Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC / KSLC) Plane Spotting Map & Live Active Runway Predictor
Salt Lake City, United States of America
Salt Lake City
SLC/KSLC
Updated Tue 27 Oct, 15:30 local
- Active runway
- 35
- METAR wind
- 330° @ 7 kt
- Best spot
- Short final 35 - sunny side
- Sun
- 219° / 28°
D-ATIS · +6 kt headwind
VFR
Sweet spot
Golden hour in 2h 24m
Sweet spotWant a Telegram ping when KSLC flips runways? Subscribe for $3/mo
Best Salt Lake City (SLC) plane spotting locations by time of day & sun angle
Live weather
VFR330° @ 7 kt
16°C · 10+ sm · 1014 hPa
FEW070 FEW085 SCT200
Golden hour in 2h 24m
Runway alerts for Salt Lake City International Airport
$3/mo
Spotting guideRunway windsATC frequencies
Lighting schedule
Morning 07:00-11:00, midday 11:00-14:00, afternoon 14:00-18:00 at SLC, scored from each spot's view bearing.
| Spotting Location | Morning (07:00-11:00) | Midday (11:00-14:00) | Afternoon / Golden Hour (14:00-18:00) | JetPhotos / Camera Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Short final 35 - sunny side Runway 35 | SIDE LIGHT | SIDE LIGHT | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 13:00-18:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00. |
Runway winds and thresholds
Land 35 · Dep 35
| End | Hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16L | 175° | 12,002 ft | -6.3 kt | 3.0 kt | Closed |
| 34R | 355° | 12,002 ft | +6.3 kt | 3.0 kt | Closed |
| 16R | 175° | 12,000 ft | -6.3 kt | 3.0 kt | Standby |
| 34L | 355° | 12,000 ft | +6.3 kt | 3.0 kt | Standby |
| 17 | 180° | 9,596 ft | -6.1 kt | 3.5 kt | Standby |
| 35 | 360° | 9,596 ft | +6.1 kt | 3.5 kt | Both |
Recommended camera lenses & ATC radio frequencies for Salt Lake City (KSLC)
| Facility | MHz | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tower | 118.300 | Published |
| Approach | 121.275 | Assigned |
| Departure | 126.025 | Assigned |
| Ground | 121.900 | Published |
| Delivery | 127.300 | Published |
| ATIS | 124.750 | Published |
Lens for the top pin: Sony FE 200-600mm, Uniden Bearcat BC125AT, FlightAware Pro Stick. Sony FE 200-600mmUniden Bearcat BC125ATFlightAware Pro Stick
Open the ATC frequency pageFrequently asked questions about plane spotting at Salt Lake City (SLC/KSLC)
Which runway is active at Salt Lake City (SLC/KSLC) right now?
As of Tue 27 Oct, 15:00 local, D-ATIS confirms landing and departure 35. The METAR wind is 330° at 7 kt. 35 shows +6.1 kt headwind and 3.5 kt crosswind from the left. Closed runways: 16L, 34R.
Where is the best place to plane spot at Salt Lake City (SLC) in the morning vs. afternoon?
At 08:00 local the sun is at 107° azimuth and 1° elevation. Short final 35 - sunny side scores 66/100, 1234 m from runway 35, view bearing 330.8°, best as a morning spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 225° and 24°. Short final 35 - sunny side scores 93/100 on a 29.2° 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.
What is the best time to plane spot at Salt Lake City International Airport?
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: Short final 35 - sunny side. 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.
What is the sun direction at KSLC spotting locations?
KSLC spotting locations sun direction: Short final 35 - sunny side (runway 35) 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 13:00-18:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00.
What lens focal length do I need for plane spotting at Salt Lake City (SLC)?
Short final 35 - sunny side is 1234 m from the 35 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.
What ATC radio frequencies should I monitor while spotting at Salt Lake City (KSLC)?
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.
How do I know when Salt Lake City (SLC) switches active runways?
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near 330° at 7 kt, so 35 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