Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport (SCL / SCEL) Plane Spotting Map & Live Active Runway Predictor
Santiago, Chile
Santiago
SCL/SCEL
Updated Tue 27 Oct, 17:50 local
- Active runway
- 17R / 17L
- METAR wind
- 170° @ 6 kt
- Best spot
- Short final 17R - sunny side
- Sun
- 272° / 27°
Wind vector · +6 kt headwind
VFR
Side-lit
Golden hour in 1h 42m
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Best Santiago (SCL) plane spotting locations by time of day & sun angle
Live weather
VFR170° @ 6 kt
24°C · 10+ km · 1017 hPa
CAVOK
Golden hour in 1h 42m
Runway alerts for Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport
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Spotting guideRunway windsATC frequencies
Lighting schedule
Morning 07:00-11:00, midday 11:00-14:00, afternoon 14:00-18:00 at SCL, 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 17R - sunny side Runway 17R | SIDE LIGHT | HIGH SUN / TOP LIGHT | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 14:00-18:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00. |
| Short final 17L - sunny side Runway 17L | SIDE LIGHT | HIGH SUN / TOP LIGHT | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 14:00-18:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00. |
Runway winds and thresholds
Land 17R / 17L · Dep 17R / 17L
| End | Hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17L | 178° | 12,303 ft | +5.9 kt | 0.8 kt | Both |
| 35R | 358° | 12,303 ft | -5.9 kt | 0.8 kt | Standby |
| 17R | 177° | 12,303 ft | +6.0 kt | 0.7 kt | Both |
| 35L | 357° | 12,303 ft | -6.0 kt | 0.7 kt | Standby |
Recommended camera lenses & ATC radio frequencies for Santiago (SCEL)
| Facility | MHz | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tower | 118.100 | Published |
| Approach | 126.300 | Published |
| Approach | 128.100 | Published |
| Departure | 124.625 | Assigned |
| Ground | 122.200 | Published |
| Delivery | 121.700 | Published |
| ATIS | 132.100 | 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 Santiago (SCL/SCEL)
Which runway is active at Santiago (SCL/SCEL) right now?
As of Tue 27 Oct, 17:00 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 17R+17L. The METAR wind is 170° at 6 kt. 17R shows +6.0 kt headwind and 0.7 kt crosswind from the left. Closed runways: none listed.
Where is the best place to plane spot at Santiago (SCL) in the morning vs. afternoon?
At 08:00 local the sun is at 96° azimuth and 14° elevation. Short final 17R - sunny side scores 83/100, 1234 m from runway 17R, view bearing 206.2°, best as a morning spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 291° and 50°. Short final 17R - sunny side scores 89/100 on a 147.8° 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 Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport?
The best time to plane spot at Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport (SCL/SCEL) 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 17R - sunny side, Short final 17L - sunny side. Midday (11:00-14:00) is HIGH SUN / TOP LIGHT at 2 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 SCEL spotting locations?
SCEL spotting locations sun direction: Short final 17R - sunny side (runway 17R) 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 14:00-18:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00. Short final 17L - sunny side (runway 17L) 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 14:00-18:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00.
What lens focal length do I need for plane spotting at Santiago (SCL)?
Short final 17R - sunny side is 1234 m from the 17R 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 Santiago (SCEL)?
Monitor Tower 118.1 MHz, Ground 122.2 MHz, Approach 126.3 MHz, ATIS 132.1 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 118.1 MHz.
How do I know when Santiago (SCL) switches active runways?
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near 170° at 6 kt, so 17R 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/SCEL#runway-alerts