John Wayne Orange County International Airport (SNA / KSNA) Plane Spotting Map & Live Active Runway Predictor
Santa Ana, United States of America
John Wayne Orange County
SNA/KSNA
Updated Tue 27 Oct, 14:54 local
- Active runway
- 20R / 20L
- METAR wind
- 210° @ 10 kt
- Best spot
- Short final 20R - sunny side
- Sun
- 221° / 33°
D-ATIS · +10 kt headwind
VFR
Side-lit
Golden hour in 2h 37m
Side-litWant a Telegram ping when KSNA flips runways? Subscribe for $3/mo
Best John Wayne Orange County (SNA) plane spotting locations by time of day & sun angle
Live weather
VFR210° @ 10 kt
23°C · 10+ sm · 1014 hPa
FEW030
Golden hour in 2h 37m
Runway alerts for John Wayne Orange County 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 SNA, 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 20R - sunny side Runway 20R | SIDE LIGHT | BACKLIT / GLARE | SIDE LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Best local hours for crisp fuselage illumination: 10:00. Avoid 11:00-15:00 harsh backlit contrast. |
| Short final 20L - sunny side Runway 20L | SIDE LIGHT | SIDE LIGHT | BACKLIT / GLARE | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Best local hours for crisp fuselage illumination: 08:00-09:00. Avoid 14:00-18:00 harsh backlit contrast. |
Runway winds and thresholds
Land 20R / 20L · Dep 20R / 20L
| End | Hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 02L | 28° | 5,700 ft | -10.0 kt | 0.3 kt | Standby |
| 20R | 208° | 5,700 ft | +10.0 kt | 0.3 kt | Both |
| 02R | 28° | 2,886 ft | -10.0 kt | 0.3 kt | Standby |
| 20L | 208° | 2,886 ft | +10.0 kt | 0.3 kt | Both |
Recommended camera lenses & ATC radio frequencies for John Wayne Orange County (KSNA)
| Facility | MHz | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tower | 119.900 | Published |
| Tower | 126.800 | Published |
| Approach | 121.300 | Published |
| Departure | 128.100 | Published |
| Ground | 120.800 | Published |
| Ground | 132.250 | Published |
| Delivery | 118.000 | Published |
| ATIS | 126.000 | 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 John Wayne Orange County (SNA/KSNA)
Which runway is active at John Wayne Orange County (SNA/KSNA) right now?
As of Tue 27 Oct, 14:00 local, D-ATIS confirms landing and departure 20R+20L. The METAR wind is 210° at 10 kt. 20R shows +10.0 kt headwind and 0.3 kt crosswind from the right. Closed runways: none listed.
Where is the best place to plane spot at John Wayne Orange County (SNA) in the morning vs. afternoon?
At 08:00 local the sun is at 113° azimuth and 10° elevation. Short final 20L - sunny side scores 85/100, 1234 m from runway 20L, view bearing 237.3°, best as a morning spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 235° and 23°. Short final 20R - sunny side scores 72/100 on a 178.8° 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 John Wayne Orange County International Airport?
The best time to plane spot at John Wayne Orange County International Airport (SNA/KSNA) 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 2 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 KSNA spotting locations?
KSNA spotting locations sun direction: Short final 20R - sunny side (runway 20R) is SIDE LIGHT 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: 10:00. Avoid 11:00-15:00 harsh backlit contrast. Short final 20L - sunny side (runway 20L) is SIDE LIGHT in the morning, SIDE LIGHT at midday, and BACKLIT / GLARE in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Best local hours for crisp fuselage illumination: 08:00-09:00. Avoid 14:00-18:00 harsh backlit contrast.
What lens focal length do I need for plane spotting at John Wayne Orange County (SNA)?
Short final 20R - sunny side is 1234 m from the 20R 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 John Wayne Orange County (KSNA)?
Monitor Tower 119.9 MHz, Ground 120.8 MHz, Approach 121.3 MHz, ATIS 126.0 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 119.9 MHz.
How do I know when John Wayne Orange County (SNA) switches active runways?
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near 210° at 10 kt, so 20R 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/KSNA#runway-alerts