Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW / KRSW) Plane Spotting Map & Live Active Runway Predictor
Fort Myers, United States of America
Southwest Florida
RSW/KRSW
Updated Tue 27 Oct, 18:41 local
- Active runway
- 06
- METAR wind
- 50° @ 18 kt G24
- Best spot
- Short final 06 - sunny side
- Sun
- 255° / 1°
Wind vector · +18 kt headwind
VFR
Night
Evening golden hour now, sunset in 8 min
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Best Southwest Florida (RSW) plane spotting locations by time of day & sun angle
Live weather
VFR50° @ 18 kt G24
27°C · 10+ sm · 1014 hPa
OVC055
Evening golden hour now, sunset in 8 min
Runway alerts for Southwest Florida 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 RSW, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Short final 06 - sunny side Runway 06 | BACKLIT / GLARE | SIDE LIGHT | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 15:00-18:00 local. Avoid 08:00-10:00 harsh backlit contrast. |
Runway winds and thresholds
Land 06 · Dep 06
| End | Hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 06 | 54° | 12,000 ft | +18.0 kt | 1.3 kt | Both |
| 24 | 234° | 12,000 ft | -18.0 kt | 1.3 kt | Standby |
Recommended camera lenses & ATC radio frequencies for Southwest Florida (KRSW)
| Facility | MHz | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tower | 128.750 | Published |
| Approach | 121.275 | Assigned |
| Departure | 124.425 | Assigned |
| Ground | 121.900 | Published |
| Delivery | 132.075 | Published |
| ATIS | 124.650 | 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 Southwest Florida (RSW/KRSW)
Which runway is active at Southwest Florida (RSW/KRSW) right now?
As of Tue 27 Oct, 18:00 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 06. The METAR wind is 50° at 18 kt. 06 shows +18.0 kt headwind and 1.3 kt crosswind from the left. Closed runways: none listed.
Where is the best place to plane spot at Southwest Florida (RSW) in the morning vs. afternoon?
At 08:00 local the sun is at 107° azimuth and 5° elevation. Short final 06 - sunny side scores 77/100, 1234 m from runway 06, view bearing 24.7°, best as a afternoon spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 231° and 33°. Short final 06 - sunny side scores 91/100 on a 24.7° 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.
What is the best time to plane spot at Southwest Florida International Airport?
The best time to plane spot at Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW/KRSW) 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 06 - 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.
What is the sun direction at KRSW spotting locations?
KRSW spotting locations sun direction: Short final 06 - sunny side (runway 06) is BACKLIT / GLARE in the morning, SIDE LIGHT at midday, and CLEAN FRONT LIGHT in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 15:00-18:00 local. Avoid 08:00-10:00 harsh backlit contrast.
What lens focal length do I need for plane spotting at Southwest Florida (RSW)?
Short final 06 - sunny side is 1233 m from the 06 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.
What ATC radio frequencies should I monitor while spotting at Southwest Florida (KRSW)?
Monitor Tower 128.75 MHz, Ground 121.9 MHz, ATIS 124.65 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 128.75 MHz.
How do I know when Southwest Florida (RSW) switches active runways?
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near 50° at 18 kt, so 06 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/KRSW#runway-alerts