New York, United States of America
Live METAR wind (270° at 10 kt), predicted landing/departure runways (landing and departure 31R), hourly sun-angle backlight map, and top photo spots for John F. Kennedy International Airport.
As of Mon 26 Oct, 08:00 local, D-ATIS confirms landing and departure 31R. The METAR wind is 270° at 10 kt. 31R shows +8.6 kt headwind and 5.2 kt crosswind from the left. Closed runways: 04R, 22L, 04L, 22R, 31L. Updated Mon 26 Oct, 08:46.
| End | True hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13R | 121° | 14,511 ft | -8.6 kt | 5.2 kt | Standby |
| 31L | 301° | 14,511 ft | +8.6 kt | 5.2 kt | Closed |
| 04L | 31° | 12,079 ft | -5.2 kt | 8.6 kt | Closed |
| 22R | 211° | 12,079 ft | +5.2 kt | 8.6 kt | Closed |
| 13L | 121° | 10,000 ft | -8.6 kt | 5.2 kt | Standby |
| 31R | 301° | 10,000 ft | +8.6 kt | 5.2 kt | Landing + departure |
| 04R | 31° | 8,400 ft | -5.1 kt | 8.6 kt | Closed |
| 22L | 211° | 8,400 ft | +5.1 kt | 8.6 kt | Closed |
JFK ATIS INFO N 1151Z. 28010KT 10SM FEW170 11/06 A3031 (THREE ZERO THREE ONE). APPROACH IN USE ILS RY 31R, VISUAL APCH RY 31L. DEPG RY 31L. RWY 4R, 22L CLSD, RWY 4L, 22R CLSD. RY 31L PAPI OTS, RUNWAY 4R THRESHOLD LIGHTS OTS. NUM CRANES OPERATING AT JFK. BIRD ACTIVITY VICINITY ARPT. READBACK ALL RWY ASSIGNMENTS AND HOLD SHORT INSTRUCTIONS. ...ADVS YOU HAVE INFO N.
METAR KJFK 261151Z 27010KT 10SM FEW170 11/06 A3031 RMK AO2 SLP264 T01060056 10106 20089 55009 $
Live weather
VFR270° @ 10 kt
11°C · 10+ SM · 1027 hPa
FEW170
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.
Rockaway 31L approach
Landmark
Score 67/100
Rockaway 31L approach sits 1168 m from the 04R centerline. Looking toward the aircraft the bearing is 8.9°. That view is front-lit around midday (best 13:00 local) with a 150-600mm lens.
Southeast of the 31L threshold on the Rockaway side. Wind off the bay, no airport fence if you hold the shore.
Now: Side light
Google Maps navigationBayswater Point State Park
Landmark
Score 34/100
Bayswater Point State Park sits 1426 m from the 04R centerline. Looking toward the aircraft the bearing is 29.2°. That view is front-lit in the afternoon (best 14:00–15:00 local) with a 150-600mm lens.
Jamaica Bay shoreline south of the 4s. Open water background, bring a longer lens in haze.
Now: Side light
Google Maps navigationBergen Basin
Landmark
Score 13/100
Bergen Basin sits 1338 m from the 13R centerline. Looking toward the aircraft the bearing is 109.6°. That view is front-lit in the afternoon (best 17:00 local) with a 150-600mm lens.
Northwest industrial streets. Stay on the public side of the cargo fence.
Now: Backlit
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.
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. 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 1168 m from 04R, 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, 08:00 local, D-ATIS confirms landing and departure 31R. The METAR wind is 270° at 10 kt. 31R shows +8.6 kt headwind and 5.2 kt crosswind from the left. Closed runways: 04R, 22L, 04L, 22R, 31L.
At 08:00 local the sun is at 113° azimuth and 7° elevation. Rockaway 31L approach scores 66/100, 1168 m from runway 04R, view bearing 8.9°, best as a midday spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 233° and 20°. Rockaway 31L approach scores 72/100 on a 8.9° 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.
Rockaway 31L approach is 1168 m from the 04R 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 1900 m from this pin on a 700 m final.
Monitor Tower 119.1 MHz, Ground 121.65 MHz, Approach 125.7 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 119.1 MHz.
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near 270° at 10 kt, so 31R 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/KJFK#runway-alerts
Get a Telegram ping when John F. Kennedy International Airport changes landing or departure runway. One airport or a short list.