Northwest Arkansas National Airport (XNA / KXNA) Plane Spotting Map & Live Active Runway Predictor
Fayetteville/Springdale/Rogers, United States of America
Northwest Arkansas National
XNA/KXNA
Updated Tue 27 Oct, 15:03 local
- Active runway
- 16L
- METAR wind
- 200° @ 8 kt
- Best spot
- Short final 16L - sunny side
- Sun
- 216° / 33°
Wind vector · +6 kt headwind
VFR
Side-lit
Golden hour in 2h 49m
Side-litWant a Telegram ping when KXNA flips runways? Subscribe for $3/mo
Best Northwest Arkansas National (XNA) plane spotting locations by time of day & sun angle
Live weather
VFR200° @ 8 kt
24°C · 10+ sm · 1021 hPa
CLR
Golden hour in 2h 49m
Runway alerts for Northwest Arkansas National 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 XNA, 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 16L - sunny side Runway 16L | BACKLIT / GLARE | BACKLIT / GLARE | SIDE LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Best local hours for crisp fuselage illumination: 17:00-18:00. Avoid 08:00-13:00 harsh backlit contrast. |
Runway winds and thresholds
Land 16L · Dep 16L
| End | Hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16L | 160° | 8,801 ft | +6.1 kt | 5.1 kt | Both |
| 34R | 340° | 8,801 ft | -6.1 kt | 5.1 kt | Standby |
Recommended camera lenses & ATC radio frequencies for Northwest Arkansas National (KXNA)
| Facility | MHz | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tower | 127.100 | Published |
| Approach | 120.050 | Assigned |
| Departure | 126.800 | Assigned |
| Ground | 121.900 | Published |
| Delivery | 128.400 | Assigned |
| ATIS | 135.050 | Assigned |
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 Northwest Arkansas National (XNA/KXNA)
Which runway is active at Northwest Arkansas National (XNA/KXNA) right now?
As of Tue 27 Oct, 15:00 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 16L. The METAR wind is 200° at 8 kt. 16L shows +6.1 kt headwind and 5.1 kt crosswind from the right. Closed runways: none listed.
Where is the best place to plane spot at Northwest Arkansas National (XNA) in the morning vs. afternoon?
At 08:00 local the sun is at 109° azimuth and 4° elevation. Short final 16L - sunny side scores 77/100, 1234 m from runway 16L, view bearing 189.2°, best as a midday spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 229° and 25°. Short final 16L - sunny side scores 80/100 on a 130.7° 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 Northwest Arkansas National Airport?
The best time to plane spot at Northwest Arkansas National Airport (XNA/KXNA) 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 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 KXNA spotting locations?
KXNA spotting locations sun direction: Short final 16L - sunny side (runway 16L) is BACKLIT / GLARE 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: 17:00-18:00. Avoid 08:00-13:00 harsh backlit contrast.
What lens focal length do I need for plane spotting at Northwest Arkansas National (XNA)?
Short final 16L - sunny side is 1234 m from the 16L 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 Northwest Arkansas National (KXNA)?
Monitor Tower 127.1 MHz, Ground 121.9 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 127.1 MHz.
How do I know when Northwest Arkansas National (XNA) switches active runways?
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near 200° at 8 kt, so 16L 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/KXNA#runway-alerts