Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport (ALC / LEAL) Plane Spotting Map & Live Active Runway Predictor
Alicante, Spain
Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández
ALC/LEAL
Updated Tue 27 Oct, 22:46 local
- Active runway
- 28
- METAR wind
- 310° @ 3 kt
- Best spot
- Short final 28 - sunny side
- Sun
- 306° / -53°
Wind vector · +3 kt headwind
VFR
Night
Sun below the useful photo window
NightWant a Telegram ping when LEAL flips runways? Subscribe for $3/mo
Best Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández (ALC) plane spotting locations by time of day & sun angle
Live weather
VFR310° @ 3 kt
19°C · 10+ km · 1019 hPa
CAVOK
Sun below the useful photo window
Runway alerts for Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández 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 ALC, 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 28 - sunny side Runway 28 | SIDE LIGHT | SIDE LIGHT | BACKLIT / GLARE | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 08:00-09:00 local. Avoid 15:00-18:00 harsh backlit contrast. |
Runway winds and thresholds
Land 28 · Dep 28
| End | Hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 100° | 9,842 ft | -2.6 kt | 1.5 kt | Standby |
| 28 | 280° | 9,842 ft | +2.6 kt | 1.5 kt | Both |
Recommended camera lenses & ATC radio frequencies for Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández (LEAL)
| Facility | MHz | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tower | 118.150 | Published |
| Approach | 118.800 | Published |
| Departure | 126.700 | Assigned |
| Ground | 121.700 | Published |
| Delivery | 128.700 | Assigned |
| ATIS | 113.800 | 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 Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández (ALC/LEAL)
Which runway is active at Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández (ALC/LEAL) right now?
As of Tue 27 Oct, 22:30 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 28. The METAR wind is 310° at 3 kt. 28 shows +2.6 kt headwind and 1.5 kt crosswind from the right. Closed runways: none listed.
Where is the best place to plane spot at Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández (ALC) in the morning vs. afternoon?
At 08:00 local the sun is at 111° azimuth and 6° elevation. Short final 28 - sunny side scores 92/100, 1234 m from runway 28, view bearing 309.0°, best as a morning spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 232° and 22°. Short final 28 - sunny side scores 76/100 on a 309.0° 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 Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport?
The best time to plane spot at Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport (ALC/LEAL) 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 LEAL spotting locations?
LEAL spotting locations sun direction: Short final 28 - sunny side (runway 28) is SIDE LIGHT in the morning, SIDE LIGHT at midday, and BACKLIT / GLARE in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 08:00-09:00 local. Avoid 15:00-18:00 harsh backlit contrast.
What lens focal length do I need for plane spotting at Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández (ALC)?
Short final 28 - sunny side is 1234 m from the 28 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 Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández (LEAL)?
Monitor Tower 118.15 MHz, Ground 121.7 MHz, Approach 118.8 MHz, ATIS 113.8 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 118.15 MHz.
How do I know when Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández (ALC) switches active runways?
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near 310° at 3 kt, so 28 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/LEAL#runway-alerts