San Francisco, United States of America
Live METAR wind (280° at 14 kt), predicted landing/departure runways (landing 28R, departure 01R+01L), hourly sun-angle backlight map, and top photo spots for San Francisco International Airport.
As of Mon 26 Oct, 14:00 local, D-ATIS confirms landing 28R, departure 01R+01L. The METAR wind is 280° at 14 kt. 28R shows +13.3 kt headwind and 4.3 kt crosswind from the left. Closed runways: none listed. Updated Mon 26 Oct, 14:39.
| End | True hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10L | 118° | 11,870 ft | -13.3 kt | 4.3 kt | Standby |
| 28R | 298° | 11,870 ft | +13.3 kt | 4.3 kt | Landing |
| 10R | 118° | 11,381 ft | -13.3 kt | 4.3 kt | Standby |
| 28L | 298° | 11,381 ft | +13.3 kt | 4.3 kt | Standby |
| 01R | 28° | 8,660 ft | -4.3 kt | 13.3 kt | Departure |
| 19L | 208° | 8,660 ft | +4.3 kt | 13.3 kt | Standby |
| 01L | 28° | 7,650 ft | -4.3 kt | 13.3 kt | Departure |
| 19R | 208° | 7,650 ft | +4.3 kt | 13.3 kt | Standby |
SFO ATIS INFO W 2056Z. 27014KT 10SM FEW050 19/11 A3011 (THREE ZERO ONE ONE). SIMUL VISUAL APPROACH RWY 28L AND QUIET BRIDGE VISUAL RWY 28R. DEPG RWYS 1L, 1R. TWY F CLSD BTN TWY B AND, TWY F2, TWY L CLSD BTN RY 28L AND, TWY W, TWY N CLSD BTN RWY 28L AND, TWY F, TWY P CLSD BTN RWY 28L AND, TWY F. EXPECT DELAYS FOR RWY 28 DEPARTURES. ...ADVS YOU HAVE INFO W.
METAR KSFO 262056Z 28014KT 10SM FEW050 19/11 A3011 RMK AO2 SLP196 T01940106 58019 $
Live weather
VFR280° @ 14 kt
19°C · 10+ SM · 1020 hPa
FEW050
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.
Bayfront Park, Millbrae
Landmark
Score 67/100
Bayfront Park, Millbrae sits 480 m from the 01R centerline. Looking toward the aircraft the bearing is 73.7°. That view is front-lit in the afternoon (best 17:00 local) with a 150-600mm lens.
Public park south of the 28s. Open paths, bay wind, no perimeter fence in the shot from the north edge.
Now: Frontlit
Google Maps navigationSan Bruno north
Landmark
Score 36/100
San Bruno north sits 1072 m from the 19L centerline. Looking toward the aircraft the bearing is 161.2°. That view is front-lit in the afternoon (best 17:00 local) with a 150-600mm lens.
North of the 19 thresholds. Street grid, stay on the sidewalk.
Now: Side light
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 Francisco International Airport (SFO / KSFO): sun direction for every spotting location, scored from latitude 37.620, longitude -122.375, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Bayfront Park, Millbrae Runway 28L, 28R | 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. |
San Bruno north Runway 19R, 19L | BACKLIT / GLARE | BACKLIT / GLARE | SIDE LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Best local hours for crisp fuselage illumination: 17:00. Avoid 10:00-15:00 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 120.5 MHz. D-ATIS is 113.7 MHz. A handheld VHF airband scanner (Uniden Bearcat BC125AT) at the fence hears the call as it is made. At 480 m from 01R, 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, 14:00 local, D-ATIS confirms landing 28R, departure 01R+01L. The METAR wind is 280° at 14 kt. 28R shows +13.3 kt headwind and 4.3 kt crosswind from the left. Closed runways: none listed.
At 08:00 local the sun is at 110° azimuth and 5° elevation. Bayfront Park, Millbrae scores 48/100, 480 m from runway 01R, view bearing 73.7°, best as a afternoon spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 231° and 24°. Bayfront Park, Millbrae scores 71/100 on a 73.7° 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 San Francisco International Airport (SFO/KSFO) 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: Bayfront Park, Millbrae. 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.
KSFO spotting locations sun direction: Bayfront Park, Millbrae (runway 28L, 28R) 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. San Bruno north (runway 19R, 19L) 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: 17:00. Avoid 10:00-15:00 harsh backlit contrast.
Bayfront Park, Millbrae is 480 m from the 01R 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 2378 m from this pin on a 700 m final.
Monitor Tower 120.5 MHz, Ground 121.8 MHz, Approach 128.325 MHz, ATIS 113.7 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 120.5 MHz.
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near 280° at 14 kt, so 28R 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/KSFO#runway-alerts
Get a Telegram ping when San Francisco International Airport changes landing or departure runway. One airport or a short list.