Spotter

New Orleans, United States of America

Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) Plane Spotting Guide

Best place to watch planes land at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport: 2 spotting locations at KMSY, with coordinates, view bearing, fence notes, focal length, and the sun schedule. Updated Tue 27 Oct, 05:23 local.

Spotting locations at KMSY

The Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) plane spotting guide. Focal length badges are 70-200mm inside 250 m, 100-400mm from 250 m to 450 m, and 150-600mm beyond 450 m, unless a landmark keeps the lens spotters use on site, including 50-200mm at airside gates. Click a location to open the live map centered on that spot.

  1. Short final 11 - sunny side

    Calculated perimeter

    150-600mm
    Coordinates 30.00199, -90.29288
    View bearing 135.2°
    1234 m to 11
    Best sun: afternoon 17:00–18:00

    Elevation and fence notes. Field elevation 4 ft. 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.

    Open this spot on the live map
  2. Short final 02 - sunny side

    Calculated perimeter

    150-600mm
    Coordinates 29.97343, -90.25182
    View bearing 345.8°
    1234 m to 02
    Best sun: midday 12:00

    Elevation and fence notes. Field elevation 4 ft. 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.

    Open this spot on the live map

Lighting schedule by spot

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. The JetPhotos camera note names the lens and the hours to keep or avoid.

Spotting LocationMorning (07:00-11:00)Midday (11:00-14:00)Afternoon / Golden Hour (14:00-18:00)JetPhotos / Camera Note
Short final 11 - sunny side

Runway 11

BACKLIT / GLAREBACKLIT / GLARESIDE LIGHTRecommended focal length 150-600mm. Best local hours for crisp fuselage illumination: 17:00-18:00. Avoid 08:00-13:00 harsh backlit contrast.
Short final 02 - sunny side

Runway 02

CLEAN FRONT LIGHTCLEAN FRONT LIGHTSIDE LIGHTRecommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 09:00-15:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00.

Questions

What is the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) plane spotting guide?

The Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) plane spotting guide lists 2 locations at KMSY, with coordinates, view bearing, elevation and fence notes, and a focal length badge (50-200mm, 70-200mm, 100-400mm, or 150-600mm). Start with Short final 11 - sunny side at 30.00199, -90.29288, view bearing 135.2°, lens 150-600mm. Listed spots include Short final 11 - sunny side, Short final 02 - sunny side. Each location links to https://planespottingmap.com/airport/KMSY?spot=short-final-11-sunny-side so the interactive map centers on that pin. The lighting table covers morning (07:00-11:00), midday (11:00-14:00), and afternoon / golden hour (14:00-18:00).

What is the best place to watch planes land at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport?

The best place to watch planes land at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport depends on the active runway and where the sun sits. The top-ranked spot right now is Short final 11 - sunny side, 1234 m from runway 11, view bearing 135.2°, best in the afternoon (17:00–18:00 local) with a 150-600mm lens. Open it on the map: https://planespottingmap.com/airport/KMSY?spot=short-final-11-sunny-side CLEAN FRONT LIGHT in the schedule is the hour band that puts the sun behind the camera.