Kansas City, United States of America
Live METAR wind (190° at 5 kt), predicted landing/departure runways (landing and departure 19L), hourly sun-angle backlight map, and top photo spots for Kansas City International Airport.
As of Mon 26 Oct, 14:00 local, D-ATIS confirms landing and departure 19L. The METAR wind is 190° at 5 kt. 19L shows +5.0 kt headwind and 0.3 kt crosswind from the left. Closed runways: none listed. Updated Mon 26 Oct, 14:26.
| End | True hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01L | 13° | 10,801 ft | -5.0 kt | 0.3 kt | Standby |
| 19R | 193° | 10,801 ft | +5.0 kt | 0.3 kt | Standby |
| 09 | 96° | 9,501 ft | -0.3 kt | 5.0 kt | Standby |
| 27 | 276° | 9,501 ft | +0.3 kt | 5.0 kt | Standby |
| 01R | 13° | 9,500 ft | -5.0 kt | 0.3 kt | Standby |
| 19L | 193° | 9,500 ft | +5.0 kt | 0.3 kt | Landing + departure |
MCI ATIS INFO W 1853Z. 19005KT 10SM FEW250 24/11 A3022 (THREE ZERO TWO TWO). ARRIVALS EXPECT VISUAL APCH RWY 19L, 19R. SIMUL APPROACHES IN USE. NOTICE TO AIRMEN. TDWR OTS. TWY D BTN J AND C 9 CLSD TO ACFT WINGSPAN MORE THAN ONE HUNDRED EIGHTEEN FEET. TWY J BTN D AND K CLSD. TWY K BTN J AND F CLSD. RAMP CONTROL OPEN FREQ NORTH 128.975 SOUTH 130.825. ...ADVS YOU HAVE INFO W.
METAR KMCI 261853Z 19005KT 10SM FEW250 24/11 A3022 RMK AO2 SLP225 T02440111 $
Live weather
VFR190° @ 5 kt
24°C · 10+ SM · 1024 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 19L - sunny side
Calculated perimeter
Score 70/100
Short final 19L - sunny side sits 1234 m from the 19L centerline. Looking toward the aircraft the bearing is 163.7°. That view is front-lit in the afternoon (best 18:00 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: Side 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 Kansas City International Airport (MCI / KMCI): sun direction for every spotting location, scored from latitude 39.302, longitude -94.714, and the America/Chicago 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 19L - sunny side Runway 19L | BACKLIT / GLARE | BACKLIT / GLARE | SIDE LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Best local hours for crisp fuselage illumination: 18:00. Avoid 10:00-15:00 harsh backlit contrast. |
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 125.75 MHz. D-ATIS is 126.625 MHz. A handheld VHF airband scanner (Uniden Bearcat BC125AT) at the fence hears the call as it is made. At 1234 m from 19L, 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, 14:00 local, D-ATIS confirms landing and departure 19L. The METAR wind is 190° at 5 kt. 19L shows +5.0 kt headwind and 0.3 kt crosswind from the left. Closed runways: none listed.
At 08:00 local the sun is at 109° azimuth and 3° elevation. Short final 19L - sunny side scores 83/100, 1234 m from runway 19L, view bearing 222.2°, best as a morning spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 228° and 24°. Short final 19L - sunny side scores 74/100 on a 163.7° 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 Kansas City International Airport (MCI/KMCI) 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: 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.
KMCI spotting locations sun direction: Short final 19L - sunny side (runway 19L) is BACKLIT / GLARE in the morning, BACKLIT / GLARE at midday, and SIDE LIGHT in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Best local hours for crisp fuselage illumination: 18:00. Avoid 10:00-15:00 harsh backlit contrast.
Short final 19L - sunny side is 1234 m from the 19L 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 125.75 MHz, Ground 121.65 MHz, Approach 120.95 MHz, ATIS 126.625 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 125.75 MHz.
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near 190° at 5 kt, so 19L 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/KMCI#runway-alerts
Get a Telegram ping when Kansas City International Airport changes landing or departure runway. One airport or a short list.