San Juan, Puerto Rico
Live METAR wind (170° at 8 kt), predicted landing/departure runways (landing 10, departure 08), hourly sun-angle backlight map, and top photo spots for Luis Munoz Marin International Airport.
As of Mon 26 Oct, 14:00 local, D-ATIS confirms landing 10, departure 08. The METAR wind is 170° at 8 kt. 10 shows +1.4 kt headwind and 7.9 kt crosswind from the right. Closed runways: none listed. Updated Mon 26 Oct, 14:28.
| End | True hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 08 | 67° | 10,002 ft | -1.8 kt | 7.8 kt | Departure |
| 26 | 247° | 10,002 ft | +1.8 kt | 7.8 kt | Standby |
| 10 | 90° | 8,016 ft | +1.4 kt | 7.9 kt | Landing |
| 28 | 270° | 8,016 ft | -1.4 kt | 7.9 kt | Standby |
SJU ATIS INFO W 1756Z. 18008G17KT 10SM FEW045 SCT110 34/23 A2991 (TWO NINER NINER ONE). ILS AND VISUAL APCHS RWY 10 IN USE. SIMUL OPS BTN SIG DEPARTURES AND SJU ARRIVALS ARE IN PROGRESS. DEPG RWY 8. NOTICE TO AIRMEN. S4 INT CLSD. SJU VORTAC OTS. MOWING ADJ RIGHT SIDE RWY 10. RY 26 REIL OTS. BIRD ACTIVITY VICINITY ARPT. HAZD WX INFO FOR SJU AREA AVBL FM FSS. ...ADVS YOU HAVE INFO W.
METAR TJSJ 261756Z 17008G17KT 10SM FEW045 SCT110 34/23 A2991 RMK AO2 SLP127 T03440228 10344 20294 56018 $
Live weather
VFR170° @ 8 kt G17
34°C · 10+ SM · 1013 hPa
FEW045 SCT110
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 10 - sunny side
Calculated perimeter
Score 94/100
Short final 10 - sunny side sits 1234 m from the 10 centerline. Looking toward the aircraft the bearing is 60.7°. That view is front-lit in the afternoon (best 15:00–17:00 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: Frontlit
Google Maps navigationClimb-out 08 - sunny side
Calculated perimeter
Score 19/100
Climb-out 08 - sunny side sits 1234 m from the 26 centerline. Looking toward the aircraft the bearing is 246.7°. 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 beyond the far end of the departure runway, offset 280 m to the sunny side of the climb.
Now: Backlit
Google Maps navigationKnow a public fence, mound, or lens that works for a specific threshold? Send it in. Tips are reviewed before they show on the map.
Best time to plane spot at Luis Munoz Marin International Airport (SJU / TJSJ): sun direction for every spotting location, scored from latitude 18.439, longitude -66.002, and the America/Puerto_Rico clock plus each spot's view bearing. Morning is 07:00-11:00, midday is 11:00-14:00, and afternoon / golden hour is 14:00-18:00. CLEAN FRONT LIGHT means the sun sits behind the camera. BACKLIT / GLARE means the sun is in the lens. HIGH SUN / TOP LIGHT is overhead midday light.
| Spotting Location | Morning (07:00-11:00) | Midday (11:00-14:00) | Afternoon / Golden Hour (14:00-18:00) | JetPhotos / Camera Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Short final 10 - sunny side Runway 10 | 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. |
Climb-out 08 - sunny side Runway 08 | SIDE LIGHT | HIGH SUN / TOP LIGHT | BACKLIT / GLARE | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 07:00-09:00 local. Avoid 14:00-18:00 harsh backlit contrast. |
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 132.05 MHz. D-ATIS is 125.8 MHz. A handheld VHF airband scanner (Uniden Bearcat BC125AT) at the fence hears the call as it is made. At 1234 m from 10, 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 Mon 26 Oct, 14:00 local, D-ATIS confirms landing 10, departure 08. The METAR wind is 170° at 8 kt. 10 shows +1.4 kt headwind and 7.9 kt crosswind from the right. Closed runways: none listed.
At 08:00 local the sun is at 112° azimuth and 21° elevation. Short final 10 - sunny side scores 71/100, 1234 m from runway 10, view bearing 60.7°, best as a afternoon spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 246° and 25°. Short final 10 - sunny side scores 95/100 on a 60.7° 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.
The best time to plane spot at Luis Munoz Marin International Airport (SJU/TJSJ) 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 10 - 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.
TJSJ spotting locations sun direction: Short final 10 - sunny side (runway 10) 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. Climb-out 08 - sunny side (runway 08) is SIDE LIGHT in the morning, HIGH SUN / TOP LIGHT at midday, and BACKLIT / GLARE in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 07:00-09:00 local. Avoid 14:00-18:00 harsh backlit contrast.
Short final 10 - sunny side is 1234 m from the 10 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 132.05 MHz, Ground 121.9 MHz, Approach 119.4 MHz, ATIS 125.8 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 132.05 MHz.
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near 170° at 8 kt, so 10 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/TJSJ#runway-alerts
Get a Telegram ping when Luis Munoz Marin International Airport changes landing or departure runway. One airport or a short list.