Spotter

Atlantic City International Airport (ACY / KACY) Plane Spotting Map & Live Active Runway Predictor

Atlantic City, United States of America

Atlantic City

ACY/KACY

Updated Tue 27 Oct, 19:42 local

Active runway
13

Wind vector · +0 kt headwind

METAR wind
CALM

VFR

Best spot
Short final 13 - sunny side

Night

Sun
269° / -20°

Sun below the useful photo window

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Best Atlantic City (ACY) plane spotting locations by time of day & sun angle

Live weather

VFR

CALM

12°C · 10+ sm · 1028 hPa

CLR

Tue 27 Oct, 19:42 localAz 269° · El -20°Night

Sun below the useful photo window

+0h

Runway alerts for Atlantic City International Airport

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Spotting guideRunway windsATC frequencies

Lighting schedule

Morning 07:00-11:00, midday 11:00-14:00, afternoon 14:00-18:00 at ACY, scored from each spot's view bearing.

Spotting LocationMorning (07:00-11:00)Midday (11:00-14:00)Afternoon / Golden Hour (14:00-18:00)JetPhotos / Camera Note
Short final 13 - sunny side

Runway 13

BACKLIT / GLARESIDE LIGHTCLEAN FRONT LIGHTRecommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 15:00-18:00 local. Avoid 08:00-10:00 harsh backlit contrast.
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Frequently asked questions about plane spotting at Atlantic City (ACY/KACY)

Which runway is active at Atlantic City (ACY/KACY) right now?

As of Tue 27 Oct, 19:00 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 13. The METAR wind is calm. 13 is the long-runway pick because the wind is calm or variable. Closed runways: none listed.

Where is the best place to plane spot at Atlantic City (ACY) in the morning vs. afternoon?

At 08:00 local the sun is at 112° azimuth and 6° elevation. Short final 13 - sunny side scores 68/100, 1234 m from runway 13, view bearing 147.3°, best as a afternoon spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 232° and 20°. Short final 13 - sunny side scores 89/100 on a 88.8° 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 Atlantic City International Airport?

The best time to plane spot at Atlantic City International Airport (ACY/KACY) 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 13 - sunny side. 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 KACY spotting locations?

KACY spotting locations sun direction: Short final 13 - sunny side (runway 13) is BACKLIT / GLARE in the morning, SIDE LIGHT at midday, and CLEAN FRONT LIGHT in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 15:00-18:00 local. Avoid 08:00-10:00 harsh backlit contrast.

What lens focal length do I need for plane spotting at Atlantic City (ACY)?

Short final 13 - sunny side is 1234 m from the 13 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 Atlantic City (KACY)?

Monitor Tower 120.3 MHz, Ground 121.9 MHz, ATIS 108.6 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 120.3 MHz.

How do I know when Atlantic City (ACY) switches active runways?

No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near calm, so 13 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/KACY#runway-alerts