London Stansted Airport (STN / EGSS) Plane Spotting Map & Live Active Runway Predictor
London, Essex, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Stansted
STN/EGSS
Updated Tue 27 Oct, 09:58 local
- Active runway
- 22
- METAR wind
- 230° @ 11 kt
- Best spot
- Short final 22 - sunny side
- Sun
- 152° / 22°
Wind vector · +11 kt headwind
VFR
Side-lit
Golden hour in 5h 56m
Side-litWant a Telegram ping when EGSS flips runways? Subscribe for $3/mo
Best Stansted (STN) plane spotting locations by time of day & sun angle
Live weather
VFR230° @ 11 kt
13°C · 10+ km · 1008 hPa
NCD
Golden hour in 5h 56m
Runway alerts for London Stansted 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 STN, 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 22 - sunny side Runway 22 | SIDE LIGHT | SIDE LIGHT | BACKLIT / GLARE | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Best local hours for crisp fuselage illumination: 08:00. Avoid 14:00-17:00 harsh backlit contrast. |
Runway winds and thresholds
Land 22 · Dep 22
| End | Hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 04 | 44° | 10,003 ft | -10.9 kt | 1.1 kt | Standby |
| 22 | 224° | 10,003 ft | +10.9 kt | 1.1 kt | Both |
Recommended camera lenses & ATC radio frequencies for Stansted (EGSS)
| Facility | MHz | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tower | 123.800 | Published |
| Approach | 120.625 | Published |
| Departure | 126.800 | Assigned |
| Ground | 121.725 | Published |
| Delivery | 121.950 | Published |
| ATIS | 127.175 | 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 Stansted (STN/EGSS)
Which runway is active at Stansted (STN/EGSS) right now?
As of Tue 27 Oct, 10:00 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 22. The METAR wind is 230° at 11 kt. 22 shows +10.9 kt headwind and 1.1 kt crosswind from the right. Closed runways: none listed.
Where is the best place to plane spot at Stansted (STN) in the morning vs. afternoon?
At 08:00 local the sun is at 125° azimuth and 10° elevation. Short final 22 - sunny side scores 86/100, 1234 m from runway 22, view bearing 253.3°, best as a morning spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 242° and 5°. Short final 22 - sunny side scores 71/100 on a 194.8° 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.
What is the best time to plane spot at London Stansted Airport?
The best time to plane spot at London Stansted Airport (STN/EGSS) 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.
What is the sun direction at EGSS spotting locations?
EGSS spotting locations sun direction: Short final 22 - sunny side (runway 22) is SIDE LIGHT in the morning, SIDE LIGHT at midday, and BACKLIT / GLARE in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Best local hours for crisp fuselage illumination: 08:00. Avoid 14:00-17:00 harsh backlit contrast.
What lens focal length do I need for plane spotting at Stansted (STN)?
Short final 22 - sunny side is 1234 m from the 22 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 Stansted (EGSS)?
Monitor Tower 123.8 MHz, Ground 121.725 MHz, Approach 120.625 MHz, ATIS 127.175 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 123.8 MHz.
How do I know when Stansted (STN) switches active runways?
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near 230° at 11 kt, so 22 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/EGSS#runway-alerts