Raleigh/Durham, United States of America
Live METAR wind (VRB at 4 kt), predicted landing/departure runways (landing and departure 05R), hourly sun-angle backlight map, and top photo spots for Raleigh-Durham International Airport.
As of Mon 26 Oct, 16:00 local, D-ATIS confirms landing and departure 05R. The METAR wind is variable at 4 kt. 05R is the long-runway pick because the wind is calm or variable. Closed runways: 05L, 23R. Updated Mon 26 Oct, 16:15.
| End | True hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 05L | 45° | 10,000 ft | +0.0 kt | 0.0 kt | Closed |
| 23R | 225° | 10,000 ft | +0.0 kt | 0.0 kt | Closed |
| 05R | 45° | 7,500 ft | +0.0 kt | 0.0 kt | Landing + departure |
| 23L | 225° | 7,500 ft | +0.0 kt | 0.0 kt | Standby |
| 14 | 135° | 3,570 ft | +0.0 kt | 0.0 kt | Standby |
| 32 | 315° | 3,570 ft | +0.0 kt | 0.0 kt | Standby |
RDU ATIS INFO J 1951Z. VRB04KT 10SM CLR 21/03 A3028 (THREE ZERO TWO EIGHT). CNVGING APCHS IN USE. EXPECT VISUAL APCH RWY 5R, 32. NOTICE TO AIRMEN. RWY 5L, 23R CLSD. TWY D CLSD BTN TWY F AND TWY J . TWY G, H CLSD, TWY F4 CLSD. ILS RWY 5L OTS, RWY 5L MIDPOINT, RWY 23R MIDPOINT RVR OTS. FREQ 127.675 OTS, USE 124.95. RWY 5R, 23L LEAD OFF MARKING OBSCURED. RWY 5R, 23L CL MARKINGS OBSCURED. RWY 5L, 23R LEAD OFF CL MARKING FOR TWY B4 NOT STD MISSING. TWY B4 CL MARKINGS BTN RWY 5L, 23R AND TWY B NOT STD. TWY A5 TAXIWAY DIRECTION SIGN BTN RWY 5R, 23L AND TWY A NOT STD. RWY 5L ,23R CL MARKINGS NOT STD. BIRD ACT IN VCNTY OF RDU. PRACTICE INSTR APCHS AND TGL MAY BE UNAVBL DUE TO RWY CLOSURES. CTC RDU APCH PRIOR TO DEP FOR AVBL AND CDN. ...ADVS YOU HAVE INFO J.
METAR KRDU 261951Z VRB04KT 10SM CLR 21/03 A3028 RMK AO2 SLP253 T02060033
Live weather
VFRVRB @ 4 kt
21°C · 10+ SM · 1026 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 05R - sunny side
Calculated perimeter
Score 92/100
Short final 05R - sunny side sits 1233 m from the 05R centerline. Looking toward the aircraft the bearing is 74.2°. That view is front-lit in the afternoon (best 17:00–18:00 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 Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU / KRDU): sun direction for every spotting location, scored from latitude 35.879, longitude -78.787, 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 05R - sunny side Runway 05R | SIDE LIGHT | SIDE LIGHT | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 15:00-18:00 local. Avoid 08:00-09:00 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 119.3 MHz. D-ATIS is 123.8 MHz. A handheld VHF airband scanner (Uniden Bearcat BC125AT) at the fence hears the call as it is made. At 1233 m from 05R, 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, 16:00 local, D-ATIS confirms landing and departure 05R. The METAR wind is variable at 4 kt. 05R is the long-runway pick because the wind is calm or variable. Closed runways: 05L, 23R.
At 08:00 local the sun is at 109° azimuth and 5° elevation. Short final 05R - sunny side scores 79/100, 1234 m from runway 05R, view bearing 15.7°, best as a afternoon spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 230° and 26°. Short final 05R - sunny side scores 91/100 on a 74.2° 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 Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU/KRDU) 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 05R - 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.
KRDU spotting locations sun direction: Short final 05R - sunny side (runway 05R) 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 15:00-18:00 local. Avoid 08:00-09:00 harsh backlit contrast.
Short final 05R - sunny side is 1233 m from the 05R 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 119.3 MHz, Ground 121.7 MHz, Approach 124.8 MHz, ATIS 123.8 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 119.3 MHz.
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near variable at 4 kt, so 05R 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/KRDU#runway-alerts
Get a Telegram ping when Raleigh-Durham International Airport changes landing or departure runway. One airport or a short list.