Louisville, United States of America
Live METAR wind (250° at 3 kt), predicted landing/departure runways (landing and departure 17R), hourly sun-angle backlight map, and top photo spots for Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport.
As of Mon 26 Oct, 15:00 local, D-ATIS confirms landing and departure 17R. The METAR wind is 250° at 3 kt. 17R shows +0.3 kt headwind and 3.0 kt crosswind from the right. Closed runways: 17L, 35R, 29, 11. Updated Mon 26 Oct, 15:22.
| End | True hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17R | 165° | 11,887 ft | +0.3 kt | 3.0 kt | Landing + departure |
| 35L | 345° | 11,887 ft | -0.3 kt | 3.0 kt | Standby |
| 17L | 165° | 8,578 ft | +0.3 kt | 3.0 kt | Closed |
| 35R | 345° | 8,578 ft | -0.3 kt | 3.0 kt | Closed |
| 11 | 111° | 7,251 ft | -2.3 kt | 2.0 kt | Closed |
| 29 | 291° | 7,251 ft | +2.3 kt | 2.0 kt | Closed |
SDF ATIS INFO J 1856Z. 25003KT 10SM FEW270 OVC350 24/08 A3030 (THREE ZERO THREE ZERO). VISUAL APCH RWY 17R. NOTICE TO AIRMEN. RWY 17L, 35R CLSD, RWY 29, 11 CLSD. TWY K CLSD, TWY D CLSD BTN TWY, K AND TWY G, TWY N CLSD BTN TWY, L AND TWY K, TWY F CLSD BTN TWY, C AND TWY F3, TWY C CLSD BTN RWY, 29 AND TWY B5, TWY B CLSD BTN RWY, 29 AND TWY B5, TWY B6 CLSD BTN RWY, 35L AND TWY C, TWY D CLSD BTN RWY, 29 AND RWY 35R, TWY D BTWN APCH END RWY 17L AND TWY D7 CLSD. TWY A6 NONMOVEMENT AREA. TWY A BTWN TWY A6 AND TWY F NONMOVEMENT AREA. TWY F BTWN TWY B AND UPS RAMP 1 NONMOVEMENT AREA. INCREASED BIRD ACTIVITY IN THE VICINITY OF THE AIRPORT. TWY D CLOSED NORTH OF TWY D7, RWY 17L DEPARTURES EXPECT INTERSECTION D7, DISTANCE AVAILABLE 7700 FEET. BACK TAXI AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST. ...ADVS YOU HAVE INFO J.
METAR KSDF 261856Z 25003KT 10SM FEW270 OVC350 24/08 A3030 RMK AO2 SLP258 T02390083
Live weather
VFR250° @ 3 kt
24°C · 10+ SM · 1026 hPa
FEW270 OVC350
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 17R - sunny side
Calculated perimeter
Score 77/100
Short final 17R - sunny side sits 1234 m from the 17R centerline. Looking toward the aircraft the bearing is 136.1°. That view is front-lit in the afternoon (best 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: Side light
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Best time to plane spot at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF / KSDF): sun direction for every spotting location, scored from latitude 38.171, longitude -85.735, and the America/Kentucky/Louisville 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 17R - sunny side Runway 17R | BACKLIT / GLARE | BACKLIT / GLARE | SIDE LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Best local hours for crisp fuselage illumination: 18:00. Avoid 09:00-14:00 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 124.2 MHz. D-ATIS is 118.725 MHz. A handheld VHF airband scanner (Uniden Bearcat BC125AT) at the fence hears the call as it is made. At 1234 m from 17R, 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 17R. The METAR wind is 250° at 3 kt. 17R shows +0.3 kt headwind and 3.0 kt crosswind from the right. Closed runways: 17L, 35R, 29, 11.
At 08:00 local the sun is at 105° azimuth and -1° elevation. Short final 17R - sunny side scores 66/100, 1234 m from runway 17R, view bearing 194.6°, best as a midday spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 223° and 28°. Short final 17R - sunny side scores 78/100 on a 136.1° 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 Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF/KSDF) 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: 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.
KSDF spotting locations sun direction: Short final 17R - sunny side (runway 17R) is BACKLIT / GLARE in the morning, BACKLIT / GLARE at midday, and SIDE LIGHT in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Best local hours for crisp fuselage illumination: 18:00. Avoid 09:00-14:00 harsh backlit contrast.
Short final 17R - sunny side is 1234 m from the 17R 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 124.2 MHz, Ground 121.7 MHz, Approach 123.675 MHz, ATIS 118.725 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 124.2 MHz.
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near 250° at 3 kt, so 17R 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/KSDF#runway-alerts
Get a Telegram ping when Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport changes landing or departure runway. One airport or a short list.