St Maarten Planespotting
While watching planes take off and land just steps away, I asked one local what there was to do on St Maarten, hoping to actually leave the airport area at some point on my trip. She looked skyward as a 747 came in for landing just 30 feet overhead of some rapt spectators. "This," was her one word answer. I'd never before been to a destination that had an airport as its prime sightseeing location. I've now been twice...
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I stayed in the Beacon Hill neighborhood adjacent to the airport so that I could watch the planes coming and going from the comfort of my own accommodations. Here is an Air Caraibes arrival. From this angle the runway begins on the other side of this building, so from my villa the planes always looked like they were about to land on top the building itself.
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US Air arrival.
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American Airlines arrival.
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From my deck I could see each plane as it landed.
To see the takeoffs, the easiest way was to just cross the street so I'd have a clear view of the other side of the peninsula.
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US Air turns to the right, as all planes do right after takeoff, to avoid running into the island's mountains.
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After watching the planes from afar, it was time for me to take the plunge and move in close to be jet blasted in person. Warning signs about jet blasts are everywhere near the runways; you can't say you weren't warned if something bad happens. The Boyd Aviation shirt is on just for fun as a tribute to Fletch fans.
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JetBlue arrival over Maho Beach. St Maarten is of the only airports in the world that lets you get this close to active aircraft. The runway here is much shorter than most international airports because of the ocean on one side and mountains on the other, so incoming planes have no choice but to land low and hit the runway as soon as it starts to make sure they have enough room left over to slow down...
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Another JetBlue arrival brings out all the bikini-clad girls to wave hello.
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Westjet flies in from Canada.
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American Eagle arrives from San Juan, Puerto Rico.
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The daily American Airlines arrival from Miami.
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One of the most famous bars in the world, the Sunset Bar, perched right next to the end of the St Maarten runway. Great hangout while plane spotting, not to mention one of the only places to seek out shade in the intense heat!
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View from one of the tables at the Sunset Bar. For those who don't want to stand directly underneath landing aircraft or be jet blasted by planes taking off, their tables offer nice views of the planes from a safer distance away.
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On the left, he folks at the Sunset Bar write the daily arrivals on a surfboard chalkboard so that everyone knows when to be on the alert
To the right, an example of Sunset Bar humor.
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Another American Airlines jet whooshes by, this time with the new AA livery...
I shot two videos of American Airlines departures. Click here to be jetblasted from directly behind one takeoff
or click here to see my video of an AA jet departure straight overhead.
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Spectators line the road at Maho Beach waiting for the main event: one of the island's twice weekly visits by a 747, the largest aircraft that can land here. Just this one tiny narrow coastal road is wedged between the end of the runway and the beach itself. Since there is no sidewalk, you either have to try to balance yourself on the raised curb or else just stand on the road itself to watch.
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The centerpiece and showstopper of St Maarten planespotting -- the KLM 747. When they were still flying, KLM had two arrivals each week -- Sundays and Tuesdays -- which meant I had exactly two chances to snag a good photo during my week stay. I did a lot of practice shots on other planes well before this one arrived so I knew I would get a good picture of it. Sadly KLM dropped this route for its 747 aircraft in 2016, so I'm glad I got to experience this amazing spectacle while it was still possible.
Click here to see my incredible video of the 747 arrival.
A nice video of the same aircraft leaving the island a couple hours later can be seen here.
And yet another shot here of a KLM arrival, this time from atop the Caravanserai Resort adjacent to the runway.
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Another view of a KLM 747 arrival, this time from directly underneath. At first I was annoyed that this lady stepped into my shot at the last possible moment, but then I realized it added a sense of humor as she is instinctively ducking as this massive four-engine plane flies by overhead.
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The KLM 747 isn't the only four-engine aircraft that visits the island; Air France sends the occasional Airbus A340 as well.
Click here to see my video of an Air France A340 arrival.
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It was amusing to watch some people get into the water to wave at the planes as they would come in for landing.
The girl on the left decided to go topless and give the pilots a special island welcome.
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While the jets were the most fun to photograph and video, they are only a small part of St Maarten's aviation story. Most of the flights on and off the island are propeller aircraft. St Maarten is a hub for the northern Caribbean, with Leeward Island Air Transport (LIAT) and Winair dispatching planes throughout the day to several neighboring islands.
