Jorge Chávez International Airport (LIM / SPJC) Plane Spotting Map & Live Active Runway Predictor
Lima, Peru
Jorge Chávez
LIM/SPJC
Updated Tue 27 Oct, 16:06 local
- Active runway
- 16L / 16R
- METAR wind
- 180° @ 13 kt
- Best spot
- Short final 16L - sunny side
- Sun
- 262° / 28°
Wind vector · +12 kt headwind
VFR
Sweet spot
Golden hour in 1h 33m
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Best Jorge Chávez (LIM) plane spotting locations by time of day & sun angle
Live weather
VFR180° @ 13 kt
26°C · 10+ km · 1011 hPa
CAVOK
Golden hour in 1h 33m
Runway alerts for Jorge Chávez 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 LIM, 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 16L - sunny side Runway 16L | BACKLIT / GLARE | HIGH SUN / TOP LIGHT | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 14:00-18:00 local. Avoid 07:00-12:00 harsh backlit contrast. |
| Short final 16R - sunny side Runway 16R | BACKLIT / GLARE | HIGH SUN / TOP LIGHT | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 14:00-18:00 local. Avoid 07:00-12:00 harsh backlit contrast. |
Runway winds and thresholds
Land 16L / 16R · Dep 16L / 16R
| End | Hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16L | 154° | 11,509 ft | +11.7 kt | 5.6 kt | Both |
| 34R | 334° | 11,509 ft | -11.7 kt | 5.6 kt | Standby |
| 16R | 154° | 11,417 ft | +11.7 kt | 5.7 kt | Both |
| 34L | 334° | 11,417 ft | -11.7 kt | 5.7 kt | Standby |
Recommended camera lenses & ATC radio frequencies for Jorge Chávez (SPJC)
| Facility | MHz | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tower | 118.100 | Published |
| Approach | 120.100 | Assigned |
| Departure | 124.750 | Assigned |
| Ground | 121.900 | Assigned |
| Delivery | 129.250 | Assigned |
| ATIS | 127.900 | 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 Jorge Chávez (LIM/SPJC)
Which runway is active at Jorge Chávez (LIM/SPJC) right now?
As of Tue 27 Oct, 16:00 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 16L+16R. The METAR wind is 180° at 13 kt. 16L shows +11.7 kt headwind and 5.6 kt crosswind from the right. Closed runways: none listed.
Where is the best place to plane spot at Jorge Chávez (LIM) in the morning vs. afternoon?
At 08:00 local the sun is at 97° azimuth and 33° elevation. Short final 16L - sunny side scores 78/100, 1234 m from runway 16L, view bearing 183.5°, best as a midday spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 262° and 30°. Short final 16L - sunny side scores 88/100 on a 125.1° 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 Jorge Chávez International Airport?
The best time to plane spot at Jorge Chávez International Airport (LIM/SPJC) 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 16L - sunny side, Short final 16R - 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 SPJC spotting locations?
SPJC spotting locations sun direction: Short final 16L - sunny side (runway 16L) 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 07:00-12:00 harsh backlit contrast. Short final 16R - sunny side (runway 16R) 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 07:00-12:00 harsh backlit contrast.
What lens focal length do I need for plane spotting at Jorge Chávez (LIM)?
Short final 16L - sunny side is 1234 m from the 16L 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 Jorge Chávez (SPJC)?
Monitor Tower 118.1 MHz, ATIS 127.9 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 118.1 MHz.
How do I know when Jorge Chávez (LIM) switches active runways?
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near 180° at 13 kt, so 16L 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/SPJC#runway-alerts