Xiamen, China
Live METAR wind (50° at 12 kt), predicted landing/departure runways (landing and departure 05), hourly sun-angle backlight map, and top photo spots for Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport.
As of Mon 26 Oct, 23:00 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 05. The METAR wind is 50° at 12 kt. 05 shows +12.0 kt headwind and 0.6 kt crosswind from the left. Closed runways: none listed. Updated Mon 26 Oct, 23:42.
| End | True hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 05 | 53° | 11,155 ft | +12.0 kt | 0.6 kt | Landing + departure |
| 23 | 233° | 11,155 ft | -12.0 kt | 0.6 kt | Standby |
METAR ZSAM 261500Z 05006MPS CAVOK 24/19 Q1020 NOSIG
Live weather
VFR50° @ 12 kt
24°C · 10+ km (9999) · 1020 hPa
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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 05 - sunny side
Calculated perimeter
Score 66/100
Short final 05 - sunny side sits 1234 m from the 05 centerline. Looking toward the aircraft the bearing is 82.2°. 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.
Now: Night / Low light
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Best time to plane spot at Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport (XMN / ZSAM): sun direction for every spotting location, scored from latitude 24.544, longitude 118.127, 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 05 - sunny side Runway 05 | BACKLIT / GLARE | HIGH SUN / TOP LIGHT | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 14:00-18:00 local. Avoid 07:00-09:00 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. Tower is 118.25 MHz. D-ATIS is 126.25 MHz. A handheld VHF airband scanner (Uniden Bearcat BC125AT) at the fence hears the call as it is made. At 1234 m from 05, 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 Mon 26 Oct, 23:00 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 05. The METAR wind is 50° at 12 kt. 05 shows +12.0 kt headwind and 0.6 kt crosswind from the left. Closed runways: none listed.
At 08:00 local the sun is at 116° azimuth and 23° elevation. Short final 05 - sunny side scores 79/100, 1234 m from runway 05, view bearing 23.7°, best as a afternoon spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 246° and 19°. Short final 05 - sunny side scores 93/100 on a 82.2° 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.
The best time to plane spot at Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport (XMN/ZSAM) 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 05 - sunny side. 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.
ZSAM spotting locations sun direction: Short final 05 - sunny side (runway 05) is BACKLIT / GLARE in the morning, HIGH SUN / TOP LIGHT at midday, and CLEAN FRONT LIGHT in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 14:00-18:00 local. Avoid 07:00-09:00 harsh backlit contrast.
Short final 05 - sunny side is 1234 m from the 05 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.
Monitor Tower 118.25 MHz, Ground 121.7 MHz, Approach 121.35 MHz, ATIS 126.25 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 118.25 MHz.
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near 50° at 12 kt, so 05 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/ZSAM#runway-alerts
Get a Telegram ping when Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport changes landing or departure runway. One airport or a short list.