Seattle, United States of America
Live METAR wind (70° at 3 kt), predicted landing/departure runways (landing 16R, departure 16L), hourly sun-angle backlight map, and top photo spots for Seattle–Tacoma International Airport.
As of Mon 26 Oct, 09:28 local, D-ATIS confirms landing 16R, departure 16L. The METAR wind is 70° at 3 kt. 16R shows -1.0 kt headwind and 2.8 kt crosswind from the left. Closed runways: 16C. Updated Mon 26 Oct, 09:34.
| End | True hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16L | 180° | 11,901 ft | -1.0 kt | 2.8 kt | Departure |
| 34R | 360° | 11,901 ft | +1.0 kt | 2.8 kt | Standby |
| 16C | 180° | 9,426 ft | -1.0 kt | 2.8 kt | Closed |
| 34C | 360° | 9,426 ft | +1.0 kt | 2.8 kt | Standby |
| 16R | 180° | 8,500 ft | -1.0 kt | 2.8 kt | Landing |
| 34L | 360° | 8,500 ft | +1.0 kt | 2.8 kt | Standby |
SEA ATIS INFO H 1628Z SPECIAL. 05003KT 10SM -RA SCT005 BKN047 BKN060 10/08 A3003 (THREE ZERO ZERO THREE). ILS, RYS 16R AND 16L , APCH IN USE. DEPG RWY 16L. SIMUL APCHS IN USE, BFI & SEA. TRAFFIC BELOW YOU ON FINAL. SIMUL APCHS IN USE TO PARA RYS. NOTAMS... RY 16C CLSD. TWY E CLSD BTN RWY, 16L AND TWY T, TWY D, F, K CLSD, TWY H CLSD BTN RWY 16C AND TWY J. TWY Q CLSD BTN RWY 16L AND TWY T. BIRD ACTIVITY VICINITY ARPT. ...ADVS YOU HAVE INFO H.
SPECI KSEA 261628Z 07003KT 10SM -RA SCT005 BKN047 BKN060 10/08 A3003 RMK AO2 RAB00 SCT005 V BKN P0000 T01000083
Live weather
VFR70° @ 3 kt
10°C · 10+ SM · 1017 hPa
SCT005 BKN047 BKN060
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 16R - sunny side
Calculated perimeter
Score 77/100
Short final 16R - sunny side sits 1226 m from the 16C centerline. Looking toward the aircraft the bearing is 209.3°. That view is front-lit in the morning (best 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 16L - sunny side
Calculated perimeter
Score 41/100
Climb-out 16L - sunny side sits 1234 m from the 34R centerline. Looking toward the aircraft the bearing is 349.4°. That view is front-lit around midday (best 12:00–13:00 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 Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (SEA / KSEA): sun direction for every spotting location, scored from latitude 47.448, longitude -122.310, 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 16R - sunny side Runway 16R | SIDE LIGHT | BACKLIT / GLARE | BACKLIT / GLARE | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Best local hours for crisp fuselage illumination: 09:00. Avoid 13:00-18:00 harsh backlit contrast. |
Climb-out 16L - sunny side Runway 16L | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | SIDE LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 09:00-16:00 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 119.9 MHz. D-ATIS is 118.0 MHz. A handheld VHF airband scanner (Uniden Bearcat BC125AT) at the fence hears the call as it is made. At 1226 m from 16C, 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, 09:28 local, D-ATIS confirms landing 16R, departure 16L. The METAR wind is 70° at 3 kt. 16R shows -1.0 kt headwind and 2.8 kt crosswind from the left. Closed runways: 16C.
At 08:00 local the sun is at 111° azimuth and 2° elevation. Short final 16R - sunny side scores 80/100, 1226 m from runway 16C, view bearing 209.3°, best as a morning spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 228° and 17°. Short final 16R - sunny side scores 76/100 on a 150.7° 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 Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (SEA/KSEA) is the window marked CLEAN FRONT LIGHT for the fence you are using. Morning (07:00-11:00) front light: Climb-out 16L - 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 2 spotting locations. Read the Best Time of Day & Lighting Schedule by Spot table for the lens and the hours to avoid harsh backlit contrast.
KSEA spotting locations sun direction: Short final 16R - sunny side (runway 16R) is SIDE LIGHT in the morning, BACKLIT / GLARE at midday, and BACKLIT / GLARE in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Best local hours for crisp fuselage illumination: 09:00. Avoid 13:00-18:00 harsh backlit contrast. Climb-out 16L - sunny side (runway 16L) 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 09:00-16:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00.
Short final 16R - sunny side is 1226 m from the 16C 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 119.9 MHz, Ground 121.7 MHz, ATIS 118.0 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 119.9 MHz.
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near 70° at 3 kt, so 16R 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/KSEA#runway-alerts
Get a Telegram ping when Seattle–Tacoma International Airport changes landing or departure runway. One airport or a short list.