For those obsessed with Maho Beach and the planes...

[Dug720]

Use caution...

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/woman-dies-after-jet-engine-air-blast/ar-BBEkmRB

I know when I was in St Maarten 2 years ago on one of Captain Bob's tours, we were bobbing in the ocean at the point where we were allowed and saw someone get thrown a super long way into the water because it was really currenty at that time and someone hit the exact wrong moment where the engines fired right as an already large wave was going and it launched someone.

Again, use caution!!

 

[sweetpee_1993]

Hubby told me about that this morning. He's a huge aviation buff. Going to Maho in 2013 was a dream come true for him. He surfed the fence. Got a busted lip from a rock hitting him. It's an amazing experience but definitely has an element of danger. There's signs everywhere. Stay off to the side at the fence or just don't do it. It's a violent thing. Still, one of the best port days we ever had. We hope to go back for a dedicated trip someday.

 

[hanscarlet]

wow never heard of this, interesting, may she RIP, wow

 

[GPaLarry]

We saw that patch of beach (almost runway) from afar a few years ago on a DCL tour/excursion on St. M. Since then I have watched YouTube videos showing people being blown away by the jets and dodging landing gear. Some might think it is fun and a challenge. From my standpoint, I can see my glasses trashed and removed in the first few seconds by the sand blast then I would be lifted and thrown backwards into/onto someone/sand/water/Fantasy. Now comes the fun part of washing sand out of various parts of my body for a week. Perhaps eating more DCL food would help ground me during the effort. As I remember, DCL did not list this as one of their excursion experiences...they usually don't have batwing jumps off the Matterhorn, either.

 

[AquaDame]

My husband is an aviation lover also but we steered clear of the actual blast path due to the numerous signs. So sad that she was so unlucky..! RIP!

 

[brittanidp]

My husband is an aviation lover also but we steered clear of the actual blast path due to the numerous signs. So sad that she was so unlucky..! RIP!

I am an avgeek too and love Maho! I also love the open air bar next door so that I don't have to be on the beach!

 

[AquaDame]

I am an avgeek too and live Maho! I also love the open air bar next door so that I don't have to be on the beach!

It was PACKED when we were there - easier to find an umbrella and a couple chairs below which worked great for me. Hopefully we can go back someday even though it won't be the same now without the 747s.

 

[kerry1379]

How sad. May she RIP.

I never did understand how this could even be done. I was there in 2015. I saw the fence and the warning signs. But it was right next to a very busy road, then lots of fairly large rocks with very little sand, then the water. (This was over by the beach bar, early afternoon so probably at high tide since the water was up to the rocks.) I couldn't figure out how anyone could even possibly do the whole jet blast thing, let alone it be common enough to have warning signs and cops present to try and prevent it (which they were when I was there). Even if the very dangerous jet blast didn't hurt them, they would need to be blasted high and far to not be severely hurt/killed by the traffic and the rocks, but then the height and distance of the fall would be really bad. Maybe this is in a different part of the beach? I loved Maho beach and we watched little planes coming in. A big plane left while we were leaving. It was fascinating. But I never could understand how the jet blast off the fence became a "thing" to do.

 

[truck1]

When we were there in 13, we were talking to our cab driver about the fence. He told us that a couple of years before, a couple of people had been severely injured, and the airport told the pilots that they can't get on the throttles from a standstill. They had to roll down the runway a set distance before running them up. I'm wondering if something changed or it was being lax, in enforcement.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

When we were there in 13, we were talking to our cab driver about the fence. He told us that a couple of years before, a couple of people had been severely injured, and the airport told the pilots that they can't get on the throttles from a standstill. They had to roll down the runway a set distance before running them up. I'm wondering if something changed or it was being lax, in enforcement.

I don't see how they can hold back on throttles at all. They need to pour it on & rotate ASAP. They need to get off the ground and turn out quickly because there's a mountain dead ahead.

 

[Dug720]

I don't see how they can hold back on throttles at all. They need to pour it on & rotate ASAP. They need to get off the ground and turn out quickly because there's a mountain dead ahead.

That was my thought. It makes more sense for them to find a way to prevent people from standing right there than endanger hundreds of people on the planes by changing the throttle.

 

[truck1]

I don't see how they can hold back on throttles at all. They need to pour it on & rotate ASAP. They need to get off the ground and turn out quickly because there's a mountain dead ahead.

That was my thought. It makes more sense for them to find a way to prevent people from standing right there than endanger hundreds of people on the planes by changing the throttle.

There's a lot more runway then we think. We watched the KLM 747 leave and they did exactly that they came up just enough to roll the. Maybe 200 or 300 yards down came up on the throttles. I have a video of it. The part of the runway that the plane in that picture, is on is actually part of the over run. The actual runway is down about 500 yards or so.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

There's a lot more runway then we think. We watched the KLM 747 leave and they did exactly that they came up just enough to roll the. Maybe 200 or 300 yards down came up on the throttles. I have a video of it. The part of the runway that the plane in that picture, is on is actually part of the over run. The actual runway is down about 500 yards or so.

The reason that KLM 747 used so little runway is because they're only flying 562 miles to CUR which has an 11,500 ft long runway - about 3k more feet than SXM. They carry very few passengers and not much fuel. Their weight is intentionally very low. When KLM gets to CUR it will take on fuel to make the next flight back to Amsterdam. In fact, the reason KLM doesn't fly the 747 to SXM anymore is because they typically had very few to no passengers going from SXM to CUR.

I've seen Airforce One up close & personal (we could see faces in the windows) take off in about 3k feet of the short runway at MSY. THAT was a sight to see.

A good pilot wastes no runway. Too many things can happen that they might need that pavement for especially with a mountain to immediately turn from.

Look, as long as that runway is where it is with the fence & runway where they are people will make the personal choice to surf the fence or not. My husband surfed it. My sons & I did not. There are warning signs. Anyone standing at that fence has assumed a risk. Maho & the fence are a popular spectacle. Bad things can happen. Unfortunately it can cost lives. Imagine if a plane ever hits a last second downdraft with all those people standing there. That was exactly my thought when I stood there with my own family. But we stood there nonetheless and would do it again any chance we get. It is what it is. For an island so dependent upon tourism, I don't see them doing away with a popular tourist spectacle.

They could always install the blast guards that are at most major airports. But again, it's a tourist draw on a tourist-dependent island.

 

[truck1]

The reason that KLM 747 used so little runway is because they're only flying 562 miles to CUR which has an 11,500 ft long runway - about 3k more feet than SXM. They carry very few passengers and not much fuel. Their weight is intentionally very low. When KLM gets to CUR it will take on fuel to make the next flight back to Amsterdam. In fact, the reason KLM doesn't fly the 747 to SXM anymore is because they typically had very few to no passengers going from SXM to CUR.

I've seen Airforce One up close & personal (we could see faces in the windows) take off in about 3k feet of the short runway at MSY. THAT was a sight to see.

A good pilot wastes no runway. Too many things can happen that they might need that pavement for especially with a mountain to immediately turn from.

Look, as long as that runway is where it is with the fence & runway where they are people will make the personal choice to surf the fence or not. My husband surfed it. My sons & I did not. There are warning signs. Anyone standing at that fence has assumed a risk. Maho & the fence are a popular spectacle. Bad things can happen. Unfortunately it can cost lives. Imagine if a plane ever hits a last second downdraft with all those people standing there. That was exactly my thought when I stood there with my own family. But we stood there nonetheless and would do it again any chance we get. It is what it is. For an island so dependent upon tourism, I don't see them doing away with a popular tourist spectacle.

They could always install the blast guards that are at most major airports. But again, it's a tourist draw on a tourist-dependent island.

I know. Somewhere along their the crews end up in Bonaire at Divi Flamingo for an overnight. We were staying at Divi when the crew was there and the staff told us that have KLMs contract for the crews rest.

Btw They added almost 1000 feet to the runway to keep up with international safety and standards.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

I know. Somewhere along their the crews end up in Bonaire at Divi Flamingo for an overnight. We were staying at Divi when the crew was there and the staff told us that have KLMs contract for the crews rest.

Btw They added almost 1000 feet to the runway to keep up with international safety and standards.

7546 feet total now. Yes. A fully loaded 747 ready for a long haul needs more like 9000 ft to not strain under the load. The added length doesn't make it anymore safe to waste runway when immediately after rotation they all must make a turn to miss the mountain. Now if they movedbthe mountain & lengthened the runway further...... But maybe just building a new airport like was done when HKT was built to replace Kai Tak. Those were some freaky landings.

 

[truck1]

7546 feet total now. Yes. A fully loaded 747 ready for a long haul needs more like 9000 ft to not strain under the load. The added length doesn't make it anymore safe to waste runway when immediately after rotation they all must make a turn to miss the mountain. Now if they movedbthe mountain & lengthened the runway further...... But maybe just building a new airport like was done when HKT was built to replace Kai Tak. Those were some freaky landings.

From what I understand d what they were doing was flying in to another island, them going to St Maarten. They'd overnight on Curaco, staying on Bonaire. Then they'd reverse the trip on the way out. Had to do with the cabotage rights. They stopped doing the triangle and went direct and retired the 747 that was flying it. I looked up the min take off distance. It's 4700 feet. Give or take. But since they were going to a different island with a longer runway they could get away with it.

 

[ivanp91]

I have two feelings on this... on one hand it's incredibly sad because no one intends for this sort of thing to happen, particularly on vacation. On the other, as has been pointed out there are signs everywhere warning of the dangers, and you generally would not go to Maho Beach without knowing beforehand what its attraction is (thus having the intention to plane spot/fence surf/etc). One of the biggest things I noticed when I was there was that a lot of people underestimate the power of jetblast - I have videos of something as "small" as an MD-80 causing people to scatter once they realised the force of the blast. People and belongings getting thrown back into the sea, people being bombarded with sand, etc. My partner and I have over 18 years industry experience combined, and always made sure to stand well to the side of the blast area because we know better.... not saying that as a negative to anyone else, but it's simply not the sort of thing people understand without seeing it first hand. Another issue is there are such huge variables, even amongst aircraft of the exact same type - just because one 737 gave a mild fence surfing experience doesn't mean the next 737 won't seriously injure someone (or worse).

But maybe just building a new airport like was done when HKT was built to replace Kai Tak.

I think you mean HKG (HKT is Phuket)

 

[sweetpee_1993]

I think you mean HKG (HKT is Phuket)

Yes. I'm telling you, my iPad & iPhone conspire together to mock me.

 

[bumbershoot]

That's so sad.

Maho was our least fave part of the tour we took there. Even my son (11 at the time) couldn't understand why people were doing that.

 

[Tractortom]

I am an avgeek too and live Maho! I also love the open air bar next door so that I don't have to be on the beach!

I was going to mention the little bar. If you are going to Maho, to watch the planes, the bar is the place to be. Last time I was there, they had arrivals and departures posted on a chalk board, so you could watch for the next plane to come in, or leave. Kind of cool!