San Diego, United States of America
Live METAR wind (310° at 8 kt), predicted landing/departure runways (landing and departure 27), hourly sun-angle backlight map, and top photo spots for San Diego International Airport.
As of Mon 26 Oct, 12:00 local, D-ATIS confirms landing and departure 27. The METAR wind is 310° at 8 kt. 27 shows +7.3 kt headwind and 3.3 kt crosswind from the right. Closed runways: none listed. Updated Mon 26 Oct, 12:27.
| End | True hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09 | 106° | 9,401 ft | -7.3 kt | 3.3 kt | Standby |
| 27 | 286° | 9,401 ft | +7.3 kt | 3.3 kt | Landing + departure |
SAN ATIS INFO N 1851Z. 30008KT 10SM CLR 26/14 A3006 (THREE ZERO ZERO SIX) RMK AO2 SLP179 T02560144. LANDING RUNWAY 27 LOCALIZER, VISUAL, RNAV APPROACHES IN USE. DEPG RWY 27. RY 9 THRESHOLD LGTS OTS. MZB TACAN OTS. CALL 4 RLS IN EFFECT 4 ACFT LNDG LAS, DEN, SLC, DVT CONTACT CD 5 PRIOR TO PUSH. CALL 4 RLS IN EFFECT 4 ACFT LNDG SFO, PHX CONTACT CD A S A P FOR RELEASE. CALL FOR RLS FOR ACFT LNDG SNA. NO OFFSHORE TRANSITIONS. ...ADVS YOU HAVE INFO N.
METAR KSAN 261851Z 31008KT 10SM CLR 26/14 A3006 RMK AO2 SLP179 T02560144
Live weather
VFR310° @ 8 kt
26°C · 10+ SM · 1018 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 27 - sunny side
Calculated perimeter
Score 88/100
Short final 27 - sunny side sits 1234 m from the 27 centerline. Looking toward the aircraft the bearing is 315.3°. That view is front-lit in the morning (best 10:00 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 San Diego International Airport (SAN / KSAN): sun direction for every spotting location, scored from latitude 32.734, longitude -117.190, 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 27 - sunny side Runway 27 | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | SIDE LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 08:00-13:00 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 118.3 MHz. D-ATIS is 134.8 MHz. A handheld VHF airband scanner (Uniden Bearcat BC125AT) at the fence hears the call as it is made. At 1234 m from 27, 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, 12:00 local, D-ATIS confirms landing and departure 27. The METAR wind is 310° at 8 kt. 27 shows +7.3 kt headwind and 3.3 kt crosswind from the right. Closed runways: none listed.
At 08:00 local the sun is at 113° azimuth and 11° elevation. Short final 27 - sunny side scores 92/100, 1234 m from runway 27, view bearing 315.3°, best as a morning spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 236° and 23°. Short final 27 - sunny side scores 77/100 on a 315.3° 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 San Diego International Airport (SAN/KSAN) is the window marked CLEAN FRONT LIGHT for the fence you are using. Morning (07:00-11:00) front light: Short final 27 - sunny side. Afternoon / golden hour (14:00-18:00) front light: no listed spot stays fully front-lit. 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.
KSAN spotting locations sun direction: Short final 27 - sunny side (runway 27) is CLEAN FRONT LIGHT in the morning, CLEAN FRONT LIGHT at midday, and SIDE LIGHT in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 08:00-13:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00.
Short final 27 - sunny side is 1234 m from the 27 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 118.3 MHz, Ground 123.9 MHz, ATIS 134.8 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 118.3 MHz.
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near 310° at 8 kt, so 27 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/KSAN#runway-alerts
Get a Telegram ping when San Diego International Airport changes landing or departure runway. One airport or a short list.