Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ / MDPC) Plane Spotting Map & Live Active Runway Predictor
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
Punta Cana
PUJ/MDPC
Updated Tue 27 Oct, 18:32 local
- Active runway
- 26 / 27
- METAR wind
- 210° @ 5 kt
- Best spot
- Short final 26 - sunny side
- Sun
- 259° / -8°
Wind vector · +4 kt headwind
MVFR
Night
Sun below the useful photo window
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Best Punta Cana (PUJ) plane spotting locations by time of day & sun angle
Live weather
MVFR210° @ 5 kt
27°C · 10+ km · 1013 hPa
FEW014 BKN015 OVC070
Sun below the useful photo window
Runway alerts for Punta Cana 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 PUJ, 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 26 - sunny side Runway 26 | SIDE LIGHT | BACKLIT / GLARE | BACKLIT / GLARE | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Best local hours for crisp fuselage illumination: 07:00-08:00. Avoid 13:00-18:00 harsh backlit contrast. |
| Short final 27 - sunny side Runway 27 | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | HIGH SUN / TOP LIGHT | SIDE LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 07:00-11:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00. |
Runway winds and thresholds
Land 26 / 27 · Dep 26 / 27
TAF at Tue 27 Oct, 20:00 shifts the wind to 130° at 12 kt, favoring 09+08 in about 1.5 hours.
| End | Hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 08 | 74° | 10,171 ft | -3.6 kt | 3.5 kt | Standby |
| 26 | 254° | 10,171 ft | +3.6 kt | 3.5 kt | Both |
| 09 | 83° | 10,171 ft | -3.0 kt | 4.0 kt | Standby |
| 27 | 263° | 10,171 ft | +3.0 kt | 4.0 kt | Both |
Recommended camera lenses & ATC radio frequencies for Punta Cana (MDPC)
| Facility | MHz | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tower | 118.800 | Published |
| Approach | 119.300 | Published |
| Departure | 126.350 | Assigned |
| Ground | 121.900 | Published |
| Delivery | 129.050 | Assigned |
| ATIS | 132.850 | 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 Punta Cana (PUJ/MDPC)
Which runway is active at Punta Cana (PUJ/MDPC) right now?
As of Tue 27 Oct, 18:00 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 26+27. The METAR wind is 210° at 5 kt. 26 shows +3.6 kt headwind and 3.5 kt crosswind from the left. Closed runways: none listed.
Where is the best place to plane spot at Punta Cana (PUJ) in the morning vs. afternoon?
At 08:00 local the sun is at 111° azimuth and 19° elevation. Short final 27 - sunny side scores 96/100, 1234 m from runway 27, view bearing 292.3°, best as a morning spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 244° and 27°. Short final 27 - sunny side scores 71/100 on a 292.3° 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.
What is the best time to plane spot at Punta Cana International Airport?
The best time to plane spot at Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ/MDPC) is the window marked CLEAN FRONT LIGHT for the fence you are using. Morning (07:00-11:00) front light: Short final 27 - 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 1 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 MDPC spotting locations?
MDPC spotting locations sun direction: Short final 26 - sunny side (runway 26) 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: 07:00-08:00. Avoid 13:00-18:00 harsh backlit contrast. Short final 27 - sunny side (runway 27) is CLEAN FRONT LIGHT in the morning, HIGH SUN / TOP LIGHT at midday, and SIDE LIGHT in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 07:00-11:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00.
What lens focal length do I need for plane spotting at Punta Cana (PUJ)?
Short final 26 - sunny side is 1234 m from the 26 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 Punta Cana (MDPC)?
Monitor Tower 118.8 MHz, Ground 121.9 MHz, Approach 119.3 MHz, ATIS 132.85 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 118.8 MHz.
How do I know when Punta Cana (PUJ) switches active runways?
TAF at Tue 27 Oct, 20:00 shifts the wind to 130° at 12 kt, favoring 09+08 in about 1.5 hours. 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/MDPC#runway-alerts