Tancredo Neves International Airport (CNF / SBCF) Plane Spotting Map & Live Active Runway Predictor
Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Tancredo Neves
CNF/SBCF
Updated Tue 27 Oct, 19:37 local
- Active runway
- 16
- METAR wind
- 130° @ 10 kt
- Best spot
- Short final 16 - sunny side
- Sun
- 246° / -22°
Wind vector · +10 kt headwind
VFR
Night
Sun below the useful photo window
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Best Tancredo Neves (CNF) plane spotting locations by time of day & sun angle
Live weather
VFR130° @ 10 kt
19°C · 10+ km · 1021 hPa
SCT029 BKN040 BKN090
Sun below the useful photo window
Runway alerts for Tancredo Neves 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 CNF, 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 | BACKLIT / GLARE | HIGH SUN / TOP LIGHT | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 14:00-18:00 local. Avoid 07:00-11:00 harsh backlit contrast. |
Runway winds and thresholds
Land 16 · Dep 16
| End | Hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | 139° | 11,811 ft | +9.9 kt | 1.6 kt | Both |
| 34 | 319° | 11,811 ft | -9.9 kt | 1.6 kt | Standby |
Recommended camera lenses & ATC radio frequencies for Tancredo Neves (SBCF)
| Facility | MHz | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tower | 118.200 | Published |
| Approach | 120.200 | Published |
| Departure | 126.750 | Assigned |
| Ground | 121.900 | Published |
| Delivery | 121.000 | Published |
| ATIS | 127.450 | 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 Tancredo Neves (CNF/SBCF)
Which runway is active at Tancredo Neves (CNF/SBCF) right now?
As of Tue 27 Oct, 19:00 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 16. The METAR wind is 130° at 10 kt. 16 shows +9.9 kt headwind and 1.6 kt crosswind from the left. Closed runways: none listed.
Where is the best place to plane spot at Tancredo Neves (CNF) in the morning vs. afternoon?
At 08:00 local the sun is at 91° azimuth and 37° elevation. Short final 16 - sunny side scores 76/100, 1234 m from runway 16, view bearing 168.3°, best as a midday spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 265° and 28°. Short final 16 - sunny side scores 91/100 on a 109.8° 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 Tancredo Neves International Airport?
The best time to plane spot at Tancredo Neves International Airport (CNF/SBCF) 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 16 - 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.
What is the sun direction at SBCF spotting locations?
SBCF spotting locations sun direction: Short final 16 - sunny side (runway 16) is BACKLIT / GLARE in the morning, HIGH SUN / TOP LIGHT at midday, and CLEAN FRONT LIGHT in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 14:00-18:00 local. Avoid 07:00-11:00 harsh backlit contrast.
What lens focal length do I need for plane spotting at Tancredo Neves (CNF)?
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 Tancredo Neves (SBCF)?
Monitor Tower 118.2 MHz, Ground 121.9 MHz, Approach 120.2 MHz, ATIS 127.45 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 118.2 MHz.
How do I know when Tancredo Neves (CNF) switches active runways?
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near 130° at 10 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/SBCF#runway-alerts