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Shenzhen, China

Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport (SZX / ZGSZ) Plane Spotting Map & Live Active Runway Predictor

Live METAR wind (180° at 6 kt), predicted landing/departure runways (landing 16L+15+16R, departure 16L+16R), hourly sun-angle backlight map, and top photo spots for Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport.

METAR/TAF WIND VECTOR PREDICTION$3/mo runway-shift alerts

Which runway is active at Shenzhen Bao'an (SZX) right now?

As of Mon 26 Oct, 21:00 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing 16L+15+16R, departure 16L+16R. The METAR wind is 180° at 6 kt. 16L shows +5.4 kt headwind and 2.5 kt crosswind from the right. Closed runways: none listed. Updated Mon 26 Oct, 21:39.

EndTrue hdgLengthHeadwindCrosswindRole
16L155°12,467 ft+5.4 kt2.5 ktLanding + departure
34R335°12,467 ft-5.4 kt2.5 ktStandby
16R153°11,811 ft+5.3 kt2.7 ktLanding + departure
34L333°11,811 ft-5.3 kt2.7 ktStandby
15155°11,155 ft+5.4 kt2.5 ktLanding
33335°11,155 ft-5.4 kt2.5 ktStandby

TAF at Tue 27 Oct, 02:00 shifts the wind to 40° at 8 kt, favoring 34R+33+34L in about 4.3 hours.

METAR ZGSZ 261300Z 18003MPS 9999 SCT053 27/21 Q1018 NOSIG

NIGHT / LOW LIGHT

Live weather

VFR

180° @ 6 kt

27°C · 10+ km (9999) · 1018 hPa

SCT053

Front-lit sector

Backlight / glare cone

Sun ray · amber pins are landmarks

Green pins are calculated. Blue pins are OpenStreetMap parks and viewpoints.

Mon 26 Oct, 21:39Az 280° · El -53°Sun below the useful photo window
+0h local

Best Shenzhen Bao'an (SZX) plane spotting locations by time of day & sun angle

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.

  1. Short final 16L - sunny side

    Calculated perimeter

    Score 68/100

    Short final 16L - sunny side sits 472 m from the 16R centerline. Looking toward the aircraft the bearing is 125.7°. That view is front-lit in the afternoon (best 16:00–17:00 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.

    472 m to centerline
    125.7° view bearing
    Best sun: Afternoon 16:00–17:00
    150-600mm

    Now: Night / Low light

    Google Maps navigation
  2. Short final 15 - sunny side

    Calculated perimeter

    Score 66/100

    Short final 15 - sunny side sits 1234 m from the 15 centerline. Looking toward the aircraft the bearing is 125.7°. That view is front-lit in the afternoon (best 16:00–17:00 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.

    1234 m to centerline
    125.7° view bearing
    Best sun: Afternoon 16:00–17:00
    150-600mm

    Now: Night / Low light

    Google Maps navigation
Suggest a local spot / fence tip

Know a public fence, mound, or lens that works for a specific threshold? Send it in. Tips are reviewed before they show on the map.

Recommended camera lenses & ATC radio frequencies for Shenzhen Bao'an (ZGSZ)

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 118.45 MHz. D-ATIS is 127.45 MHz. A handheld VHF airband scanner (Uniden Bearcat BC125AT) at the fence hears the call as it is made. At 472 m from 16R, 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 gear
  • Uniden Bearcat BC125AT

    Handheld VHF airband scanner for tower and ATIS at the fence. Online streams run 30 seconds or more behind.

    Search this gear
  • FlightAware Pro Stick

    USB ADS-B receiver if you want tail numbers on a laptop beside the photos.

    Search this gear

Frequently asked questions about plane spotting at Shenzhen Bao'an (SZX/ZGSZ)

Which runway is active at Shenzhen Bao'an (SZX/ZGSZ) right now?

As of Mon 26 Oct, 21:00 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing 16L+15+16R, departure 16L+16R. The METAR wind is 180° at 6 kt. 16L shows +5.4 kt headwind and 2.5 kt crosswind from the right. Closed runways: none listed.

Where is the best place to plane spot at Shenzhen Bao'an (SZX) in the morning vs. afternoon?

At 08:00 local the sun is at 113° azimuth and 20° elevation. Short final 16L - sunny side scores 77/100, 933 m from runway 16R, view bearing 184.2°, best as a midday spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 244° and 24°. Short final 16L - sunny side scores 86/100 on a 125.7° 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 lens focal length do I need for plane spotting at Shenzhen Bao'an (SZX)?

Short final 16L - sunny side is 472 m from the 16R 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 Shenzhen Bao'an (ZGSZ)?

Monitor Tower 118.45 MHz, Ground 121.65 MHz, Approach 120.35 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 118.45 MHz.

How do I know when Shenzhen Bao'an (SZX) switches active runways?

TAF at Tue 27 Oct, 02:00 shifts the wind to 40° at 8 kt, favoring 34R+33+34L in about 4.3 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/ZGSZ#runway-alerts

Telegram Runway-Shift Alerts · $3/mo

Get a Telegram ping when Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport changes landing or departure runway. One airport or a short list.

$3/mo · Instant Telegram ping 60 min before a forecast wind shift flips the active runway, plus golden-hour reminders.

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