Wuhan Tianhe International Airport (WUH / ZHHH) Plane Spotting Map & Live Active Runway Predictor
Wuhan (Huangpi), China
Wuhan Tianhe
WUH/ZHHH
Updated Wed 28 Oct, 08:30 local
- Active runway
- 05L / 04 / 05R
- METAR wind
- 50° @ 6 kt
- Best spot
- Short final 04 - sunny side
- Sun
- 121° / 22°
Wind vector · +6 kt headwind
IFR
Side-lit
Golden hour in 8h 37m
Side-litWant a Telegram ping when ZHHH flips runways? Subscribe for $3/mo
Best Wuhan Tianhe (WUH) plane spotting locations by time of day & sun angle
Live weather
IFR50° @ 6 kt
16°C · 2.2 sm · 1025 hPa
NSC
Golden hour in 8h 37m
Runway alerts for Wuhan Tianhe 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 WUH, 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 04 - sunny side Runway 04 | SIDE LIGHT | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 11:00-17:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00. |
| Short final 05L - sunny side Runway 05L | SIDE LIGHT | SIDE LIGHT | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 14:00-18:00 local. Avoid 07:00-08:00 harsh backlit contrast. |
Runway winds and thresholds
Land 05L / 04 / 05R · Dep 05L / 04
| End | Hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 05L | 46° | 11,811 ft | +6.0 kt | 0.4 kt | Both |
| 23R | 226° | 11,811 ft | -6.0 kt | 0.4 kt | Standby |
| 04 | 42° | 11,155 ft | +5.9 kt | 0.8 kt | Both |
| 22 | 222° | 11,155 ft | -5.9 kt | 0.8 kt | Standby |
| 05R | 41° | 10,498 ft | +5.9 kt | 0.9 kt | Landing |
| 23L | 221° | 10,498 ft | -5.9 kt | 0.9 kt | Standby |
Recommended camera lenses & ATC radio frequencies for Wuhan Tianhe (ZHHH)
| Facility | MHz | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tower | 122.700 | Published |
| Approach | 121.150 | Assigned |
| Departure | 126.700 | Assigned |
| Ground | 121.650 | Published |
| Delivery | 129.100 | Assigned |
| ATIS | 126.600 | 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 Wuhan Tianhe (WUH/ZHHH)
Which runway is active at Wuhan Tianhe (WUH/ZHHH) right now?
As of Wed 28 Oct, 08:00 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing 05L+04+05R, departure 05L+04. The METAR wind is 50° at 6 kt. 05L shows +6.0 kt headwind and 0.4 kt crosswind from the right. Closed runways: none listed.
Where is the best place to plane spot at Wuhan Tianhe (WUH) in the morning vs. afternoon?
At 08:00 local the sun is at 116° azimuth and 16° elevation. Short final 04 - sunny side scores 81/100, 1234 m from runway 04, view bearing 12.7°, best as a midday spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 241° and 19°. Short final 04 - sunny side scores 94/100 on a 71.2° 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 Wuhan Tianhe International Airport?
The best time to plane spot at Wuhan Tianhe International Airport (WUH/ZHHH) 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 04 - sunny side, Short final 05L - sunny side. Midday (11:00-14:00) is HIGH SUN / TOP LIGHT at 0 of 2 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 ZHHH spotting locations?
ZHHH spotting locations sun direction: Short final 04 - sunny side (runway 04) is SIDE LIGHT in the morning, CLEAN FRONT LIGHT at midday, and CLEAN FRONT LIGHT in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 11:00-17:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00. Short final 05L - sunny side (runway 05L) is SIDE LIGHT in the morning, SIDE LIGHT at midday, and CLEAN FRONT LIGHT in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 14:00-18:00 local. Avoid 07:00-08:00 harsh backlit contrast.
What lens focal length do I need for plane spotting at Wuhan Tianhe (WUH)?
Short final 04 - sunny side is 1234 m from the 04 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 Wuhan Tianhe (ZHHH)?
Monitor Tower 122.7 MHz, Ground 121.65 MHz, ATIS 126.6 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 122.7 MHz.
How do I know when Wuhan Tianhe (WUH) switches active runways?
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near 50° at 6 kt, so 05L 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/ZHHH#runway-alerts