Canberra Airport (CBR / YSCB) Plane Spotting Map & Live Active Runway Predictor
Canberra, Australia
Canberra
CBR/YSCB
Updated Wed 28 Oct, 09:37 local
- Active runway
- 30
- METAR wind
- 300° @ 13 kt
- Best spot
- Short final 30 - sunny side
- Sun
- 75° / 42°
Wind vector · +13 kt headwind
VFR
Sweet spot
Golden hour in 9h 18m
Sweet spotWant a Telegram ping when YSCB flips runways? Subscribe for $3/mo
Best Canberra (CBR) plane spotting locations by time of day & sun angle
Live weather
VFR300° @ 13 kt
13°C · 10+ km · 1019 hPa
BKN059
Golden hour in 9h 18m
Runway alerts for Canberra 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 CBR, 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 30 - sunny side Runway 30 | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | HIGH SUN / TOP LIGHT | BACKLIT / GLARE | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 07:00-11:00 local. Avoid 14:00-18:00 harsh backlit contrast. |
Runway winds and thresholds
Land 30 · Dep 30
| End | Hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | 180° | 10,771 ft | -6.5 kt | 11.3 kt | Standby |
| 35 | 360° | 10,771 ft | +6.5 kt | 11.3 kt | Standby |
| 12 | 130° | 5,509 ft | -12.8 kt | 2.3 kt | Standby |
| 30 | 310° | 5,509 ft | +12.8 kt | 2.3 kt | Both |
Recommended camera lenses & ATC radio frequencies for Canberra (YSCB)
| Facility | MHz | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tower | 118.700 | Published |
| Approach | 124.500 | Published |
| Approach | 125.900 | Published |
| Departure | 125.075 | Assigned |
| Ground | 121.675 | Assigned |
| Delivery | 129.575 | Assigned |
| ATIS | 127.450 | Published |
| ATIS | 116.700 | 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 Canberra (CBR/YSCB)
Which runway is active at Canberra (CBR/YSCB) right now?
As of Wed 28 Oct, 09:30 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 30. The METAR wind is 300° at 13 kt. 30 shows +12.8 kt headwind and 2.3 kt crosswind from the left. Closed runways: none listed.
Where is the best place to plane spot at Canberra (CBR) in the morning vs. afternoon?
At 08:00 local the sun is at 90° azimuth and 22° elevation. Short final 30 - sunny side scores 94/100, 1234 m from runway 30, view bearing 280.7°, best as a morning spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 285° and 41°. Short final 30 - sunny side scores 72/100 on a 339.2° 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.
What is the best time to plane spot at Canberra Airport?
The best time to plane spot at Canberra Airport (CBR/YSCB) 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 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 YSCB spotting locations?
YSCB spotting locations sun direction: Short final 30 - sunny side (runway 30) is CLEAN FRONT LIGHT in the morning, HIGH SUN / TOP LIGHT at midday, and BACKLIT / GLARE in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 07:00-11:00 local. Avoid 14:00-18:00 harsh backlit contrast.
What lens focal length do I need for plane spotting at Canberra (CBR)?
Short final 30 - sunny side is 1234 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 Canberra (YSCB)?
Monitor Tower 118.7 MHz, Approach 124.5 MHz, ATIS 127.45 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.
How do I know when Canberra (CBR) switches active runways?
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near 300° at 13 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/YSCB#runway-alerts