Maiquetía Simón Bolívar International Airport (CCS / SVMI) Plane Spotting Map & Live Active Runway Predictor
Maiquetía, Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of
Maiquetía Simón Bolívar
CCS/SVMI
Updated Tue 27 Oct, 21:00 local
- Active runway
- 28 / 27
- METAR wind
- 290° @ 2 kt
- Best spot
- Short final 28 - sunny side
- Sun
- 262° / -43°
Wind vector · +2 kt headwind
VFR
Night
Sun below the useful photo window
NightWant a Telegram ping when SVMI flips runways? Subscribe for $3/mo
Best Maiquetía Simón Bolívar (CCS) plane spotting locations by time of day & sun angle
Live weather
VFR290° @ 2 kt
28°C · 10+ km · 1013 hPa
FEW016 SCT080
Sun below the useful photo window
Runway alerts for Maiquetía Simón Bolívar 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 CCS, 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 28 - sunny side Runway 28 | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | HIGH SUN / TOP LIGHT | SIDE LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 07:00-11:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00. |
| Short final 27 - sunny side Runway 27 | SIDE LIGHT | BACKLIT / GLARE | BACKLIT / GLARE | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Best local hours for crisp fuselage illumination: 07:00-08:00. Avoid 13:00-18:00 harsh backlit contrast. |
Runway winds and thresholds
Land 28 / 27 · Dep 28 / 27
| End | Hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 88° | 11,483 ft | -1.9 kt | 0.7 kt | Standby |
| 28 | 268° | 11,483 ft | +1.9 kt | 0.7 kt | Both |
| 09 | 76° | 9,930 ft | -1.7 kt | 1.1 kt | Standby |
| 27 | 256° | 9,930 ft | +1.7 kt | 1.1 kt | Both |
Recommended camera lenses & ATC radio frequencies for Maiquetía Simón Bolívar (SVMI)
| Facility | MHz | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tower | 118.400 | Published |
| Approach | 120.100 | Published |
| Departure | 120.100 | Published |
| Ground | 121.900 | Published |
| Delivery | 119.500 | Published |
| ATIS | 132.950 | 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 Maiquetía Simón Bolívar (CCS/SVMI)
Which runway is active at Maiquetía Simón Bolívar (CCS/SVMI) right now?
As of Tue 27 Oct, 21:00 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 28+27. The METAR wind is 290° at 2 kt. 28 shows +1.9 kt headwind and 0.7 kt crosswind from the right. Closed runways: none listed.
Where is the best place to plane spot at Maiquetía Simón Bolívar (CCS) in the morning vs. afternoon?
At 08:00 local the sun is at 109° azimuth and 23° elevation. Short final 28 - sunny side scores 94/100, 1234 m from runway 28, view bearing 297.3°, best as a morning spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 249° and 29°. Short final 28 - sunny side scores 71/100 on a 297.3° 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.
What is the best time to plane spot at Maiquetía Simón Bolívar International Airport?
The best time to plane spot at Maiquetía Simón Bolívar International Airport (CCS/SVMI) is the window marked CLEAN FRONT LIGHT for the fence you are using. Morning (07:00-11:00) front light: Short final 28 - sunny side. Afternoon / golden hour (14:00-18:00) front light: no listed spot stays fully front-lit. Midday (11:00-14:00) is HIGH SUN / TOP LIGHT at 1 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 SVMI spotting locations?
SVMI spotting locations sun direction: Short final 28 - sunny side (runway 28) is CLEAN FRONT LIGHT in the morning, HIGH SUN / TOP LIGHT at midday, and SIDE LIGHT in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 07:00-11:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00. Short final 27 - sunny side (runway 27) is SIDE LIGHT in the morning, BACKLIT / GLARE at midday, and BACKLIT / GLARE in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Best local hours for crisp fuselage illumination: 07:00-08:00. Avoid 13:00-18:00 harsh backlit contrast.
What lens focal length do I need for plane spotting at Maiquetía Simón Bolívar (CCS)?
Short final 28 - sunny side is 1234 m from the 28 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 Maiquetía Simón Bolívar (SVMI)?
Monitor Tower 118.4 MHz, Ground 121.9 MHz, Approach 120.1 MHz, ATIS 132.95 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 118.4 MHz.
How do I know when Maiquetía Simón Bolívar (CCS) switches active runways?
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near 290° at 2 kt, so 28 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/SVMI#runway-alerts