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San Salvador (San Luis Talpa), El Salvador

El Salvador International Airport Saint Óscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdámez (SAL / MSLP) Plane Spotting Map & Live Active Runway Predictor

Live METAR wind (VRB at 2 kt), predicted landing/departure runways (landing and departure 07), hourly sun-angle backlight map, and top photo spots for El Salvador International Airport Saint Óscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdámez.

METAR/TAF WIND VECTOR PREDICTION$3/mo runway-shift alerts

Which runway is active at San Salvador (San Luis Talpa) (SAL) right now?

As of Mon 26 Oct, 07:00 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 07. The METAR wind is variable at 2 kt. 07 is the long-runway pick because the wind is calm or variable. Closed runways: none listed. Updated Mon 26 Oct, 07:39.

EndTrue hdgLengthHeadwindCrosswindRole
0770°10,500 ft+0.0 kt0.0 ktLanding + departure
25250°10,500 ft+0.0 kt0.0 ktStandby

TAF at Mon 26 Oct, 13:00 shifts the wind to 230° at 10 kt, favoring 25 in about 5.3 hours.

METAR MSLP 261300Z VRB02KT CAVOK 25/18 Q1013 A2993 NOSIG

SIDE/CROSS LIGHT

Live weather

VFR

VRB @ 2 kt

25°C · 10+ km (9999) · 1013 hPa

-

Front-lit sector

Backlight / glare cone

Sun ray · amber pins are landmarks

Green pins are calculated. Blue pins are OpenStreetMap parks and viewpoints.

Mon 26 Oct, 07:39Az 111° · El 25°Golden hour in 9h 24m
+0h local

Best San Salvador (San Luis Talpa) (SAL) plane spotting locations by time of day & sun angle

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.

  1. Short final 07 - sunny side

    Calculated perimeter

    Score 75/100

    Short final 07 - sunny side sits 1234 m from the 07 centerline. Looking toward the aircraft the bearing is 40.7°. 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.

    1234 m to centerline
    40.7° view bearing
    Best sun: Afternoon 13:00–14:00
    150-600mm

    Now: Side light

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Suggest a local spot / fence tip

Know a public fence, mound, or lens that works for a specific threshold? Send it in. Tips are reviewed before they show on the map.

Recommended camera lenses & ATC radio frequencies for San Salvador (San Luis Talpa) (MSLP)

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 118.0 MHz. D-ATIS is 127.6 MHz. A handheld VHF airband scanner (Uniden Bearcat BC125AT) at the fence hears the call as it is made. At 1234 m from 07, 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 gear
  • Uniden Bearcat BC125AT

    Handheld VHF airband scanner for tower and ATIS at the fence. Online streams run 30 seconds or more behind.

    Search this gear
  • FlightAware Pro Stick

    USB ADS-B receiver if you want tail numbers on a laptop beside the photos.

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Frequently asked questions about plane spotting at San Salvador (San Luis Talpa) (SAL/MSLP)

Which runway is active at San Salvador (San Luis Talpa) (SAL/MSLP) right now?

As of Mon 26 Oct, 07:00 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 07. The METAR wind is variable at 2 kt. 07 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 San Salvador (San Luis Talpa) (SAL) in the morning vs. afternoon?

At 08:00 local the sun is at 113° azimuth and 30° elevation. Short final 07 - sunny side scores 75/100, 1234 m from runway 07, view bearing 40.7°, best as a afternoon spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 251° and 21°. Short final 07 - sunny side scores 90/100 on a 99.2° 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.

What lens focal length do I need for plane spotting at San Salvador (San Luis Talpa) (SAL)?

Short final 07 - sunny side is 1234 m from the 07 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 San Salvador (San Luis Talpa) (MSLP)?

Monitor Tower 118.0 MHz, Ground 121.7 MHz, Approach 119.9 MHz, ATIS 127.6 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 118.0 MHz.

How do I know when San Salvador (San Luis Talpa) (SAL) switches active runways?

TAF at Mon 26 Oct, 13:00 shifts the wind to 230° at 10 kt, favoring 25 in about 5.3 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/MSLP#runway-alerts

Telegram Runway-Shift Alerts · $3/mo

Get a Telegram ping when El Salvador International Airport Saint Óscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdámez changes landing or departure runway. One airport or a short list.

$3/mo · Instant Telegram ping 60 min before a forecast wind shift flips the active runway, plus golden-hour reminders.

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