Phoenix, United States of America
Live METAR wind (260° at 5 kt), predicted landing/departure runways (landing 26+25L, departure 25R), hourly sun-angle backlight map, and top photo spots for Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.
As of Mon 26 Oct, 15:00 local, D-ATIS confirms landing 26+25L, departure 25R. The METAR wind is 260° at 5 kt. 26 shows +4.9 kt headwind and 0.9 kt crosswind from the left. Closed runways: none listed. Updated Mon 26 Oct, 15:15.
| End | True hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 08 | 90° | 11,489 ft | -4.9 kt | 0.9 kt | Standby |
| 26 | 270° | 11,489 ft | +4.9 kt | 0.9 kt | Landing |
| 07L | 90° | 10,300 ft | -4.9 kt | 0.9 kt | Standby |
| 25R | 270° | 10,300 ft | +4.9 kt | 0.9 kt | Departure |
| 07R | 90° | 7,800 ft | -4.9 kt | 0.9 kt | Standby |
| 25L | 270° | 7,800 ft | +4.9 kt | 0.9 kt | Landing |
PHX ATIS INFO O 2151Z. 25005KT 10SM FEW150 FEW250 29/04 A2994 (TWO NINER NINER FOUR). SIMUL APCHS TO PARL RWYS IN USE. USE CTN FOR ACFT ON PARL FINAL APCHS, DO NOT OVERSHOOT FINAL. EXPECT ILS OR VISUAL APCH RWY 26, ILS OR VISUAL APCH RWY 25L. DEPARTING RWY 25R. NOTICES TO AIRMEN. CLNC DLVY FREQ 133.7, INT, E13 INT, E11 INT G3 RWSL OTS. MULT CRANES INVOF ARPT. BIRD ACTIVITY INVOF ARPT. READBACK HOLD SHORT INSTRUCTIONS. ...ADVS YOU HAVE INFO O.
METAR KPHX 262151Z 26005KT 10SM FEW150 FEW250 29/04 A2994 RMK AO2 SLP124 T02940044 $
Live weather
VFR260° @ 5 kt
29°C · 10+ SM · 1014 hPa
FEW150 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 25L - sunny side
Calculated perimeter
Score 77/100
Short final 25L - sunny side sits 640 m from the 25R 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: Side light
Google Maps navigationShort final 26 - sunny side
Calculated perimeter
Score 75/100
Short final 26 - sunny side sits 1234 m from the 26 centerline. Looking toward the aircraft the bearing is 299.4°. 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: Side light
Google Maps navigationClimb-out 25R - sunny side
Calculated perimeter
Score 45/100
Climb-out 25R - sunny side sits 1202 m from the 07R centerline. Looking toward the aircraft the bearing is 89.7°. That view is front-lit in the afternoon (best 16:00–17:00 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: 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 Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX / KPHX): sun direction for every spotting location, scored from latitude 33.435, longitude -112.006, and the America/Phoenix 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 25L - sunny side Runway 25L | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | SIDE LIGHT | SIDE LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 07:00-12:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00. |
Short final 26 - sunny side Runway 26 | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | SIDE LIGHT | SIDE LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 07:00-12:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00. |
Climb-out 25R - sunny side Runway 25R | BACKLIT / GLARE | SIDE LIGHT | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 15:00-18:00 local. Avoid 07:00-10:00 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 127.575 MHz. A handheld VHF airband scanner (Uniden Bearcat BC125AT) at the fence hears the call as it is made. At 640 m from 25R, 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 26+25L, departure 25R. The METAR wind is 260° at 5 kt. 26 shows +4.9 kt headwind and 0.9 kt crosswind from the left. Closed runways: none listed.
At 08:00 local the sun is at 116° azimuth and 14° elevation. Short final 25L - sunny side scores 97/100, 640 m from runway 25R, view bearing 299.3°, best as a morning spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 240° and 19°. Short final 25L - 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 Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX/KPHX) is the window marked CLEAN FRONT LIGHT for the fence you are using. Morning (07:00-11:00) front light: Short final 25L - sunny side, Short final 26 - sunny side. Afternoon / golden hour (14:00-18:00) front light: Climb-out 25R - 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.
KPHX spotting locations sun direction: Short final 25L - sunny side (runway 25L) 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 07:00-12:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00. Short final 26 - sunny side (runway 26) 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 07:00-12:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00. Climb-out 25R - sunny side (runway 25R) 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 15:00-18:00 local. Avoid 07:00-10:00 harsh backlit contrast.
Short final 25L - sunny side is 640 m from the 25R 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 119.75 MHz, ATIS 127.575 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 260° at 5 kt, so 26 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/KPHX#runway-alerts
Get a Telegram ping when Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport changes landing or departure runway. One airport or a short list.