Blog : An extreme airport by the beach...

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335 posts
9/7/2013 8:09 pm

Last Read:
4/8/2015 10:16 am

An extreme airport by the beach...

Hello friends.Thinking where to spend your next vacation????.
How about a nice beach in the Caribbean,clear and calm waters.Crowded with people from around the world..
It looks like a Paradise,,,,,until........>>>>.

Yesssss,a Jumbo Jet,a 747 passing just over your head
Well,in fact,,that's the reason you're there ........

After the long flight to a Caribbean paradise, most tourists can’t wait to get away from the airport — except on the island of St. Maarten, where the airport is the main attraction.

No place in the world can people get so close to planes that they can almost touch the fuselage as the planes fly over the beach and come in for a landing at the Princess Juliana International Airport — a thin, two-lane highway separates the beach from the runway. Thrill seekers and aviation enthusiasts flock to the tiny half-Dutch/half-French island to sunbath in the shadow of a jumbo jet.

Near the end of the runway, the Sunset Bar and Grill is packed with people. Each morning, they write the flight schedule on a surf board and broadcast air traffic control instead of music. All day, the planes land and crowds rush to the beach, beer in one hand, camera in the other.

But that’s only half the thrill. Every flight that lands, takes off, and that’s a real danger. The massive jet engines can easily produce winds of more than 100 mph, blowing people and sand into the water.

The “Jet Blast” is celebrated with its own shot at the Sunset Bar, and some of the folks who get behind the engines seem to have had a few. It’s the one Caribbean island where the most exhilarating part of the trip happens before you leave the airport.

Wooww,i have St Marteen in my Bucket List.... who knows..
BLESSINGS TO ALL.
Luis

Each day i wake-up Alive,is a new start

avefenix510 75M

4/8/2015 10:16 am

shuel2002

Hello Elaine,thanks for your comment."Princess Juliana is the most famous airport in the cairbbean and thousands of people visit St Marteen,justo to stand under the plane's path when it's landing..
A lot of noise huh...
But the real fun is,,,when the plane is ready for take off,pepole run to the fence and grab it tightly,so the wind of turbines don't blow the away..
Many can stay put to the fence,but others are just blown away by the turbines...
Crazy nooo...
Have a nice day

Each day i wake-up Alive,is a new start

shuel2002 65F

5537 posts
4/7/2015 1:47 am

I've never seen any place like that before. How unusual. Thanks for the interesting picture and post.

Elaine Shuel

avefenix510 75M

9/8/2013 1:17 pm

hello my friend,i heven't seen any plane on close-up,escept for those in Peru....It would be a great experience...

Each day i wake-up Alive,is a new start

avefenix510 75M

9/8/2013 12:44 pm

spiritwoman45

Hi spirit, as for me,it's not a good place to be,neigher to live,lol.When i was in Lima,Peru,meeting a nice lady from SFF,her house is directly below of the path of the planes.
woow,i could see the wheels comparment completelly..Every now and then,there was a Jumbo,passing over my head....

Each day i wake-up Alive,is a new start

honeycup12 83F

886 posts
9/8/2013 7:40 am

I have been there, but not on the beach but have seen the plane land there

spiritwoman45

9/7/2013 10:26 pm

I used to live under the landing pattern for a military base - not really my idea of fun.

Spiritwoman ^i^

avefenix510 75M

9/7/2013 9:32 pm

Hello Mrsjoe.bet it was plenty of fun huh...I love to watch airplanes,,the closer the better.landing and taking off,...
thanks for coming..

Each day i wake-up Alive,is a new start