Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport (STS / KSTS) Plane Spotting Map & Live Active Runway Predictor
Santa Rosa, United States of America
Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County
STS/KSTS
Updated Tue 27 Oct, 14:07 local
- Active runway
- 14
- METAR wind
- 150° @ 6 kt
- Best spot
- Short final 14 - sunny side
- Sun
- 202° / 36°
Wind vector · +6 kt headwind
VFR
Side-lit
Golden hour in 3h 34m
Side-litWant a Telegram ping when KSTS flips runways? Subscribe for $3/mo
Best Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County (STS) plane spotting locations by time of day & sun angle
Live weather
VFR150° @ 6 kt
21°C · 10+ sm · 1016 hPa
CLR
Golden hour in 3h 34m
Runway alerts for Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County 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 STS, 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 14 - sunny side Runway 14 | BACKLIT / GLARE | BACKLIT / GLARE | SIDE LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Best local hours for crisp fuselage illumination: 17:00. Avoid 08:00-13:00 harsh backlit contrast. |
Runway winds and thresholds
Land 14 · Dep 14
| End | Hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | 157° | 6,000 ft | +6.0 kt | 0.7 kt | Both |
| 32 | 337° | 6,000 ft | -6.0 kt | 0.7 kt | Standby |
| 02 | 29° | 5,202 ft | -3.1 kt | 5.1 kt | Standby |
| 20 | 209° | 5,202 ft | +3.1 kt | 5.1 kt | Standby |
Recommended camera lenses & ATC radio frequencies for Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County (KSTS)
| Facility | MHz | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tower | 118.500 | Published |
| Approach | 120.475 | Assigned |
| Departure | 124.425 | Assigned |
| Ground | 121.900 | Published |
| Delivery | 128.425 | Assigned |
| ATIS | 120.550 | 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 Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County (STS/KSTS)
Which runway is active at Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County (STS/KSTS) right now?
As of Tue 27 Oct, 14:00 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 14. The METAR wind is 150° at 6 kt. 14 shows +6.0 kt headwind and 0.7 kt crosswind from the left. Closed runways: none listed.
Where is the best place to plane spot at Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County (STS) in the morning vs. afternoon?
At 08:00 local the sun is at 110° azimuth and 4° elevation. Short final 14 - sunny side scores 76/100, 1234 m from runway 14, view bearing 186.2°, best as a midday spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 230° and 23°. Short final 14 - sunny side scores 81/100 on a 127.7° 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.
What is the best time to plane spot at Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport?
The best time to plane spot at Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport (STS/KSTS) 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.
What is the sun direction at KSTS spotting locations?
KSTS spotting locations sun direction: Short final 14 - sunny side (runway 14) 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 08:00-13:00 harsh backlit contrast.
What lens focal length do I need for plane spotting at Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County (STS)?
Short final 14 - sunny side is 1234 m from the 14 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 Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County (KSTS)?
Monitor Tower 118.5 MHz, Ground 121.9 MHz, ATIS 120.55 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 Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County (STS) switches active runways?
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near 150° at 6 kt, so 14 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/KSTS#runway-alerts