Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU / KRDU) Plane Spotting Map & Live Active Runway Predictor
Raleigh/Durham, United States of America
Raleigh-Durham
RDU/KRDU
Updated Tue 27 Oct, 18:25 local
- Active runway
- 05L
- METAR wind
- 50° @ 4 kt
- Best spot
- Short final 05L - sunny side
- Sun
- 255° / -1°
D-ATIS · +4 kt headwind
VFR
Night
Evening golden hour now, sunset in 1 min
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Best Raleigh-Durham (RDU) plane spotting locations by time of day & sun angle
Live weather
VFR50° @ 4 kt
22°C · 10+ sm · 1025 hPa
FEW250
Evening golden hour now, sunset in 1 min
Runway alerts for Raleigh-Durham International 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 RDU, 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 05L - sunny side Runway 05L | 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. |
Runway winds and thresholds
Land 05L · Dep 05L
| End | Hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 05L | 45° | 10,000 ft | +4.0 kt | 0.3 kt | Both |
| 23R | 225° | 10,000 ft | -4.0 kt | 0.3 kt | Standby |
| 05R | 45° | 7,500 ft | +4.0 kt | 0.3 kt | Standby |
| 23L | 225° | 7,500 ft | -4.0 kt | 0.3 kt | Standby |
| 14 | 135° | 3,570 ft | +0.3 kt | 4.0 kt | Standby |
| 32 | 315° | 3,570 ft | -0.3 kt | 4.0 kt | Standby |
Recommended camera lenses & ATC radio frequencies for Raleigh-Durham (KRDU)
| Facility | MHz | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tower | 119.300 | Published |
| Approach | 124.800 | Published |
| Departure | 125.300 | Published |
| Ground | 121.700 | Published |
| Delivery | 120.100 | Published |
| ATIS | 123.800 | 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 Raleigh-Durham (RDU/KRDU)
Which runway is active at Raleigh-Durham (RDU/KRDU) right now?
As of Tue 27 Oct, 18:00 local, D-ATIS confirms landing and departure 05L. The METAR wind is 50° at 4 kt. 05L shows +4.0 kt headwind and 0.3 kt crosswind from the right. Closed runways: none listed.
Where is the best place to plane spot at Raleigh-Durham (RDU) in the morning vs. afternoon?
At 08:00 local the sun is at 109° azimuth and 4° elevation. Short final 05L - sunny side scores 79/100, 1234 m from runway 05L, view bearing 15.7°, best as a afternoon spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 230° and 25°. Short final 05L - 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.
What is the best time to plane spot at Raleigh-Durham International Airport?
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 05L - 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.
What is the sun direction at KRDU spotting locations?
KRDU spotting locations sun direction: Short final 05L - sunny side (runway 05L) 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.
What lens focal length do I need for plane spotting at Raleigh-Durham (RDU)?
Short final 05L - sunny side is 1233 m from the 05L 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 Raleigh-Durham (KRDU)?
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.
How do I know when Raleigh-Durham (RDU) switches active runways?
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near 50° at 4 kt, so 05L 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