Spotter

Irkutsk International Airport (IKT / UIII) Plane Spotting Map & Live Active Runway Predictor

Irkutsk, Russian Federation

Irkutsk

IKT/UIII

Updated Wed 28 Oct, 01:17 local

Active runway
30

Wind vector · +3 kt headwind

METAR wind
260° @ 4 kt

VFR

Best spot
Short final 30 - sunny side

Night

Sun
12° / -50°

Sunrise in 6h 33m

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Best Irkutsk (IKT) plane spotting locations by time of day & sun angle

Live weather

VFR

260° @ 4 kt

-1°C · 5.6 sm · 1018 hPa

SCT022

Wed 28 Oct, 01:17 localAz 12° · El -50°Night

Sunrise in 6h 33m

+0h

Runway alerts for Irkutsk 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 IKT, scored from each spot's view bearing.

Spotting LocationMorning (07:00-11:00)Midday (11:00-14:00)Afternoon / Golden Hour (14:00-18:00)JetPhotos / Camera Note
Short final 30 - sunny side

Runway 30

CLEAN FRONT LIGHTSIDE LIGHTSIDE LIGHTRecommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 09:00-10:00 local. Avoid 16:00-18:00 harsh backlit contrast.
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Frequently asked questions about plane spotting at Irkutsk (IKT/UIII)

Which runway is active at Irkutsk (IKT/UIII) right now?

As of Wed 28 Oct, 01:00 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 30. The METAR wind is 260° at 4 kt. 30 shows +3.3 kt headwind and 2.2 kt crosswind from the left. Closed runways: none listed.

Where is the best place to plane spot at Irkutsk (IKT) in the morning vs. afternoon?

At 08:00 local the sun is at 112° azimuth and 1° elevation. Short final 30 - sunny side scores 66/100, 1233 m from runway 30, view bearing 264.4°, best as a morning spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 228° and 13°. Short final 30 - sunny side scores 80/100 on a 322.9° 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 Irkutsk International Airport?

The best time to plane spot at Irkutsk International Airport (IKT/UIII) is the window marked CLEAN FRONT LIGHT for the fence you are using. Morning (07:00-11:00) front light: Short final 30 - 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 0 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 UIII spotting locations?

UIII spotting locations sun direction: Short final 30 - sunny side (runway 30) is CLEAN FRONT LIGHT in the morning, SIDE LIGHT at midday, and SIDE LIGHT in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 09:00-10:00 local. Avoid 16:00-18:00 harsh backlit contrast.

What lens focal length do I need for plane spotting at Irkutsk (IKT)?

Short final 30 - sunny side is 1233 m from the 30 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 Irkutsk (UIII)?

Monitor Tower 118.1 MHz, Ground 121.7 MHz, Approach 125.2 MHz, ATIS 124.85 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 Irkutsk (IKT) switches active runways?

No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near 260° at 4 kt, so 30 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/UIII#runway-alerts