Salt Lake City, United States of America
Live METAR wind (140° at 12 kt), predicted landing/departure runways (landing and departure 16R), hourly sun-angle backlight map, and top photo spots for Salt Lake City International Airport.
As of Mon 26 Oct, 09:00 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 16R. The METAR wind is 140° at 12 kt. 16R shows +9.8 kt headwind and 6.9 kt crosswind from the left. Closed runways: 16L, 34R. Updated Mon 26 Oct, 09:43.
| End | True hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16L | 175° | 12,002 ft | +9.8 kt | 6.9 kt | Closed |
| 34R | 355° | 12,002 ft | -9.8 kt | 6.9 kt | Closed |
| 16R | 175° | 12,000 ft | +9.8 kt | 6.9 kt | Landing + departure |
| 34L | 355° | 12,000 ft | -9.8 kt | 6.9 kt | Standby |
| 17 | 180° | 9,596 ft | +9.2 kt | 7.7 kt | Standby |
| 35 | 360° | 9,596 ft | -9.2 kt | 7.7 kt | Standby |
SLC ATIS INFO T 1454Z. 13012KT 10SM FEW060 FEW140 BKN220 10/05 A3018 (THREE ZERO ONE EIGHT). SIMULTANEOUS APPROACHES IN USE, RNAV Y RY 17 RNAV Z RY 16R OR VISUAL APCHS IN USE. NOTICES TO AIRMEN. RWY 16L CLSD. RWY 34R CLSD. TWY G CLSD BTN TWY, U AND TWY G9 , TWY G1 CLSD BTN TWY, H AND TWY G , TWY M CLSD BTN RWY, 34R AND TWY L , TWY H1, H2, H3, H7, H8, H9, H ELEVEN, H TWELVE, H THIRTEEN CLOSED. RWY 16R, 34L, 17, 35 ILS OTS, RWY 17 GS OTS. DUE TO RUNWAY CLOSURE VFR OPERATIONS MAY NOT BE ACCOMMODATED DURING HIGH TRAFFIC VOLUME. BIRD ACTIVITY. ALL ACFT DEPG TO DEN, SEA CONTACT CD 10 MIN PRIOR TO PUSH. ...ADVS YOU HAVE INFO T.
METAR KSLC 261454Z 14012KT 10SM FEW060 FEW140 BKN220 10/05 A3017 RMK AO2 SLP197 T01000050 55002 $
Live weather
VFR140° @ 12 kt
10°C · 10+ SM · 1022 hPa
FEW060 FEW140 BKN220
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 1234 m from the 16R centerline. Looking toward the aircraft the bearing is 204.3°. 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 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 Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC / KSLC): sun direction for every spotting location, scored from latitude 40.789, longitude -111.980, and the America/Denver 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. |
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 124.75 MHz. A handheld VHF airband scanner (Uniden Bearcat BC125AT) at the fence hears the call as it is made. At 1234 m from 16R, 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, 09:00 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 16R. The METAR wind is 140° at 12 kt. 16R shows +9.8 kt headwind and 6.9 kt crosswind from the left. Closed runways: 16L, 34R.
At 08:00 local the sun is at 107° azimuth and 1° elevation. Short final 16R - sunny side scores 66/100, 1234 m from runway 16R, view bearing 204.3°, best as a morning spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 226° and 24°. Short final 16R - sunny side scores 77/100 on a 145.7° 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 Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC/KSLC) 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.
KSLC 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.
Short final 16R - sunny side is 1234 m from the 16R 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 121.9 MHz, ATIS 124.75 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 140° at 12 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/KSLC#runway-alerts
Get a Telegram ping when Salt Lake City International Airport changes landing or departure runway. One airport or a short list.