White Plains, United States of America
Live METAR wind (300° at 6 kt), predicted landing/departure runways (landing and departure 29), hourly sun-angle backlight map, and top photo spots for Westchester County Airport.
As of Mon 26 Oct, 10:00 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 29. The METAR wind is 300° at 6 kt. 29 shows +5.7 kt headwind and 1.9 kt crosswind from the right. Closed runways: 11. Updated Mon 26 Oct, 10:51.
| End | True hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | 150° | 6,549 ft | -5.2 kt | 3.0 kt | Standby |
| 34 | 330° | 6,549 ft | +5.2 kt | 3.0 kt | Standby |
| 11 | 102° | 4,451 ft | -5.7 kt | 1.9 kt | Closed |
| 29 | 282° | 4,451 ft | +5.7 kt | 1.9 kt | Landing + departure |
HPN ATIS INFO Z 1356Z. 31006KT 10SM CLR 12/05 A3027 (THREE ZERO TWO SEVEN). RNAV GPS Y RWY 34 IN USE. LANDING AND DEPARTING 34, 29. NOTAMS. TWY H CLSD. C, F RUN UP PAD CLSD. RWY 11 REIL OTS. +++FOR CPDLC LOGON, USE KUSA+++. CAUTION, BIRDS NEAR AIRPORT. READBACK ALL RWY HOLD SHORT INSTRUCTIONS. ...ADVS YOU HAVE INFO Z.
METAR KHPN 261356Z 30006KT 10SM CLR 12/05 A3027 RMK AO2 SLP252 T01170050
Live weather
VFR300° @ 6 kt
12°C · 10+ SM · 1025 hPa
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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 29 - sunny side
Calculated perimeter
Score 92/100
Short final 29 - sunny side sits 1234 m from the 29 centerline. Looking toward the aircraft the bearing is 311.3°. That view is front-lit in the morning (best 09:00–10:00 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 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 Westchester County Airport (HPN / KHPN): sun direction for every spotting location, scored from latitude 41.067, longitude -73.708, 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 29 - sunny side Runway 29 | 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. |
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 118.575 MHz. D-ATIS is 133.8 MHz. A handheld VHF airband scanner (Uniden Bearcat BC125AT) at the fence hears the call as it is made. At 1234 m from 29, 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, 10:00 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 29. The METAR wind is 300° at 6 kt. 29 shows +5.7 kt headwind and 1.9 kt crosswind from the right. Closed runways: 11.
At 08:00 local the sun is at 113° azimuth and 7° elevation. Short final 29 - sunny side scores 92/100, 1234 m from runway 29, view bearing 311.3°, best as a morning spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 233° and 19°. Short final 29 - sunny side scores 77/100 on a 311.3° 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 Westchester County Airport (HPN/KHPN) is the window marked CLEAN FRONT LIGHT for the fence you are using. Morning (07:00-11:00) front light: Short final 29 - sunny side. 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 1 spotting locations. Read the Best Time of Day & Lighting Schedule by Spot table for the lens and the hours to avoid harsh backlit contrast.
KHPN spotting locations sun direction: Short final 29 - sunny side (runway 29) 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.
Short final 29 - sunny side is 1234 m from the 29 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 118.575 MHz, Ground 121.825 MHz, Approach 120.8 MHz, ATIS 133.8 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 118.575 MHz.
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near 300° at 6 kt, so 29 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/KHPN#runway-alerts
Get a Telegram ping when Westchester County Airport changes landing or departure runway. One airport or a short list.