Colombo, Sri Lanka
Live METAR wind (120° at 2 kt), predicted landing/departure runways (landing and departure 04), hourly sun-angle backlight map, and top photo spots for Bandaranaike International Colombo Airport.
As of Mon 26 Oct, 21:40 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 04. The METAR wind is 120° at 2 kt. 04 shows +0.2 kt headwind and 2.0 kt crosswind from the right. Closed runways: none listed. Updated Mon 26 Oct, 22:15.
| End | True hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 04 | 37° | 10,991 ft | +0.2 kt | 2.0 kt | Landing + departure |
| 22 | 217° | 10,991 ft | -0.2 kt | 2.0 kt | Standby |
TAF at Tue 27 Oct, 02:30 shifts the wind to 170° at 10 kt, favoring 22 in about 4.2 hours.
METAR VCBI 261610Z 12002KT 9000 -SHRA SCT016 BKN080 25/25 Q1011 NOSIG
Live weather
VFR120° @ 2 kt
25°C · 5.6 SM · 1011 hPa
SCT016 BKN080
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 04 - sunny side
Calculated perimeter
Score 66/100
Short final 04 - sunny side sits 1234 m from the 04 centerline. Looking toward the aircraft the bearing is 66.2°. That view is front-lit in the afternoon (best 14:00–17:00 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: Night / Low light
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Best time to plane spot at Bandaranaike International Colombo Airport (CMB / VCBI): sun direction for every spotting location, scored from latitude 7.181, longitude 79.884, and the Asia/Colombo 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 04 - sunny side Runway 04 | SIDE LIGHT | HIGH SUN / TOP LIGHT | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 14:00-18:00 local. Avoid 07:00-08:00 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 118.7 MHz. D-ATIS is 127.2 MHz. A handheld VHF airband scanner (Uniden Bearcat BC125AT) at the fence hears the call as it is made. At 1234 m from 04, 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, 21:40 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 04. The METAR wind is 120° at 2 kt. 04 shows +0.2 kt headwind and 2.0 kt crosswind from the right. Closed runways: none listed.
At 08:00 local the sun is at 108° azimuth and 28° elevation. Short final 04 - sunny side scores 81/100, 1234 m from runway 04, view bearing 7.8°, best as a midday spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 252° and 26°. Short final 04 - sunny side scores 95/100 on a 66.2° 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 Bandaranaike International Colombo Airport (CMB/VCBI) 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 04 - sunny side. Midday (11:00-14:00) is HIGH SUN / TOP LIGHT at 1 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.
VCBI spotting locations sun direction: Short final 04 - sunny side (runway 04) 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. Avoid 07:00-08:00 harsh backlit contrast.
Short final 04 - sunny side is 1234 m from the 04 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 118.7 MHz, Ground 121.9 MHz, Approach 120.9 MHz, ATIS 127.2 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 118.7 MHz.
TAF at Tue 27 Oct, 02:30 shifts the wind to 170° at 10 kt, favoring 22 in about 4.2 hours. 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/VCBI#runway-alerts
Get a Telegram ping when Bandaranaike International Colombo Airport changes landing or departure runway. One airport or a short list.