Cairns, Australia
Live METAR wind (150° at 9 kt), predicted landing/departure runways (landing and departure 15), hourly sun-angle backlight map, and top photo spots for Cairns International Airport.
As of Tue 27 Oct, 07:00 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 15. The METAR wind is 150° at 9 kt. 15 shows +9.0 kt headwind and 0.2 kt crosswind from the right. Closed runways: none listed. Updated Tue 27 Oct, 07:35.
| End | True hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | 149° | 10,489 ft | +9.0 kt | 0.2 kt | Landing + departure |
| 33 | 329° | 10,489 ft | -9.0 kt | 0.2 kt | Standby |
METAR YBCS 262100Z AUTO 15009KT 9999 // OVC043 24/21 Q1015
Live weather
VFR150° @ 9 kt
24°C · 10+ km (9999) · 1015 hPa
OVC043
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 15 - sunny side
Calculated perimeter
Score 77/100
Short final 15 - sunny side sits 1234 m from the 15 centerline. Looking toward the aircraft the bearing is 178.2°. That view is front-lit around midday (best 12:00 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: Side light
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 Cairns International Airport (CNS / YBCS): sun direction for every spotting location, scored from latitude -16.879, longitude 145.749, and the Australia/Brisbane 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 15 - sunny side Runway 15 | SIDE LIGHT | HIGH SUN / TOP LIGHT | SIDE LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Best local hours for crisp fuselage illumination: 12:00. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00. |
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 124.9 MHz. D-ATIS is 113.0 MHz. A handheld VHF airband scanner (Uniden Bearcat BC125AT) at the fence hears the call as it is made. At 1234 m from 15, 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 Tue 27 Oct, 07:00 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 15. The METAR wind is 150° at 9 kt. 15 shows +9.0 kt headwind and 0.2 kt crosswind from the right. Closed runways: none listed.
At 08:00 local the sun is at 95° azimuth and 32° elevation. Short final 15 - sunny side scores 78/100, 1234 m from runway 15, view bearing 178.2°, best as a midday spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 265° and 32°. Short final 15 - sunny side scores 89/100 on a 119.8° 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 Cairns International Airport (CNS/YBCS) 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: no listed spot stays fully front-lit. 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.
YBCS spotting locations sun direction: Short final 15 - sunny side (runway 15) is SIDE LIGHT in the morning, HIGH SUN / TOP LIGHT at midday, and SIDE LIGHT in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Best local hours for crisp fuselage illumination: 12:00. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00.
Short final 15 - sunny side is 1234 m from the 15 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 124.9 MHz, Ground 121.7 MHz, ATIS 113.0 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 124.9 MHz.
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near 150° at 9 kt, so 15 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/YBCS#runway-alerts
Get a Telegram ping when Cairns International Airport changes landing or departure runway. One airport or a short list.