Nashville International Airport (BNA / KBNA) Plane Spotting Map & Live Active Runway Predictor
Nashville, United States of America
Nashville
BNA/KBNA
Updated Tue 27 Oct, 16:47 local
- Active runway
- 31
- METAR wind
- VRB @ 5 kt
- Best spot
- Short final 31 - sunny side
- Sun
- 244° / 12°
D-ATIS · +0 kt headwind
VFR
Side-lit
Golden hour in 35m
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Best Nashville (BNA) plane spotting locations by time of day & sun angle
Live weather
VFRVRB @ 5 kt
23°C · 10+ sm · 1024 hPa
SCT250
Golden hour in 35m
Runway alerts for Nashville 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 BNA, 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 31 - sunny side Runway 31 | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | SIDE LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 08:00-15:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00. |
| Climb-out 20R - sunny side Runway 20R | SIDE LIGHT | SIDE LIGHT | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 14:00-18:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00. |
Runway winds and thresholds
Land 31 · Dep 20R
| End | Hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | 133° | 11,030 ft | +0.0 kt | 0.0 kt | Closed |
| 31 | 313° | 11,030 ft | +0.0 kt | 0.0 kt | Landing |
| 02C | 18° | 8,001 ft | +0.0 kt | 0.0 kt | Standby |
| 20C | 198° | 8,001 ft | +0.0 kt | 0.0 kt | Standby |
| 02R | 18° | 8,001 ft | +0.0 kt | 0.0 kt | Standby |
| 20L | 198° | 8,001 ft | +0.0 kt | 0.0 kt | Closed |
| 02L | 18° | 7,704 ft | +0.0 kt | 0.0 kt | Standby |
| 20R | 198° | 7,704 ft | +0.0 kt | 0.0 kt | Departure |
Recommended camera lenses & ATC radio frequencies for Nashville (KBNA)
| Facility | MHz | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tower | 118.600 | Published |
| Approach | 120.600 | Published |
| Departure | 118.400 | Published |
| Ground | 121.900 | Published |
| Delivery | 126.050 | Published |
| ATIS | 135.100 | 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 Nashville (BNA/KBNA)
Which runway is active at Nashville (BNA/KBNA) right now?
As of Tue 27 Oct, 16:00 local, D-ATIS confirms landing 31, departure 20R. The METAR wind is variable at 5 kt. 31 is the long-runway pick because the wind is calm or variable. Closed runways: 13, 20L.
Where is the best place to plane spot at Nashville (BNA) in the morning vs. afternoon?
At 08:00 local the sun is at 114° azimuth and 10° elevation. Short final 31 - sunny side scores 94/100, 1233 m from runway 31, view bearing 284.1°, best as a morning spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 235° and 21°. Short final 31 - sunny side scores 82/100 on a 342.6° 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 Nashville International Airport?
The best time to plane spot at Nashville International Airport (BNA/KBNA) is the window marked CLEAN FRONT LIGHT for the fence you are using. Morning (07:00-11:00) front light: Short final 31 - sunny side. Afternoon / golden hour (14:00-18:00) front light: Climb-out 20R - 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 KBNA spotting locations?
KBNA spotting locations sun direction: Short final 31 - sunny side (runway 31) is CLEAN FRONT LIGHT in the morning, CLEAN FRONT LIGHT at midday, and SIDE LIGHT in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 08:00-15:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00. Climb-out 20R - sunny side (runway 20R) 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. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00.
What lens focal length do I need for plane spotting at Nashville (BNA)?
Short final 31 - sunny side is 1234 m from the 31 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 Nashville (KBNA)?
Monitor Tower 118.6 MHz, Ground 121.9 MHz, Approach 120.6 MHz, ATIS 135.1 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 118.6 MHz.
How do I know when Nashville (BNA) switches active runways?
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near variable at 5 kt, so 31 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/KBNA#runway-alerts