Wellington, New Zealand
Live METAR wind (340° at 30 kt), predicted landing/departure runways (landing and departure 34), hourly sun-angle backlight map, and top photo spots for Wellington International Airport.
As of Tue 27 Oct, 02:30 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 34. The METAR wind is 340° at 30 kt. 34 shows +27.6 kt headwind and 11.7 kt crosswind from the left. Closed runways: none listed. Updated Tue 27 Oct, 02:41.
| End | True hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | 183° | 6,352 ft | -27.6 kt | 11.7 kt | Standby |
| 34 | 3° | 6,352 ft | +27.6 kt | 11.7 kt | Landing + departure |
TAF at Tue 27 Oct, 08:00 shifts the wind to 190° at 15 kt, favoring 16 in about 5.3 hours.
METAR NZWN 261330Z AUTO 34030G49KT 8000 OVC012/// 16/14 Q0999
Live weather
MVFR340° @ 30 kt G49
16°C · 5 SM · 999 hPa
OVC012
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 34 - sunny side
Calculated perimeter
Score 66/100
Short final 34 - sunny side sits 1234 m from the 34 centerline. Looking toward the aircraft the bearing is 333.7°. That view is front-lit in the morning (best 07:00–08:00 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: Night / Low light
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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 118.8 MHz. D-ATIS is 126.9 MHz. A handheld VHF airband scanner (Uniden Bearcat BC125AT) at the fence hears the call as it is made. At 1234 m from 34, 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 Tue 27 Oct, 02:30 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 34. The METAR wind is 340° at 30 kt. 34 shows +27.6 kt headwind and 11.7 kt crosswind from the left. Closed runways: none listed.
At 08:00 local the sun is at 91° azimuth and 18° elevation. Short final 34 - sunny side scores 84/100, 1234 m from runway 34, view bearing 333.7°, best as a morning spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 294° and 42°. Short final 34 - sunny side scores 80/100 on a 32.3° 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.
Short final 34 - sunny side is 1234 m from the 34 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 118.8 MHz, Ground 121.9 MHz, Approach 122.3 MHz, ATIS 126.9 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.
TAF at Tue 27 Oct, 08:00 shifts the wind to 190° at 15 kt, favoring 16 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/NZWN#runway-alerts
Get a Telegram ping when Wellington International Airport changes landing or departure runway. One airport or a short list.