St Louis, United States of America
Live METAR wind (210° at 5 kt), predicted landing/departure runways (landing 30R, departure 30L+29), hourly sun-angle backlight map, and top photo spots for St. Louis Lambert International Airport.
As of Mon 26 Oct, 14:00 local, D-ATIS confirms landing 30R, departure 30L+29. The METAR wind is 210° at 5 kt. 30R shows -0.2 kt headwind and 5.0 kt crosswind from the left. Closed runways: none listed. Updated Mon 26 Oct, 14:23.
| End | True hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12R | 122° | 11,020 ft | +0.2 kt | 5.0 kt | Standby |
| 30L | 302° | 11,020 ft | -0.2 kt | 5.0 kt | Departure |
| 12L | 122° | 9,013 ft | +0.2 kt | 5.0 kt | Standby |
| 30R | 302° | 9,013 ft | -0.2 kt | 5.0 kt | Landing |
| 11 | 122° | 9,000 ft | +0.2 kt | 5.0 kt | Standby |
| 29 | 302° | 9,000 ft | -0.2 kt | 5.0 kt | Departure |
| 06 | 63° | 7,603 ft | -4.2 kt | 2.7 kt | Standby |
| 24 | 243° | 7,603 ft | +4.2 kt | 2.7 kt | Standby |
STL ATIS INFO H 1851Z. 21005KT 10SM FEW120 FEW250 24/07 A3029 (THREE ZERO TWO NINER). VISUAL APCH RY 30R, 29 IN USE, DEPG RY 30L, 29. NOTAMS... TWY F CLSD BTN TWY, K AND TWY H . TWY S CLSD BTN TWY, C AND TWY D . TWY D CLSD BTN TWY, P AND TWY S . TWY Q CLSD BTN TWY, D AND RWY 12R . USE CAUTION FOR MULTIPLE TAXIWAY CLOSURES. CHARLIE PAD SPOT 1 AND 2 CLOSED. ILS RWY 30R OTS. BIRD ADVISORIES IN EFFECT. USE CAUTION FOR PERSONNEL AND EQUIP ADJ TO RWYS AND TWYS. ...ADVS YOU HAVE INFO H.
METAR KSTL 261851Z COR 21005KT 10SM FEW120 FEW250 24/07 A3029 RMK AO2 SLP253 T02390072 $
Live weather
VFR210° @ 5 kt
24°C · 10+ SM · 1026 hPa
FEW120 FEW250
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 30R - sunny side
Calculated perimeter
Score 85/100
Short final 30R - sunny side sits 1234 m from the 30R centerline. Looking toward the aircraft the bearing is 331.3°. That view is front-lit in the morning (best 11:00 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 30L - sunny side
Calculated perimeter
Score 34/100
Climb-out 30L - sunny side sits 569 m from the 29 centerline. Looking toward the aircraft the bearing is 115.4°. That view is front-lit in the afternoon (best 17:00 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: 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 St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL / KSTL): sun direction for every spotting location, scored from latitude 38.749, longitude -90.370, and the America/Chicago 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 30R - sunny side Runway 30R | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | SIDE LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 08:00-14:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00. |
Climb-out 30L - sunny side Runway 30L | BACKLIT / GLARE | SIDE LIGHT | SIDE LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Best local hours for crisp fuselage illumination: 17:00. Avoid 08:00-12:00 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 118.5 MHz. D-ATIS is 125.025 MHz. A handheld VHF airband scanner (Uniden Bearcat BC125AT) at the fence hears the call as it is made. At 1234 m from 30R, 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 30R, departure 30L+29. The METAR wind is 210° at 5 kt. 30R shows -0.2 kt headwind and 5.0 kt crosswind from the left. Closed runways: none listed.
At 08:00 local the sun is at 111° azimuth and 6° elevation. Short final 30R - sunny side scores 92/100, 1233 m from runway 30R, view bearing 272.8°, best as a morning spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 232° and 22°. Short final 30R - sunny side scores 81/100 on a 331.3° 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 St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL/KSTL) is the window marked CLEAN FRONT LIGHT for the fence you are using. Morning (07:00-11:00) front light: Short final 30R - 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.
KSTL spotting locations sun direction: Short final 30R - sunny side (runway 30R) 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 08:00-14:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00. Climb-out 30L - sunny side (runway 30L) is BACKLIT / GLARE in the morning, SIDE LIGHT at midday, and SIDE LIGHT in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Best local hours for crisp fuselage illumination: 17:00. Avoid 08:00-12:00 harsh backlit contrast.
Short final 30R - sunny side is 1234 m from the 30R 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 118.5 MHz, Ground 118.925 MHz, Approach 120.05 MHz, ATIS 125.025 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 118.5 MHz.
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near 210° at 5 kt, so 30R 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/KSTL#runway-alerts
Get a Telegram ping when St. Louis Lambert International Airport changes landing or departure runway. One airport or a short list.