Sydney (Mascot), Australia
Live METAR wind (120° at 7 kt), predicted landing/departure runways (landing and departure 16R), hourly sun-angle backlight map, and top photo spots for Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport.
As of Tue 27 Oct, 00:30 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 16R. The METAR wind is 120° at 7 kt. 16R shows +4.7 kt headwind and 5.2 kt crosswind from the left. Closed runways: none listed. Updated Tue 27 Oct, 00:42.
| End | True hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16R | 168° | 12,999 ft | +4.7 kt | 5.2 kt | Landing + departure |
| 34L | 348° | 12,999 ft | -4.7 kt | 5.2 kt | Standby |
| 07 | 74° | 8,300 ft | +4.9 kt | 5.0 kt | Standby |
| 25 | 254° | 8,300 ft | -4.9 kt | 5.0 kt | Standby |
| 16L | 168° | 7,999 ft | +4.7 kt | 5.2 kt | Standby |
| 34R | 348° | 7,999 ft | -4.7 kt | 5.2 kt | Standby |
TAF at Tue 27 Oct, 04:00 shifts the wind to 230° at 6 kt, favoring 25 in about 3.3 hours.
METAR YSSY 261330Z AUTO 12007KT 9999 // SCT043 SCT049 BKN082 17/10 Q1019
Live weather
VFR120° @ 7 kt
17°C · 10+ km (9999) · 1019 hPa
SCT043 SCT049 BKN082
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.
Shep's Mound
Landmark
Score 43/100
Shep's Mound sits 386 m from the 16R centerline. Looking toward the aircraft the bearing is 339.3°. That view is front-lit in the morning (best 07:00–08:00 local) with a 100-400mm lens.
Grassy public mound on the east boundary. Exposed, busy on weekends, slightly raised above the fence.
Now: Night / Low light
Google Maps navigationBotany south 34L
Landmark
Score 18/100
Botany south 34L sits 843 m from the 34R centerline. Looking toward the aircraft the bearing is 345.3°. That view is front-lit around midday (best 10:00 local) with a 150-600mm lens.
South of the 34L threshold in the Botany street grid. Sidewalk only.
Now: Night / Low 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.
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 120.5 MHz. D-ATIS is 115.55 MHz. A handheld VHF airband scanner (Uniden Bearcat BC125AT) at the fence hears the call as it is made. At 386 m from 16R, bring a 100-400mm lens.
Canon RF 100-500mm
From 250 m to 450 m off the centerline, 100-400mm (or this 100-500mm zoom) keeps the airframe tight.
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, 00:30 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 16R. The METAR wind is 120° at 7 kt. 16R shows +4.7 kt headwind and 5.2 kt crosswind from the left. Closed runways: none listed.
At 08:00 local the sun is at 90° azimuth and 24° elevation. Shep's Mound scores 59/100, 386 m from runway 16R, view bearing 339.3°, best as a morning spot with a 100-400mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 283° and 40°. Shep's Mound scores 49/100 on a 339.3° 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.
Shep's Mound is 386 m from the 16R centerline, so the lens is 100-400mm. 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 2574 m from this pin on a 700 m final.
Monitor Tower 120.5 MHz, Ground 121.7 MHz, Approach 135.1 MHz, ATIS 115.55 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.
TAF at Tue 27 Oct, 04:00 shifts the wind to 230° at 6 kt, favoring 25 in about 3.3 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/YSSY#runway-alerts
Get a Telegram ping when Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport changes landing or departure runway. One airport or a short list.