Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI / KBWI) Plane Spotting Map & Live Active Runway Predictor
Baltimore, United States of America
Baltimore
BWI/KBWI
Updated Tue 27 Oct, 17:47 local
- Active runway
- 10
- METAR wind
- 110° @ 6 kt
- Best spot
- Short final 10 - sunny side
- Sun
- 250° / 4°
D-ATIS · +6 kt headwind
VFR
Sweet spot
Evening golden hour now, sunset in 26 min
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Best Baltimore (BWI) plane spotting locations by time of day & sun angle
Live weather
VFR110° @ 6 kt
19°C · 10+ sm · 1027 hPa
FEW250
Evening golden hour now, sunset in 26 min
Runway alerts for Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall 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 BWI, 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 10 - sunny side Runway 10 | 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. |
| Climb-out 15R - sunny side Runway 15R | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | SIDE LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 08:00-13:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00. |
Runway winds and thresholds
Land 10 · Dep 15R / 15L
| End | Hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 94° | 10,503 ft | +5.8 kt | 1.6 kt | Landing |
| 28 | 274° | 10,503 ft | -5.8 kt | 1.6 kt | Standby |
| 15R | 144° | 9,501 ft | +5.0 kt | 3.4 kt | Departure |
| 33L | 324° | 9,501 ft | -5.0 kt | 3.4 kt | Standby |
| 15L | 144° | 5,000 ft | +5.0 kt | 3.4 kt | Departure |
| 33R | 324° | 5,000 ft | -5.0 kt | 3.4 kt | Standby |
Recommended camera lenses & ATC radio frequencies for Baltimore (KBWI)
| Facility | MHz | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tower | 119.400 | Published |
| Approach | 119.000 | Published |
| Departure | 126.750 | Published |
| Ground | 121.900 | Published |
| Delivery | 118.050 | Published |
| ATIS | 115.100 | 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 Baltimore (BWI/KBWI)
Which runway is active at Baltimore (BWI/KBWI) right now?
As of Tue 27 Oct, 17:00 local, D-ATIS confirms landing 10, departure 15R+15L. The METAR wind is 110° at 6 kt. 10 shows +5.8 kt headwind and 1.6 kt crosswind from the right. Closed runways: none listed.
Where is the best place to plane spot at Baltimore (BWI) in the morning vs. afternoon?
At 08:00 local the sun is at 111° azimuth and 5° elevation. Short final 10 - sunny side scores 70/100, 1234 m from runway 10, view bearing 64.9°, best as a afternoon spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 231° and 22°. Short final 10 - sunny side scores 93/100 on a 64.9° 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 Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport?
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: Climb-out 15R - sunny side. Afternoon / golden hour (14:00-18:00) front light: Short final 10 - 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 KBWI spotting locations?
KBWI spotting locations sun direction: Short final 10 - sunny side (runway 10) 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. Climb-out 15R - sunny side (runway 15R) 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 08:00-13:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00.
What lens focal length do I need for plane spotting at Baltimore (BWI)?
Short final 10 - sunny side is 1234 m from the 10 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 Baltimore (KBWI)?
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.
How do I know when Baltimore (BWI) switches active runways?
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near 110° at 6 kt, so 10 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