McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS / KTYS) Plane Spotting Map & Live Active Runway Predictor
Knoxville/Maryville, United States of America
McGhee Tyson
TYS/KTYS
Updated Tue 27 Oct, 18:34 local
- Active runway
- 05L / 05R
- METAR wind
- CALM
- Best spot
- Short final 05L - sunny side
- Sun
- 253° / 2°
Wind vector · +0 kt headwind
VFR
Sweet spot
Evening golden hour now, sunset in 13 min
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Best McGhee Tyson (TYS) plane spotting locations by time of day & sun angle
Live weather
VFRCALM
23°C · 10+ sm · 1024 hPa
BKN250
Evening golden hour now, sunset in 13 min
Runway alerts for McGhee Tyson 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 TYS, 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 05L - sunny side Runway 05L | SIDE LIGHT | SIDE LIGHT | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 15:00-18:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00. |
| Short final 05R - sunny side Runway 05R | SIDE LIGHT | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 12:00-18:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00. |
Runway winds and thresholds
Land 05L / 05R · Dep 05L / 05R
| End | Hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 05L | 45° | 10,000 ft | +0.0 kt | 0.0 kt | Both |
| 23R | 225° | 10,000 ft | +0.0 kt | 0.0 kt | Standby |
| 05R | 45° | 9,000 ft | +0.0 kt | 0.0 kt | Both |
| 23L | 225° | 9,000 ft | +0.0 kt | 0.0 kt | Standby |
Recommended camera lenses & ATC radio frequencies for McGhee Tyson (KTYS)
| Facility | MHz | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tower | 121.200 | Published |
| Approach | 120.475 | Assigned |
| Departure | 126.925 | Assigned |
| Ground | 121.900 | Published |
| Delivery | 121.650 | Published |
| ATIS | 128.350 | 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 McGhee Tyson (TYS/KTYS)
Which runway is active at McGhee Tyson (TYS/KTYS) right now?
As of Tue 27 Oct, 18:00 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 05L+05R. The METAR wind is calm. 05L is the long-runway pick because the wind is calm or variable. Closed runways: none listed.
Where is the best place to plane spot at McGhee Tyson (TYS) in the morning vs. afternoon?
At 08:00 local the sun is at 106° azimuth and 0° elevation. Short final 05L - sunny side scores 66/100, 1233 m from runway 05L, view bearing 74.0°, best as a afternoon spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 225° and 28°. Short final 05L - sunny side scores 90/100 on a 74.0° 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 McGhee Tyson Airport?
The best time to plane spot at McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS/KTYS) 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 05L - sunny side, Short final 05R - sunny side. 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 KTYS spotting locations?
KTYS spotting locations sun direction: Short final 05L - sunny side (runway 05L) 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 15:00-18:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00. Short final 05R - sunny side (runway 05R) is SIDE LIGHT in the morning, CLEAN FRONT LIGHT at midday, and CLEAN FRONT LIGHT in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 12:00-18:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00.
What lens focal length do I need for plane spotting at McGhee Tyson (TYS)?
Short final 05L - sunny side is 1233 m from the 05L 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 McGhee Tyson (KTYS)?
Monitor Tower 121.2 MHz, Ground 121.9 MHz, ATIS 128.35 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 121.2 MHz.
How do I know when McGhee Tyson (TYS) switches active runways?
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near calm, so 05L 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/KTYS#runway-alerts