Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM / TNCM) Plane Spotting Map & Live Active Runway Predictor
Sint Maarten, Sint Maarten (Dutch part)
Princess Juliana
SXM/TNCM
Updated Tue 27 Oct, 20:40 local
- Active runway
- 10
- METAR wind
- 120° @ 7 kt
- Best spot
- Short final 10 - sunny side
- Sun
- 269° / -43°
Wind vector · +6 kt headwind
VFR
Night
Sun below the useful photo window
NightWant a Telegram ping when TNCM flips runways? Subscribe for $3/mo
Best Princess Juliana (SXM) plane spotting locations by time of day & sun angle
Live weather
VFR120° @ 7 kt
29°C · 10+ km · 1015 hPa
FEW018
Sun below the useful photo window
Runway alerts for Princess Juliana 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 SXM, 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 10 - sunny side Runway 10 | SIDE LIGHT | HIGH SUN / TOP LIGHT | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 14:00-18:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00. |
Runway winds and thresholds
Land 10 · Dep 10
| End | Hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 96° | 7,546 ft | +6.4 kt | 2.8 kt | Both |
| 28 | 276° | 7,546 ft | -6.4 kt | 2.8 kt | Standby |
Recommended camera lenses & ATC radio frequencies for Princess Juliana (TNCM)
| Facility | MHz | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tower | 118.700 | Published |
| Approach | 128.950 | Published |
| Departure | 126.600 | Assigned |
| Ground | 121.650 | Assigned |
| Delivery | 129.800 | Assigned |
| ATIS | 132.850 | 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 Princess Juliana (SXM/TNCM)
Which runway is active at Princess Juliana (SXM/TNCM) right now?
As of Tue 27 Oct, 20:00 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 10. The METAR wind is 120° at 7 kt. 10 shows +6.4 kt headwind and 2.8 kt crosswind from the right. Closed runways: none listed.
Where is the best place to plane spot at Princess Juliana (SXM) in the morning vs. afternoon?
At 08:00 local the sun is at 114° azimuth and 24° elevation. Short final 10 - sunny side scores 71/100, 1234 m from runway 10, view bearing 66.7°, best as a afternoon spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 247° and 23°. Short final 10 - sunny side scores 96/100 on a 66.7° 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 Princess Juliana International Airport?
The best time to plane spot at Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM/TNCM) 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 10 - sunny side. 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 TNCM spotting locations?
TNCM spotting locations sun direction: Short final 10 - sunny side (runway 10) is SIDE LIGHT in the morning, HIGH SUN / TOP LIGHT at midday, and CLEAN FRONT LIGHT in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 14:00-18:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00.
What lens focal length do I need for plane spotting at Princess Juliana (SXM)?
Short final 10 - sunny side is 1234 m from the 10 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 Princess Juliana (TNCM)?
Monitor Tower 118.7 MHz, Approach 128.95 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 118.7 MHz.
How do I know when Princess Juliana (SXM) switches active runways?
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near 120° at 7 kt, so 10 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/TNCM#runway-alerts