Planespotting London Stansted — EGSS
Stansted sits in the Essex countryside about 55 km north-east of central London and runs everything off a single 3,048 m runway, 04/22. That simplicity helps: with south-westerly winds dominating, runway 22 is in use most of the time, and the airport prefers it whenever the wind allows. By day the place is a sea of Ryanair 737s — this is the airline's largest base — topped up by Jet2, easyJet and a handful of Turkish and Middle Eastern carriers. After dark it changes character: the cargo centre beside the tower handles 777 and 767 freighters from the integrators and several Asian and Gulf cargo airlines. Stansted is also London's main heavy business-jet gateway and the UK government's designated airport for hijacked aircraft, so state visits and odd military or charter movements turn up more often than its size suggests. Spotting is done from the fields and lanes around the perimeter; Essex Police patrol actively, so expect the occasional friendly chat.
- MSCDM GLF6 13 275 ft
- SXS9BM B38M 4 425 ft
- GCMAK C152 1 550 ft
- EXS2C B738 25 ft RWY 04
- RYR78MZ B738
- THY5MA A21N
Conditions right now
Runways
- 04/22 RWY 04 3,054 × 46 m · 10,020 × 151 ft asphalt
Ask the sky
What flew over this morning? Where was that loud one heading? Ask in plain words — the answer comes from real recorded traffic.
Airport profile
Typical traffic by hour
Relative intensity by local hour — a typical day, not live data.Peak: 06:00
Typical traffic mix
- Narrowbody82%
- Cargo8%
- Bizjet6%
- Widebody3%
- Turboprop1%
Spotter score
Our editorial rating (0–100).Best time of year
When the interesting traffic peaks.Where to spot
Belmer Road — the spotting hill
The main photo spot on the north-west side of the field. From the road you walk through a gap in the trees to the perimeter fence, then right along it to two small mounds; the southern one just clears the fence, the northern one needs a step or a ladder. Departures off 22 tend to rotate right in front of you, and Taxiway Uniform brings bizjets and Titan Airways close.
- Getting there
- By car only in practice: Belmer Road, park on the cut grass along the roadside. Bus coverage on this side of the airport is poor. Wear wellies — the track along the fence is muddy even in a dry summer.
- Best time
- Afternoon until sunset, when the sun has moved round behind you. Works for both directions, best on 22 departures. Heat haze can soften long shots on hot days.
- Lens
- 70–300 mm; a 777-300 fills the frame at around 80 mm, a regional jet needs 250 mm. A small ladder makes fence-free shots much easier.
Belmer Road — grass strip for 22 arrivals
Same access point as the hill, but turn left at the fence and walk towards the threshold. You get side-on and slightly head-on views of aircraft landing on 22, with the choice of background depending on how far you walk.
- Getting there
- Park along Belmer Road as above and walk through the trees. The fence is high here — four ladder steps are needed to clear it; otherwise expect dark corners shooting through the mesh.
- Best time
- Westerly operations (22 arrivals), afternoon to sunset.
- Lens
- 70–300 mm; a Global 5000 sits at roughly 170 mm.
Mole Hill Green footpath (behind the Three Horseshoes)
A public footpath that leaves the village of Mole Hill Green behind the Three Horseshoes pub and runs out roughly 600 m to the side of the 22 approach. It is the easiest and least contentious place to catch arrivals on finals, and a safer alternative to walking along Hall Road.
- Getting there
- Mole Hill Green, a few minutes north of the airport by car; the footpath starts near the pub. Parking in the village is limited — park considerately and do not block gates.
- Best time
- 22 arrivals. Sitting south-west of the approach, it is front-lit from late morning into the early afternoon; late in the day the sun moves round towards the aircraft.
- Lens
- 150–400 mm, but keep something short enough for a 747-8F.
Green Street — under the 22 approach
A dead-end lane north-east of the airport that runs almost under the glidepath for 22. Aircraft are low and close, and families come here just to watch from the car. Police have occasionally moved people on here even though there are no parking signs, so keep it low-key.
- Getting there
- Turn off Hall Road into Green Street and drive almost to the end, by the last houses. Do not walk along Hall Road itself — it is narrow and has no footway.
- Best time
- 22 arrivals, afternoon to sunset. Barely usable in winter when the sun stays low in the south.
- Lens
- 50–250 mm.
The mound off Long Border Road (runway 04 end)
A grassy rise at the south-west corner of the airfield, close to the private aviation area, with views of aircraft lining up on 04 and landing on 04. The original mound is now beside a college building, so spotters use a second hill about 75 m to the right.
- Getting there
- No parking here. Take the local 509 or 510 bus from the terminal to the end of Long Border Road. Police may ask what you are doing — carry ID and stay polite.
- Best time
- Easterly operations only (runway 04), from midday to sunset. Not really usable in winter.
- Lens
- 70–250 mm; an A340 line-up is about 100 mm, a 737 around 200 mm.
Satellite 3 airside — gates 40–59
If you are flying anyway, the far end of the northernmost satellite looks over the apron and the 22 line-up point. Glass is tinted and angled, so shoot straight on.
- Getting there
- Airside only, with a boarding pass, via the shuttle to gates 40–59.
- Best time
- Morning to early afternoon on westerly operations.
- Lens
- 70–400 mm.
Respect private property, signage and the airport security perimeter. Spotterra predicts the active runway from live weather on the dashboard.
What you'll see
Ryanair dominates from the first morning wave, with dozens of 737-800s and 737 MAX 8-200s based here, plus Jet2, easyJet, TUI, Pegasus and Emirates' passenger 777. The cargo side is what lifts Stansted above a low-cost airport: FedEx and UPS run 767F and 777F rotations, and scheduled freighters from Qatar Airways Cargo, Turkish Cargo, Emirates SkyCargo, China Southern Cargo and Cargolux appear, mostly in the evening and overnight. Private aviation is heavy — Globals, Gulfstream G650s and ex-airliner VIP jets park on the FBO ramps. Antonov charters and government aircraft add surprises. Summer is the best season: longer evenings put more freighters in daylight.
What actually flew over London Stansted in the last 30 days
Measured from our own ADS-B data — not a schedule, but what really passed overhead.
- B738 39.1 %
- B38M 16.8 %
- C152 9.9 %
- A21N 8.1 %
- A320 7.5 %
- C172 6.8 %
- P28A 6.2 %
- A20N 5.6 %
FAQ
What's that plane over London Stansted?
Spotterra's live map shows every ADS-B-equipped aircraft around Stansted in real time — type, registration and route — so you can tell a night freighter from a Ryanair rotation at a glance. It is free and runs in the browser.
Which runway does Stansted use most?
Runway 22 — it is preferred whenever wind allows, so most of the year arrivals come in over Green Street and Mole Hill Green from the north-east. Easterlies flip it to 04, which is when the Long Border Road mound comes into play.
Is spotting allowed at Stansted?
Yes from public land, but the airport business park is off-limits for photography and Essex Police patrol the perimeter. Expect to be asked questions now and then; carrying ID keeps it short.
When do the freighters come in?
Mostly evening and overnight, with some daytime rotations. Schedules shift, so set up a Spotterra alert for cargo types and you will get a heads-up before a 777F or 747F is on final.
Spotterra watches the sky over London Stansted
A live ADS-B map of your area and smart alerts on military transports, warbirds and rare types — with 10–30 minutes lead on long-haul arrivals. Free forever, no card.
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