General Rafael Buelna International Airport (MZT / MMMZ) Plane Spotting Map & Live Active Runway Predictor
Mazatlàn, Mexico
General Rafael Buelna
MZT/MMMZ
Updated Tue 27 Oct, 15:46 local
- Active runway
- 27
- METAR wind
- 260° @ 10 kt
- Best spot
- Short final 27 - sunny side
- Sun
- 245° / 22°
Wind vector · +10 kt headwind
VFR
Side-lit
Golden hour in 1h 14m
Side-litWant a Telegram ping when MMMZ flips runways? Subscribe for $3/mo
Best General Rafael Buelna (MZT) plane spotting locations by time of day & sun angle
Live weather
VFR260° @ 10 kt
32°C · 10+ sm · 1010 hPa
SCT100 BKN250
Golden hour in 1h 14m
Runway alerts for General Rafael Buelna 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 MZT, 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 27 - sunny side Runway 27 | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | HIGH SUN / TOP LIGHT | SIDE LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 07:00-11:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00. |
Runway winds and thresholds
Land 27 · Dep 27
| End | Hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09 | 93° | 8,868 ft | -9.7 kt | 2.2 kt | Standby |
| 27 | 273° | 8,868 ft | +9.7 kt | 2.2 kt | Both |
Recommended camera lenses & ATC radio frequencies for General Rafael Buelna (MMMZ)
| Facility | MHz | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tower | 118.300 | Published |
| Approach | 121.200 | Published |
| Departure | 124.975 | Assigned |
| Ground | 121.725 | Assigned |
| Delivery | 128.875 | Assigned |
| ATIS | 127.700 | 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 General Rafael Buelna (MZT/MMMZ)
Which runway is active at General Rafael Buelna (MZT/MMMZ) right now?
As of Tue 27 Oct, 15:00 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 27. The METAR wind is 260° at 10 kt. 27 shows +9.7 kt headwind and 2.2 kt crosswind from the left. Closed runways: none listed.
Where is the best place to plane spot at General Rafael Buelna (MZT) in the morning vs. afternoon?
At 08:00 local the sun is at 117° azimuth and 23° elevation. Short final 27 - sunny side scores 95/100, 1234 m from runway 27, view bearing 302.3°, best as a morning spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 246° and 19°. Short final 27 - sunny side scores 72/100 on a 302.3° 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 General Rafael Buelna International Airport?
The best time to plane spot at General Rafael Buelna International Airport (MZT/MMMZ) is the window marked CLEAN FRONT LIGHT for the fence you are using. Morning (07:00-11:00) front light: Short final 27 - sunny side. 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 1 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 MMMZ spotting locations?
MMMZ spotting locations sun direction: Short final 27 - sunny side (runway 27) is CLEAN FRONT LIGHT in the morning, HIGH SUN / TOP LIGHT at midday, and SIDE LIGHT in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 07:00-11:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00.
What lens focal length do I need for plane spotting at General Rafael Buelna (MZT)?
Short final 27 - sunny side is 1234 m from the 27 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 General Rafael Buelna (MMMZ)?
Monitor Tower 118.3 MHz, Approach 121.2 MHz, ATIS 127.7 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 118.3 MHz.
How do I know when General Rafael Buelna (MZT) switches active runways?
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near 260° at 10 kt, so 27 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/MMMZ#runway-alerts