St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL / KSTL) Plane Spotting Map & Live Active Runway Predictor
St Louis, United States of America
St. Louis
STL/KSTL
Updated Tue 27 Oct, 17:18 local
- Active runway
- 12L
- METAR wind
- 170° @ 8 kt
- Best spot
- Short final 12L - sunny side
- Sun
- 246° / 8°
D-ATIS · +5 kt headwind
VFR
Side-lit
Golden hour in 13m
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Best St. Louis (STL) plane spotting locations by time of day & sun angle
Live weather
VFR170° @ 8 kt
21°C · 10+ sm · 1022 hPa
FEW090 BKN120 BKN250
Golden hour in 13m
Runway alerts for St. Louis Lambert 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 STL, 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 12L - sunny side Runway 12L | BACKLIT / GLARE | BACKLIT / GLARE | SIDE LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Best local hours for crisp fuselage illumination: 17:00. Avoid 08:00-14:00 harsh backlit contrast. |
| Climb-out 12R - sunny side Runway 12R | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | SIDE LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 08:00-13:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00. |
Runway winds and thresholds
Land 12L · Dep 12R
| End | Hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12R | 122° | 11,020 ft | +5.4 kt | 5.9 kt | Departure |
| 30L | 302° | 11,020 ft | -5.4 kt | 5.9 kt | Standby |
| 12L | 122° | 9,013 ft | +5.4 kt | 5.9 kt | Landing |
| 30R | 302° | 9,013 ft | -5.4 kt | 5.9 kt | Standby |
| 11 | 122° | 9,000 ft | +5.4 kt | 5.9 kt | Standby |
| 29 | 302° | 9,000 ft | -5.4 kt | 5.9 kt | Standby |
| 06 | 63° | 7,603 ft | -2.3 kt | 7.7 kt | Standby |
| 24 | 243° | 7,603 ft | +2.3 kt | 7.7 kt | Standby |
Recommended camera lenses & ATC radio frequencies for St. Louis (KSTL)
| Facility | MHz | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tower | 118.500 | Published |
| Tower | 120.050 | Published |
| Approach | 120.050 | Published |
| Departure | 119.150 | Published |
| Ground | 118.925 | Published |
| Ground | 121.650 | Published |
| Delivery | 119.500 | Published |
| ATIS | 125.025 | 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 St. Louis (STL/KSTL)
Which runway is active at St. Louis (STL/KSTL) right now?
As of Tue 27 Oct, 17:00 local, D-ATIS confirms landing 12L, departure 12R. The METAR wind is 170° at 8 kt. 12L shows +5.4 kt headwind and 5.9 kt crosswind from the right. Closed runways: none listed.
Where is the best place to plane spot at St. Louis (STL) in the morning vs. afternoon?
At 08:00 local the sun is at 112° azimuth and 6° elevation. Short final 12L - sunny side scores 69/100, 1234 m from runway 12L, view bearing 151.2°, best as a afternoon spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 232° and 21°. Short final 12L - sunny side scores 77/100 on a 151.2° 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 St. Louis Lambert International Airport?
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: Climb-out 12R - 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.
What is the sun direction at KSTL spotting locations?
KSTL spotting locations sun direction: Short final 12L - sunny side (runway 12L) 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 08:00-14:00 harsh backlit contrast. Climb-out 12R - sunny side (runway 12R) 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 08:00-13:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00.
What lens focal length do I need for plane spotting at St. Louis (STL)?
Short final 12L - sunny side is 1234 m from the 12L 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 St. Louis (KSTL)?
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.
How do I know when St. Louis (STL) switches active runways?
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near 170° at 8 kt, so 12L 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