Vienna International Airport (VIE / LOWW) Plane Spotting Map & Live Active Runway Predictor
Vienna, Austria
Vienna
VIE/LOWW
Updated Wed 28 Oct, 03:08 local
- Active runway
- 16
- METAR wind
- VRB @ 1 kt
- Best spot
- Short final 16 - sunny side
- Sun
- 70° / -34°
Wind vector · +0 kt headwind
VFR
Night
Sunrise in 3h 24m
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Best Vienna (VIE) plane spotting locations by time of day & sun angle
Live weather
VFRVRB @ 1 kt
1°C · 10+ km · 1022 hPa
NSC
Sunrise in 3h 24m
Runway alerts for Vienna 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 VIE, 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 16 - sunny side Runway 16 | SIDE LIGHT | BACKLIT / GLARE | BACKLIT / GLARE | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Best local hours for crisp fuselage illumination: 10:00. Avoid 10:00-16:00 harsh backlit contrast. |
Runway winds and thresholds
Land 16 · Dep 16
| End | Hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | 164° | 11,811 ft | +0.0 kt | 0.0 kt | Both |
| 34 | 344° | 11,811 ft | +0.0 kt | 0.0 kt | Standby |
| 11 | 116° | 11,483 ft | +0.0 kt | 0.0 kt | Standby |
| 29 | 296° | 11,483 ft | +0.0 kt | 0.0 kt | Standby |
Recommended camera lenses & ATC radio frequencies for Vienna (LOWW)
| Facility | MHz | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tower | 119.400 | Published |
| Approach | 134.675 | Published |
| Departure | 124.425 | Assigned |
| Ground | 121.600 | Published |
| Delivery | 122.125 | Published |
| ATIS | 121.730 | Published |
| ATIS | 122.955 | 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 Vienna (VIE/LOWW)
Which runway is active at Vienna (VIE/LOWW) right now?
As of Wed 28 Oct, 03:00 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 16. The METAR wind is variable at 1 kt. 16 is the long-runway pick because the wind is calm or variable. Closed runways: none listed.
Where is the best place to plane spot at Vienna (VIE) in the morning vs. afternoon?
At 08:00 local the sun is at 126° azimuth and 12° elevation. Short final 16 - sunny side scores 75/100, 1234 m from runway 16, view bearing 193.2°, best as a midday spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 243° and 6°. Short final 16 - sunny side scores 82/100 on a 134.7° 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 Vienna International Airport?
The best time to plane spot at Vienna International Airport (VIE/LOWW) 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 LOWW spotting locations?
LOWW spotting locations sun direction: Short final 16 - sunny side (runway 16) is SIDE LIGHT in the morning, BACKLIT / GLARE at midday, and BACKLIT / GLARE in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Best local hours for crisp fuselage illumination: 10:00. Avoid 10:00-16:00 harsh backlit contrast.
What lens focal length do I need for plane spotting at Vienna (VIE)?
Short final 16 - sunny side is 1234 m from the 16 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 Vienna (LOWW)?
Monitor Tower 119.4 MHz, Ground 121.6 MHz, Approach 134.675 MHz, ATIS 121.73 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 119.4 MHz.
How do I know when Vienna (VIE) switches active runways?
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near variable at 1 kt, so 16 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/LOWW#runway-alerts