Haidong (Huzhu Tu Autonomous County), China
Live METAR wind (unavailable), predicted landing/departure runways (landing and departure 11), hourly sun-angle backlight map, and top photo spots for Xining Caojiabao International Airport.
Live METAR was unavailable, so the wind vector assumes calm air and prefers the longer runways.
As of the latest cycle local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 11. The METAR wind is unavailable. 11 is the long-runway pick because the wind is calm or variable. Closed runways: none listed. Updated Tue 27 Oct, 05:10.
| End | True hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | 109° | 12,467 ft | +0.0 kt | 0.0 kt | Landing + departure |
| 29 | 289° | 12,467 ft | +0.0 kt | 0.0 kt | Standby |
Live weather
Unavailable
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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.
Short final 11 - sunny side
Calculated perimeter
Score 66/100
Short final 11 - sunny side sits 1234 m from the 11 centerline. Looking toward the aircraft the bearing is 138.3°. That view is front-lit in the afternoon (best 17:00–18:00 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.
Now: Night / Low light
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Best time to plane spot at Xining Caojiabao International Airport (XNN / ZLXN): sun direction for every spotting location, scored from latitude 36.528, longitude 102.040, and the Asia/Shanghai clock plus each spot's view bearing. Morning is 07:00-11:00, midday is 11:00-14:00, and afternoon / golden hour is 14:00-18:00. CLEAN FRONT LIGHT means the sun sits behind the camera. BACKLIT / GLARE means the sun is in the lens. HIGH SUN / TOP LIGHT is overhead midday light.
| Spotting Location | Morning (07:00-11:00) | Midday (11:00-14:00) | Afternoon / Golden Hour (14:00-18:00) | JetPhotos / Camera Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Short final 11 - sunny side Runway 11 | BACKLIT / GLARE | BACKLIT / GLARE | SIDE LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Best local hours for crisp fuselage illumination: 17:00-18:00. Avoid 08:00-13:00 harsh backlit contrast. |
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. Use the charted tower frequency. A handheld VHF airband scanner (Uniden Bearcat BC125AT) at the fence hears the call as it is made. At 1234 m from 11, 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 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 the latest cycle local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 11. The METAR wind is unavailable. 11 is the long-runway pick because the wind is calm or variable. Closed runways: none listed.
At 08:00 local the sun is at 110° azimuth and 5° elevation. Short final 11 - sunny side scores 67/100, 1234 m from runway 11, view bearing 79.8°, best as a afternoon spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 230° and 24°. Short final 11 - sunny side scores 90/100 on a 79.8° 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.
The best time to plane spot at Xining Caojiabao International Airport (XNN/ZLXN) 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: no listed spot stays fully front-lit. Midday (11:00-14:00) is HIGH SUN / TOP LIGHT at 0 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.
ZLXN spotting locations sun direction: Short final 11 - sunny side (runway 11) is BACKLIT / GLARE in the morning, BACKLIT / GLARE at midday, and SIDE LIGHT in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Best local hours for crisp fuselage illumination: 17:00-18:00. Avoid 08:00-13:00 harsh backlit contrast.
Short final 11 - sunny side is 1234 m from the 11 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.
This airport did not publish tower or ATIS frequencies in the open feed. Use the charted tower and ATIS, and remember online streams lag by 30 seconds or more.
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near unavailable, so 11 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/ZLXN#runway-alerts
Get a Telegram ping when Xining Caojiabao International Airport changes landing or departure runway. One airport or a short list.