Orlando, United States of America
Live METAR wind (70° at 19 kt), predicted landing/departure runways (landing and departure 35R), hourly sun-angle backlight map, and top photo spots for Orlando International Airport.
As of Mon 26 Oct, 15:00 local, D-ATIS confirms landing and departure 35R. The METAR wind is 70° at 19 kt. 35R shows +6.3 kt headwind and 17.9 kt crosswind from the right. Closed runways: 18R, 36L. Updated Mon 26 Oct, 15:29.
| End | True hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18L | 179° | 12,005 ft | -6.2 kt | 18.0 kt | Standby |
| 36R | 359° | 12,005 ft | +6.2 kt | 18.0 kt | Standby |
| 18R | 179° | 12,004 ft | -6.2 kt | 18.0 kt | Closed |
| 36L | 359° | 12,004 ft | +6.2 kt | 18.0 kt | Closed |
| 17R | 179° | 10,000 ft | -6.2 kt | 18.0 kt | Standby |
| 35L | 359° | 10,000 ft | +6.2 kt | 18.0 kt | Standby |
| 17L | 180° | 9,001 ft | -6.3 kt | 17.9 kt | Standby |
| 35R | 360° | 9,001 ft | +6.3 kt | 17.9 kt | Landing + departure |
MCO ARR INFO Y 1853Z. 07019G29KT 10SM SCT040 SCT060 28/17 A3005 (THREE ZERO ZERO FIVE). SIMULTANEOUS APPCHS, ILS RWY 35R, 36R, RNAV RNP APCH RWY 35R. NOTICE TO AIRMEN. RWY 18R, 36L CLSD UFN. E1 CLSD BTWN, F AND, B11 B1 CLSD BTWN, A AND, Z B2 CLSD BETWEEN, A AND Z, TWY A NORTH OF B2 CLSD. UFN. ALL ACFT CTC GROUND CONTROL ON 121.8. HAZS WX INFO FOR MCO AREA AVBL ON FLT SVC FREQ. INCREASED BIRD ACTIVITY IN THE VCNTY OF THE ARPT. ...ADVS YOU HAVE INFO Y.
METAR KMCO 261853Z 07019G29KT 10SM SCT040 SCT060 28/17 A3005
Live weather
VFR70° @ 19 kt G29
28°C · 10+ SM · 1018 hPa
SCT040 SCT060
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 35R - sunny side
Calculated perimeter
Score 94/100
Short final 35R - sunny side sits 1032 m from the 35L centerline. Looking toward the aircraft the bearing is 28.7°. That view is front-lit in the afternoon (best 14:00–15:00 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 Orlando International Airport (MCO / KMCO): sun direction for every spotting location, scored from latitude 28.429, longitude -81.309, 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 35R - sunny side Runway 35R | SIDE LIGHT | SIDE LIGHT | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 13:00-18:00 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 118.45 MHz. D-ATIS is 121.25 MHz. A handheld VHF airband scanner (Uniden Bearcat BC125AT) at the fence hears the call as it is made. At 1032 m from 35L, 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, 15:00 local, D-ATIS confirms landing and departure 35R. The METAR wind is 70° at 19 kt. 35R shows +6.3 kt headwind and 17.9 kt crosswind from the right. Closed runways: 18R, 36L.
At 08:00 local the sun is at 107° azimuth and 5° elevation. Short final 35R - sunny side scores 88/100, 1234 m from runway 35R, view bearing 330.3°, best as a morning spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 231° and 32°. Short final 35R - sunny side scores 92/100 on a 28.7° 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 Orlando International Airport (MCO/KMCO) 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 35R - sunny side. 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.
KMCO spotting locations sun direction: Short final 35R - sunny side (runway 35R) is SIDE LIGHT in the morning, SIDE LIGHT at midday, and CLEAN FRONT LIGHT in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 13:00-18:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00.
Short final 35R - sunny side is 1032 m from the 35L 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 118.45 MHz, Ground 121.8 MHz, ATIS 121.25 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 118.45 MHz.
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near 70° at 19 kt, so 35R 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/KMCO#runway-alerts
Get a Telegram ping when Orlando International Airport changes landing or departure runway. One airport or a short list.