Portland, United States of America
Live METAR wind (190° at 6 kt), predicted landing/departure runways (landing and departure 10R+10L), hourly sun-angle backlight map, and top photo spots for Portland International Airport.
As of Mon 26 Oct, 15:00 local, D-ATIS confirms landing and departure 10R+10L. The METAR wind is 190° at 6 kt. 10R shows +2.0 kt headwind and 5.7 kt crosswind from the right. Closed runways: none listed. Updated Mon 26 Oct, 15:15.
| End | True hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10R | 119° | 11,000 ft | +2.0 kt | 5.7 kt | Landing + departure |
| 28L | 299° | 11,000 ft | -2.0 kt | 5.7 kt | Standby |
| 10L | 119° | 9,825 ft | +2.0 kt | 5.7 kt | Landing + departure |
| 28R | 299° | 9,825 ft | -2.0 kt | 5.7 kt | Standby |
| 03 | 45° | 6,000 ft | -4.9 kt | 3.4 kt | Standby |
| 21 | 225° | 6,000 ft | +4.9 kt | 3.4 kt | Standby |
PDX ATIS INFO Q 2153Z. 17006KT 7SM FEW016 BKN022 OVC029 12/10 A3001 (THREE ZERO ZERO ONE) RMK RAE53. ILS, RWY 10L, SIMUL, ILS, RWY 10R APCH IN USE. CAT II/III APPROACHES AVAILABLE, CONSTRUCTION CRANES LOWERED. NOTICE TO AIRMEN. TWY K CLSD BTN GATES D9 AND E1. RY 10L PAPI OTS. RWY 10R IM OTS. CAUTION FOR INCREASED BIRD ACTIVITY. TOWER FREQ FOR RY10R IS 123.77 TOWER FREQ FOR RY10L IS 118.7. FLOW CONTROL IN EFCT FOR, SEA, YVR, SLC, SFO. ...ADVS YOU HAVE INFO Q.
METAR KPDX 262153Z 19006KT 7SM FEW016 BKN022 OVC029 12/10 A3001 RMK AO2 RAE53 SLP161 P0000 T01170100 $
Live weather
MVFR190° @ 6 kt
12°C · 7 SM · 1016 hPa
FEW016 BKN022 OVC029
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 10L - sunny side
Calculated perimeter
Score 88/100
Short final 10L - sunny side sits 664 m from the 10R centerline. Looking toward the aircraft the bearing is 89.7°. That view is front-lit in the afternoon (best 17:00 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 navigationShort final 10R - sunny side
Calculated perimeter
Score 86/100
Short final 10R - sunny side sits 1234 m from the 10R centerline. Looking toward the aircraft the bearing is 89.7°. That view is front-lit in the afternoon (best 17:00 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 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 Portland International Airport (PDX / KPDX): sun direction for every spotting location, scored from latitude 45.589, longitude -122.598, 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 10L - sunny side Runway 10L | BACKLIT / GLARE | SIDE LIGHT | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 16:00-18:00 local. Avoid 08:00-10:00 harsh backlit contrast. |
Short final 10R - sunny side Runway 10R | BACKLIT / GLARE | SIDE LIGHT | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 16:00-18:00 local. Avoid 08:00-10:00 harsh backlit contrast. |
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 118.7 MHz. D-ATIS is 120.625 MHz. A handheld VHF airband scanner (Uniden Bearcat BC125AT) at the fence hears the call as it is made. At 664 m from 10R, 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, 15:00 local, D-ATIS confirms landing and departure 10R+10L. The METAR wind is 190° at 6 kt. 10R shows +2.0 kt headwind and 5.7 kt crosswind from the right. Closed runways: none listed.
At 08:00 local the sun is at 110° azimuth and 2° elevation. Short final 10R - sunny side scores 69/100, 1234 m from runway 10R, view bearing 148.2°, best as a afternoon spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 228° and 18°. Short final 10L - sunny side scores 90/100 on a 89.7° 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 Portland International Airport (PDX/KPDX) 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 10L - sunny side, Short final 10R - 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.
KPDX spotting locations sun direction: Short final 10L - sunny side (runway 10L) is BACKLIT / GLARE in the morning, SIDE LIGHT at midday, and CLEAN FRONT LIGHT in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 16:00-18:00 local. Avoid 08:00-10:00 harsh backlit contrast. Short final 10R - sunny side (runway 10R) is BACKLIT / GLARE in the morning, SIDE LIGHT at midday, and CLEAN FRONT LIGHT in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 16:00-18:00 local. Avoid 08:00-10:00 harsh backlit contrast.
Short final 10L - sunny side is 664 m from the 10R 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 118.7 MHz, Ground 121.9 MHz, Approach 118.1 MHz, ATIS 120.625 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 118.7 MHz.
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near 190° at 6 kt, so 10R 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/KPDX#runway-alerts
Get a Telegram ping when Portland International Airport changes landing or departure runway. One airport or a short list.