John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK / KJFK) Plane Spotting Map & Live Active Runway Predictor
New York, United States of America
John F. Kennedy
JFK/KJFK
Updated Tue 27 Oct, 17:45 local
- Active runway
- 31R
- METAR wind
- 160° @ 7 kt
- Best spot
- Rockaway 31L approach
- Sun
- 251° / 2°
D-ATIS · -5 kt headwind
VFR
Side-lit
Evening golden hour now, sunset in 15 min
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Best John F. Kennedy (JFK) plane spotting locations by time of day & sun angle
Live weather
VFR160° @ 7 kt
14°C · 10+ sm · 1028 hPa
FEW250
Evening golden hour now, sunset in 15 min
Runway alerts for John F. Kennedy International 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 JFK, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rockaway 31L approach Runway 31L, 31R | SIDE LIGHT | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 11:00-17:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00. |
| Bayswater Point State Park Runway 04R, 04L | 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. |
| Bergen Basin Runway 13L, 13R | BACKLIT / GLARE | SIDE LIGHT | SIDE LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 17:00-18:00 local. Avoid 08:00-11:00 harsh backlit contrast. |
Runway winds and thresholds
Land 31R · Dep 31R
TAF at Tue 27 Oct, 19:00 shifts the wind to 120° at 5 kt, favoring 13R+13L in about 1.2 hours.
| End | Hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13R | 121° | 14,511 ft | +5.4 kt | 4.4 kt | Standby |
| 31L | 301° | 14,511 ft | -5.4 kt | 4.4 kt | Closed |
| 04L | 31° | 12,079 ft | -4.4 kt | 5.4 kt | Closed |
| 22R | 211° | 12,079 ft | +4.4 kt | 5.4 kt | Closed |
| 13L | 121° | 10,000 ft | +5.4 kt | 4.4 kt | Standby |
| 31R | 301° | 10,000 ft | -5.4 kt | 4.4 kt | Both |
| 04R | 31° | 8,400 ft | -4.4 kt | 5.4 kt | Standby |
| 22L | 211° | 8,400 ft | +4.4 kt | 5.4 kt | Standby |
Recommended camera lenses & ATC radio frequencies for John F. Kennedy (KJFK)
| Facility | MHz | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tower | 119.100 | Published |
| Tower | 123.900 | Published |
| Approach | 125.700 | Published |
| Departure | 135.900 | Published |
| Ground | 121.650 | Published |
| Ground | 121.900 | Published |
| Delivery | 135.050 | 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 John F. Kennedy (JFK/KJFK)
Which runway is active at John F. Kennedy (JFK/KJFK) right now?
As of Tue 27 Oct, 17:00 local, D-ATIS confirms landing and departure 31R. The METAR wind is 160° at 7 kt. 31R shows -5.4 kt headwind and 4.4 kt crosswind from the left. Closed runways: 04L, 22R, 31L.
Where is the best place to plane spot at John F. Kennedy (JFK) in the morning vs. afternoon?
At 08:00 local the sun is at 113° azimuth and 6° elevation. Rockaway 31L approach scores 65/100, 1429 m from runway 31L, view bearing 8.9°, best as a midday spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 232° and 19°. Rockaway 31L approach scores 71/100 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.
What is the best time to plane spot at John F. Kennedy International Airport?
The best time to plane spot at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK/KJFK) 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: Rockaway 31L approach, Bayswater Point State Park. Midday (11:00-14:00) is HIGH SUN / TOP LIGHT at 0 of 3 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 KJFK spotting locations?
KJFK spotting locations sun direction: Rockaway 31L approach (runway 31L, 31R) 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 11:00-17:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00. Bayswater Point State Park (runway 04R, 04L) 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. Bergen Basin (runway 13L, 13R) is BACKLIT / GLARE in the morning, SIDE LIGHT at midday, and SIDE LIGHT in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 17:00-18:00 local. Avoid 08:00-11:00 harsh backlit contrast.
What lens focal length do I need for plane spotting at John F. Kennedy (JFK)?
Rockaway 31L approach is 1429 m from the 31L 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.
What ATC radio frequencies should I monitor while spotting at John F. Kennedy (KJFK)?
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.
How do I know when John F. Kennedy (JFK) switches active runways?
TAF at Tue 27 Oct, 19:00 shifts the wind to 120° at 5 kt, favoring 13R+13L in about 1.2 hours. 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