Spotter

Seattle, United States of America

Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (SEA) Plane Spotting Guide

Best place to watch planes land at Seattle–Tacoma International Airport: 2 spotting locations at KSEA, with coordinates, view bearing, fence notes, focal length, and the sun schedule. Updated Tue 27 Oct, 03:17 local.

Spotting locations at KSEA

The Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (SEA) 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 16R - sunny side

    Calculated perimeter

    150-600mm
    Coordinates 47.47459, -122.32173
    View bearing 150.7°
    1234 m to 16R
    Best sun: afternoon 17:00

    Elevation and fence notes. Field elevation 433 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. Climb-out 16L - sunny side

    Calculated perimeter

    150-600mm
    Coordinates 47.42041, -122.30428
    View bearing 349.4°
    1234 m to 34R
    Best sun: midday 12:00–13:00

    Elevation and fence notes. Field elevation 433 ft. Calculated public-side point about 1.2 km beyond the far end of the departure runway, offset 280 m to the sunny side of the climb.

    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 16R - sunny side

Runway 16R

BACKLIT / GLAREBACKLIT / GLARESIDE LIGHTRecommended focal length 150-600mm. Best local hours for crisp fuselage illumination: 17:00. Avoid 09:00-14:00 harsh backlit contrast.
Climb-out 16L - sunny side

Runway 16L

CLEAN FRONT LIGHTCLEAN FRONT LIGHTSIDE LIGHTRecommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 09:00-16:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00.

Questions

What is the Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (SEA) plane spotting guide?

The Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (SEA) plane spotting guide lists 2 locations at KSEA, 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 16R - sunny side at 47.47459, -122.32173, view bearing 150.7°, lens 150-600mm. Listed spots include Short final 16R - sunny side, Climb-out 16L - sunny side. Each location links to https://planespottingmap.com/airport/KSEA?spot=short-final-16r-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 Seattle–Tacoma International Airport?

The best place to watch planes land at Seattle–Tacoma International Airport depends on the active runway and where the sun sits. The top-ranked spot right now is Short final 16R - sunny side, 1234 m from runway 16R, view bearing 150.7°, best in the afternoon (17:00 local) with a 150-600mm lens. Open it on the map: https://planespottingmap.com/airport/KSEA?spot=short-final-16r-sunny-side CLEAN FRONT LIGHT in the schedule is the hour band that puts the sun behind the camera.