.1 kt headwind and 3.8 kt crosswind from the left. Closed runways: none listed.
At 08:00 local the sun is at 111° azimuth and 6° elevation. Short final 05 - sunny side scores 81/100, 1234 m from runway 05, view bearing 8.7°, best as a midday spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 232° and 23°. Short final 05 - sunny side scores 93/100 on a 67.2° 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.
The best time to plane spot at Norfolk International Airport (ORF/KORF) 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 05 - 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.
KORF spotting locations sun direction: Short final 05 - sunny side (runway 05) 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 11:00-17:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00.
Short final 05 - sunny side is 1234 m from the 05 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 120.8 MHz, Ground 121.9 MHz, Approach 118.9 MHz, ATIS 127.15 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 120.8 MHz.
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near 10° at 8 kt, so 05 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/KORF#runway-alerts
Get a Telegram ping when Norfolk International Airport changes landing or departure runway. One airport or a short list.