Baltimore, United States of America
Live METAR wind (250° at 6 kt), predicted landing/departure runways (landing 33L, departure 28+33R), hourly sun-angle backlight map, and top photo spots for Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport.
As of Mon 26 Oct, 11:00 local, D-ATIS confirms landing 33L, departure 28+33R. The METAR wind is 250° at 6 kt. 33L shows +1.6 kt headwind and 5.8 kt crosswind from the left. Closed runways: none listed. Updated Mon 26 Oct, 11:42.
| End | True hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 94° | 10,503 ft | -5.5 kt | 2.5 kt | Standby |
| 28 | 274° | 10,503 ft | +5.5 kt | 2.5 kt | Departure |
| 15R | 144° | 9,501 ft | -1.6 kt | 5.8 kt | Standby |
| 33L | 324° | 9,501 ft | +1.6 kt | 5.8 kt | Landing |
| 15L | 144° | 5,000 ft | -1.6 kt | 5.8 kt | Standby |
| 33R | 324° | 5,000 ft | +1.6 kt | 5.8 kt | Departure |
BWI ATIS INFO W 1454Z. 26006KT 10SM FEW250 17/09 A3034 (THREE ZERO THREE FOUR) RMK AO2 SLP274 T01670089 58009. ARR ACFT EXP VISUAL APCH RWY 33L, RWY 33R. DEPG RWYS 28, 33R. NOTICE TO AIRMEN. BAL DME OTS. TWY U CLSD BTN, P AND T 2 . TWY G CLSD BTN RWY, 28 AND TWY F . . BIRD ACTIVITY VICINITY ARPT. SIMUL APCHS ARE BEING CONDUCTED TO PARL RWYS. ...ADVS YOU HAVE INFO W.
METAR KBWI 261454Z 25006KT 10SM FEW250 17/09 A3034 RMK AO2 SLP274 T01670089 58009
Live weather
VFR250° @ 6 kt
17°C · 10+ SM · 1028 hPa
FEW250
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 33L - sunny side
Calculated perimeter
Score 93/100
Short final 33L - sunny side sits 1234 m from the 33L centerline. Looking toward the aircraft the bearing is 353.5°. That view is front-lit around midday (best 12:00–13:00 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: Frontlit
Google Maps navigationClimb-out 28 - sunny side
Calculated perimeter
Score 27/100
Climb-out 28 - sunny side sits 1234 m from the 10 centerline. Looking toward the aircraft the bearing is 111.2°. That view is front-lit in the afternoon (best 17:00 local) with a 150-600mm lens.
Calculated public-side point about 1.2 km beyond the far end of the departure runway, offset 280 m to the sunny side of the climb.
Now: Side light
Google Maps navigationKnow a public fence, mound, or lens that works for a specific threshold? Send it in. Tips are reviewed before they show on the map.
Best time to plane spot at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI / KBWI): sun direction for every spotting location, scored from latitude 39.175, longitude -76.668, and the America/New_York 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 33L - sunny side Runway 33L | SIDE LIGHT | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | SIDE LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 10:00-16:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00. |
Climb-out 28 - sunny side Runway 28 | BACKLIT / GLARE | SIDE LIGHT | SIDE LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 17:00-18:00 local. Avoid 08:00-12:00 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 119.4 MHz. D-ATIS is 115.1 MHz. A handheld VHF airband scanner (Uniden Bearcat BC125AT) at the fence hears the call as it is made. At 1234 m from 33L, 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, 11:00 local, D-ATIS confirms landing 33L, departure 28+33R. The METAR wind is 250° at 6 kt. 33L shows +1.6 kt headwind and 5.8 kt crosswind from the left. Closed runways: none listed.
At 08:00 local the sun is at 111° azimuth and 5° elevation. Short final 33L - sunny side scores 95/100, 1233 m from runway 33L, view bearing 295.0°, best as a morning spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 231° and 22°. Short final 33L - sunny side scores 85/100 on a 353.5° 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 Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI/KBWI) 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 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.
KBWI spotting locations sun direction: Short final 33L - sunny side (runway 33L) is SIDE LIGHT in the morning, CLEAN FRONT LIGHT at midday, and SIDE LIGHT in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 10:00-16:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00. Climb-out 28 - sunny side (runway 28) is BACKLIT / GLARE in the morning, SIDE LIGHT at midday, and SIDE LIGHT in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 17:00-18:00 local. Avoid 08:00-12:00 harsh backlit contrast.
Short final 33L - sunny side is 1234 m from the 33L 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 119.4 MHz, Ground 121.9 MHz, Approach 119.0 MHz, ATIS 115.1 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 119.4 MHz.
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near 250° at 6 kt, so 33L 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/KBWI#runway-alerts
Get a Telegram ping when Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport changes landing or departure runway. One airport or a short list.