Guides
An airport stream is more fun when you know what you're looking at. These pages cover the things people ask most once they've been watching for a while: what the controllers mean, which aircraft just landed, and why the runway is called 25 Left.
Start here
How to follow ATC on an airport live stream
The tower radio sounds like static and numbers for the first ten minutes. Then it clicks. Here's how to get there faster.
Which plane is that? Identifying aircraft on a live cam
Most of what lands at any airport is one of about a dozen types. Here are the tells for each, starting with the two that everybody mixes up.
How runway numbers work
Runway 25 Left isn't the 25th runway. The number is a compass direction, and once you know that, you can work out where to look.
Look things up
Plane spotting glossary
The words you'll hear on the radio and read in the chat, explained without the jargon.
Airport codes explained
IATA and ICAO codes for every airport on the site, and the stories behind the odd ones.
Our picks
Best airport live cams with ATC audio
Streams where you can hear the tower as well as watch the runway.
Best beach and island airport cams
Runways beside the sea, from Maho Beach to Okinawa.
Best airport cams for snow and winter
Snowploughs, de-icing and Arctic runways.
Best airport cams for city views and night watching
Skylines, city lights and airports that look best after dark.