Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA / KDCA) Plane Spotting Map & Live Active Runway Predictor
Washington, United States of America
Reagan National
DCA/KDCA
Updated Tue 27 Oct, 18:17 local
- Active runway
- 01 / 33
- METAR wind
- 110° @ 5 kt
- Best spot
- Short final 01 - sunny side
- Sun
- 255° / -1°
D-ATIS · -2 kt headwind
VFR
Night
Sun below the useful photo window
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Best Reagan National (DCA) plane spotting locations by time of day & sun angle
Live weather
VFR110° @ 5 kt
19°C · 10+ sm · 1027 hPa
FEW250
Sun below the useful photo window
Runway alerts for Ronald Reagan Washington National 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 DCA, 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 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. |
| 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. |
Runway winds and thresholds
Land 01 / 33 · Dep 01 / 33 / 04
| End | Hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | 356° | 7,169 ft | -2.0 kt | 4.6 kt | Both |
| 19 | 176° | 7,169 ft | +2.0 kt | 4.6 kt | Standby |
| 15 | 143° | 5,204 ft | +4.2 kt | 2.7 kt | Standby |
| 33 | 323° | 5,204 ft | -4.2 kt | 2.7 kt | Both |
| 04 | 26° | 5,000 ft | +0.5 kt | 5.0 kt | Departure |
| 22 | 206° | 5,000 ft | -0.5 kt | 5.0 kt | Standby |
Recommended camera lenses & ATC radio frequencies for Reagan National (KDCA)
| Facility | MHz | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tower | 119.100 | Published |
| Tower | 134.350 | Published |
| Approach | 119.850 | Published |
| Approach | 124.200 | Published |
| Departure | 118.950 | Published |
| Ground | 121.700 | Published |
| Delivery | 129.325 | Assigned |
| ATIS | 134.225 | Assigned |
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 Reagan National (DCA/KDCA)
Which runway is active at Reagan National (DCA/KDCA) right now?
As of Tue 27 Oct, 18:00 local, D-ATIS confirms landing 01+33, departure 01+33+04. The METAR wind is 110° at 5 kt. 01 shows -2.0 kt headwind and 4.6 kt crosswind from the right. Closed runways: none listed.
Where is the best place to plane spot at Reagan National (DCA) in the morning vs. afternoon?
At 08:00 local the sun is at 111° 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 230° and 22°. 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.
What is the best time to plane spot at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport?
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.
What is the sun direction at KDCA spotting locations?
KDCA spotting locations sun direction: 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 (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.
What lens focal length do I need for plane spotting at Reagan National (DCA)?
Short final 01 - sunny side is 1234 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.
What ATC radio frequencies should I monitor while spotting at Reagan National (KDCA)?
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.
How do I know when Reagan National (DCA) switches active runways?
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near 110° at 5 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