St. Maarten Airport Beachgoer Dies From Jet Blast

[kimmar067]

Many photos of the planes landing there are a bit exaggerated due to the camera angle. Planes land low, but not THAT low. They're not 10 feet above your head.

It's quite thrilling to watch.....from a distance of about 100 feet or so.

...you 'lil photoshopper,you....

 

[kimmar067]

I don't see any photos, either when I use Firefox or Microsoft Edge....

....I say blame it on Photobucket.....

 

[declansdad]

Isn't that who we are talking about?

You mentioned in one post during that exchange about not even wanting to go to that beach. Sorry, I guess I should have quoted that to make it more clear.

 

[Hikergirl]

You mentioned in one post during that exchange about not even wanting to go to that beach. Sorry, I guess I should have quoted that to make it more clear.

I was just saying that as a vacation destination in general I wouldn't want to go to a beach with loud big planes flying overhead. I love the beach, but I go for the peace and tranquility that it brings me.
That was a separate thought about the beach itself, and doesn't have any connection with the standing at the fence while a plane is taking off.

 

[jevs]

Thoughts go to the family, especially those who were traveling with her, I can't even imagine coming home with one less person

As for the 'thrill' of holding onto the fence or being knocked over on the sand - not for me, I can think of better ways to injure myself.

As for skydiving - two men in Sydney were killed today in a tandem jump. Currently a crime scene, so count that *thrill* out for me as well.

 

[kdonnel]

I was just saying that as a vacation destination in general I wouldn't want to go to a beach with loud big planes flying overhead. I love the beach, but I go for the peace and tranquility that it brings me.
That was a separate thought about the beach itself, and doesn't have any connection with the standing at the fence while a plane is taking off.

No one goes to Maho Beach for the beach. It is a horrible beach, narrow, steep, very little sand, a very busy road just inches away, etc.

 

[JaxDad]

In this case it is not a matter of using all the runway, it is a matter of using all the runway and a bit more.

All the other planes turned and lined up on the runway just in front on the threshold lines, roughly putting the middle of the plane on the 10 painted on the runway.

But not the Insel Air plane. It came to the left so that the plane was sitting on the runway entirely prior to the threshold, covering the ---> ---> section of the runway. I am not a pilot in any way but that does not seem like a part of the runway you are expected to use for takeoff or landing.

The turbo prop plane took it one step further and came all the way out to the > > area on the extreme left of the runway. Got out of the plane, waved at everyone, got back in, revved up his engines and took off. I'm not sure what his passengers thought.

Maho Beach from Google Maps:
View attachment 252851

Thanks for the pic!

It is perfectly okay to use the area with the smaller arrows for takeoff. The pavement is somewhat weaker than the main runway, so it should not be used for landing, other than overrun.

The pilot should NOT have taxied into the blast area with the larger arrows. Generally, the pavement there is even weaker and not meant to support repeated loading. It should only be used for emergency landing overruns.

 

[Hikergirl]

No one goes to Maho Beach for the beach. It is a horrible beach, narrow, steep, very little sand, a very busy road just inches away, etc.

Gotcha, so people go there specifically for the planes flying overhead? Definitely not my thing. I had plenty of that growing up 4 miles from the airport in the flight path.

 

[RedAngie]

Gotcha, so people go there specifically for the planes flying overhead? Definitely not my thing. I had plenty of that growing up 4 miles from the airport in the flight path.

Yes, that's pretty much the ONLY reason people visit that beach. There is nothing attractive about it otherwise.

 

[sam_gordon]

I was just saying that as a vacation destination in general I wouldn't want to go to a beach with loud big planes flying overhead. I love the beach, but I go for the peace and tranquility that it brings me.
That was a separate thought about the beach itself, and doesn't have any connection with the standing at the fence while a plane is taking off.

No, definitely don't go to Maho for peace and tranquility. If you find yourself on St Martin, I recommend Grand Case. Our cab driver took us there. Nice sandy beach, a pier to jump off, and outdoor restaurants (I guess that's what you'd call them) right there. It was NOT crowded at all.

Grand Case:

 

[maxaroni]

No, definitely don't go to Maho for peace and tranquility. If you find yourself on St Martin, I recommend Grand Case. Our cab driver took us there. Nice sandy beach, a pier to jump off, and outdoor restaurants (I guess that's what you'd call them) right there. It was NOT crowded at all.

Grand Case:

It's been awhile since we've been to St. Maarten. All 4 times we stayed at Mullett Bay and that was destroyed in a hurricane a number of years ago. I am clueless on where to stay now.

Maho is not a place to beach! I also have no desire to be in harms way of these jets.

 

[declansdad]

No one goes to Maho Beach for the beach. It is a horrible beach, narrow, steep, very little sand, a very busy road just inches away, etc.

Gotcha, so people go there specifically for the planes flying overhead? Definitely not my thing. I had plenty of that growing up 4 miles from the airport in the flight path.

Yes, that's pretty much the ONLY reason people visit that beach. There is nothing attractive about it otherwise.

Yes it is a small beach but there is nothing wrong with it. In fact it is very busy and there is at least one resort on the beach.

 

[Pacolovestacos]

As for skydiving - two men in Sydney were killed today in a tandem jump. Currently a crime scene, so count that *thrill* out for me as well.

Skydiving is safer than driving a car.

 

[sam_gordon]

Skydiving is safer than driving a car.

By that measure, standing at the fence on Maho beach is safer than skydiving.

 

[Pacolovestacos]

By that measure, standing at the fence on Maho beach is safer than skydiving.

lol yes it is. My argument against it wasn't the safety component. It was that I don't think I would find it any more enjoyable than I would riding Dumbo.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

Skydiving is safer than driving a car.

Compared to most forms of transportation & most hobbies, everything is safer than driving a car.

 

[bcla]

Compared to most forms of transportation & most hobbies, everything is safer than driving a car.

Even though you're joking, no. Bicycles or motorcycles are certainly not safer than driving a car. And wing suit or BASE jumping is a rather extreme form of skydiving with a rather high fatality rate.

 

[sam_gordon]

Even though you're joking, no. Bicycles or motorcycles are certainly not safer than driving a car. And wing suit or BASE jumping is a rather extreme form of skydiving with a rather high fatality rate.

Of course, @tarheelmjfan did say "compared to MOST forms of transportation & MOST hobbies".

 

[adisneyaunt]

tragic. RIP.
What an awful thing for her husband and friends to witness.
And three kids are motherless

 

[bcla]

Of course, @tarheelmjfan did say "compared to MOST forms of transportation & MOST hobbies".

That still leaves plenty of dangerous stuff out there. I thought the discussion was getting to activities that might share a certain risk like hanging from the fence would have.

I've gone go-kart racing with coworkers, paid by the company. We had one time where one driver wiped out. Another driver braked to stop, and another driver clipped the stopped go-kart and went flying through the air. That driver flying through the air was unharmed, but the driver who wiped out got hit in the head by the flying go-kart. However, helmets were mandatory and he was shaken but basically uninjured. I think he might have had a stiff neck for a couple of days. However, I've gone on other slightly slower go-karts with my kid where helmets weren't used. I was thinking about what I personally witnessed but took the chance.