Washington, United States of America
Live METAR wind (270° at 6 kt), predicted landing/departure runways (landing 01+33, departure 01+33+04), hourly sun-angle backlight map, and top photo spots for Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
As of Mon 26 Oct, 18:00 local, D-ATIS confirms landing 01+33, departure 01+33+04. The METAR wind is 270° at 6 kt. 01 shows +0.4 kt headwind and 6.0 kt crosswind from the left. Closed runways: none listed. Updated Mon 26 Oct, 18:11.
| End | True hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | 356° | 7,169 ft | +0.4 kt | 6.0 kt | Landing + departure |
| 19 | 176° | 7,169 ft | -0.4 kt | 6.0 kt | Standby |
| 15 | 143° | 5,204 ft | -3.6 kt | 4.8 kt | Standby |
| 33 | 323° | 5,204 ft | +3.6 kt | 4.8 kt | Landing + departure |
| 04 | 26° | 5,000 ft | -2.6 kt | 5.4 kt | Departure |
| 22 | 206° | 5,000 ft | +2.6 kt | 5.4 kt | Standby |
DCA ATIS INFO O 2152Z. 28006KT 10SM FEW250 21/06 A3021 (THREE ZERO TWO ONE) RMK AO2 SLP231 T02110061. ARRIVALS EXPECT CVFP MTV 1. LNDG RWYS 1, 33, DEPG RWYS 1, 33, 4. MULTIPLE APPROACHES IN EFFECT. NOTICE TO AIRMEN. NUMEROUS CRANES IN VICINITY OF AIRPORT. BIRD ACTIVITY. READBACK ALTITUDE ASSIGNMENTS. DEPARTURES TURN ON TRANSPONDERS BEFORE TAXI. READBACK ALL RWY ASSIGNMENTS AND HOLD SHORT INSTRUCTIONS. DO NOT ENTER PROHIBITED AIRSPACE N OF ARPT. USE CAUTION METAL PLATE AT TAXIWAY GOLF AND TAXIWAY JULIET. ...ADVS YOU HAVE INFO O.
METAR KDCA 262152Z 27006KT 10SM FEW250 21/06 A3021 RMK AO2 SLP231 T02110061
Live weather
VFR270° @ 6 kt
21°C · 10+ SM · 1023 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 33 - sunny side
Calculated perimeter
Score 67/100
Short final 33 - sunny side sits 895 m from the 01 centerline. Looking toward the aircraft the bearing is 352.0°. 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: Night / Low light
Google Maps navigationShort final 01 - sunny side
Calculated perimeter
Score 66/100
Short final 01 - sunny side sits 1216 m from the 04 centerline. Looking toward the aircraft the bearing is 25.2°. That view is front-lit in the afternoon (best 14:00–15:00 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: Night / Low 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 Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA / KDCA): sun direction for every spotting location, scored from latitude 38.852, longitude -77.038, 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 33 - sunny side Runway 33 | 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. |
Short final 01 - sunny side Runway 01 | SIDE LIGHT | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 12:00-18:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00. |
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 119.1 MHz. A handheld VHF airband scanner (Uniden Bearcat BC125AT) at the fence hears the call as it is made. At 895 m from 01, 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, 18:00 local, D-ATIS confirms landing 01+33, departure 01+33+04. The METAR wind is 270° at 6 kt. 01 shows +0.4 kt headwind and 6.0 kt crosswind from the left. Closed runways: none listed.
At 08:00 local the sun is at 110° azimuth and 5° elevation. Short final 33 - sunny side scores 95/100, 1233 m from runway 33, view bearing 293.5°, best as a morning spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 231° and 23°. Short final 01 - sunny side scores 91/100 on a 25.2° 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 Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA/KDCA) 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 01 - 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.
KDCA spotting locations sun direction: Short final 33 - sunny side (runway 33) 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. Short final 01 - sunny side (runway 01) is SIDE LIGHT in the morning, CLEAN FRONT LIGHT at midday, and CLEAN FRONT LIGHT in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 12:00-18:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00.
Short final 33 - sunny side is 895 m from the 01 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 119.1 MHz, Ground 121.7 MHz, Approach 119.85 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 119.1 MHz.
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near 270° at 6 kt, so 01 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/KDCA#runway-alerts
Get a Telegram ping when Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport changes landing or departure runway. One airport or a short list.