Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Live METAR wind (unavailable), predicted landing/departure runways (landing and departure 04), hourly sun-angle backlight map, and top photo spots for Puerto Vallarta International Airport.
Live METAR was unavailable, so the wind vector assumes calm air and prefers the longer runways.
As of the latest cycle local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 04. The METAR wind is unavailable. 04 is the long-runway pick because the wind is calm or variable. Closed runways: none listed. Updated Mon 26 Oct, 08:47.
| End | True hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 04 | 47° | 10,171 ft | +0.0 kt | 0.0 kt | Landing + departure |
| 22 | 227° | 10,171 ft | +0.0 kt | 0.0 kt | Standby |
TAF at Mon 26 Oct, 14:00 shifts the wind to 250° at 12 kt, favoring 22 in about 5.2 hours.
Live weather
Unavailable
- · - · -
-
Front-lit sector
Backlight / glare cone
Sun ray · amber pins are landmarks
Green pins are calculated. Blue pins are OpenStreetMap parks and viewpoints.
Every pin below carries original geometry: meters to the nearest runway centerline, the compass bearing toward the aircraft, the morning or afternoon that puts the sun behind that view, and a lens picked only from that distance.
Short final 04 - sunny side
Calculated perimeter
Score 80/100
Short final 04 - sunny side sits 1234 m from the 04 centerline. Looking toward the aircraft the bearing is 17.7°. That view is front-lit in the afternoon (best 13:00–14:00 local) with a 150-600mm lens.
Calculated public-side point about 1.2 km from the landing threshold and 280 m off the centerline, on the sunny side. Confirm the fence is between you and the runway before you stop.
Now: Side light
Google Maps navigationKnow a public fence, mound, or lens that works for a specific threshold? Send it in. Tips are reviewed before they show on the map.
Best time to plane spot at Puerto Vallarta International Airport (PVR / MMPR): sun direction for every spotting location, scored from latitude 20.680, longitude -105.254, and the America/Mexico_City clock plus each spot's view bearing. Morning is 07:00-11:00, midday is 11:00-14:00, and afternoon / golden hour is 14:00-18:00. CLEAN FRONT LIGHT means the sun sits behind the camera. BACKLIT / GLARE means the sun is in the lens. HIGH SUN / TOP LIGHT is overhead midday light.
| Spotting Location | Morning (07:00-11:00) | Midday (11:00-14:00) | Afternoon / Golden Hour (14:00-18:00) | JetPhotos / Camera Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Short final 04 - sunny side Runway 04 | SIDE LIGHT | HIGH SUN / TOP LIGHT | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 14:00-17:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00. |
Zero-Delay Fence Audio
Online streams lag by 30 seconds or more, which is enough to miss the runway change and be on the wrong side of the field. Tower is 118.5 MHz. D-ATIS is 127.5 MHz. A handheld VHF airband scanner (Uniden Bearcat BC125AT) at the fence hears the call as it is made. At 1234 m from 04, bring a 150-600mm lens.
Sony FE 200-600mm
Beyond 450 m you want 150-600mm. A 200-600mm zoom still frames a heavy jet on a long final.
Search this gearUniden Bearcat BC125AT
Handheld VHF airband scanner for tower and ATIS at the fence. Online streams run 30 seconds or more behind.
Search this gearFlightAware Pro Stick
USB ADS-B receiver if you want tail numbers on a laptop beside the photos.
Search this gearAs of the latest cycle local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 04. The METAR wind is unavailable. 04 is the long-runway pick because the wind is calm or variable. Closed runways: none listed.
At 08:00 local the sun is at 109° azimuth and 13° elevation. Short final 04 - sunny side scores 79/100, 1234 m from runway 04, view bearing 17.7°, best as a afternoon spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 240° and 32°. Short final 04 - sunny side scores 93/100 on a 76.2° 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.
The best time to plane spot at Puerto Vallarta International Airport (PVR/MMPR) 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: Short final 04 - sunny side. Midday (11:00-14:00) is HIGH SUN / TOP LIGHT at 1 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.
MMPR spotting locations sun direction: Short final 04 - sunny side (runway 04) is SIDE LIGHT in the morning, HIGH SUN / TOP LIGHT at midday, and CLEAN FRONT LIGHT in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 14:00-17:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00.
Short final 04 - sunny side is 1234 m from the 04 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.
Monitor Tower 118.5 MHz, Approach 121.3 MHz, ATIS 127.5 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.
TAF at Mon 26 Oct, 14:00 shifts the wind to 250° at 12 kt, favoring 22 in about 5.2 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/MMPR#runway-alerts
Get a Telegram ping when Puerto Vallarta International Airport changes landing or departure runway. One airport or a short list.