Adelaide International Airport (ADL / YPAD) Plane Spotting Map & Live Active Runway Predictor
Adelaide, Australia
Adelaide
ADL/YPAD
Updated Tue 27 Oct, 21:33 local
- Active runway
- 12
- METAR wind
- 140° @ 9 kt
- Best spot
- Short final 12 - sunny side
- Sun
- 235° / -22°
Wind vector · +9 kt headwind
VFR
Night
Sun below the useful photo window
NightWant a Telegram ping when YPAD flips runways? Subscribe for $3/mo
Best Adelaide (ADL) plane spotting locations by time of day & sun angle
Live weather
VFR140° @ 9 kt
13°C · 10+ km · 1023 hPa
NCD
Sun below the useful photo window
Runway alerts for Adelaide 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 ADL, 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 12 - sunny side Runway 12 | BACKLIT / GLARE | HIGH SUN / TOP LIGHT | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 15:00-18:00 local. Avoid 07:00-12:00 harsh backlit contrast. |
Runway winds and thresholds
Land 12 · Dep 12
| End | Hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 05 | 50° | 10,171 ft | +0.0 kt | 9.0 kt | Standby |
| 23 | 230° | 10,171 ft | +0.0 kt | 9.0 kt | Standby |
| 12 | 123° | 5,420 ft | +8.6 kt | 2.6 kt | Both |
| 30 | 303° | 5,420 ft | -8.6 kt | 2.6 kt | Standby |
Recommended camera lenses & ATC radio frequencies for Adelaide (YPAD)
| Facility | MHz | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tower | 120.500 | Published |
| Approach | 118.200 | Published |
| Approach | 124.200 | Published |
| Departure | 126.850 | Assigned |
| Ground | 121.700 | Published |
| Delivery | 126.100 | Published |
| ATIS | 116.400 | Published |
| ATIS | 134.500 | 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 Adelaide (ADL/YPAD)
Which runway is active at Adelaide (ADL/YPAD) right now?
As of Tue 27 Oct, 21:00 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 12. The METAR wind is 140° at 9 kt. 12 shows +8.6 kt headwind and 2.6 kt crosswind from the right. Closed runways: none listed.
Where is the best place to plane spot at Adelaide (ADL) in the morning vs. afternoon?
At 08:00 local the sun is at 92° azimuth and 19° elevation. Short final 12 - sunny side scores 73/100, 1234 m from runway 12, view bearing 152.3°, best as a afternoon spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 287° and 44°. Short final 12 - sunny side scores 93/100 on a 93.8° 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.
What is the best time to plane spot at Adelaide International Airport?
The best time to plane spot at Adelaide International Airport (ADL/YPAD) 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 12 - 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.
What is the sun direction at YPAD spotting locations?
YPAD spotting locations sun direction: Short final 12 - sunny side (runway 12) is BACKLIT / GLARE in the morning, HIGH SUN / TOP LIGHT at midday, and CLEAN FRONT LIGHT in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 15:00-18:00 local. Avoid 07:00-12:00 harsh backlit contrast.
What lens focal length do I need for plane spotting at Adelaide (ADL)?
Short final 12 - sunny side is 1234 m from the 12 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 Adelaide (YPAD)?
Monitor Tower 120.5 MHz, Ground 121.7 MHz, Approach 118.2 MHz, ATIS 116.4 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 120.5 MHz.
How do I know when Adelaide (ADL) switches active runways?
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near 140° at 9 kt, so 12 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/YPAD#runway-alerts