Saturday, February 8, 2014

JET BLAST MAY CAUSE DEATH - Blown away at Maho Beach, St Maarten

Photo Credit: Bennyzheng Photography

An experience that blew me away. Literally. By blown away I mean fighting with all my might to keep vertical, squinting my eyes in the wind and shielding my face from the rocket sharp stabs as each grain of sand came pelting towards me. I’d anticipated it being quite a blast, not quite to this extent though. At no point did I expect to end up naked. I guess that’s what happens when you stand behind a 747 jumbo jet as it’s revving up to take off...

Sitting at the beach awaiting some planes


A few years back I was lucky to tag along on a weirdly exciting family adventure to the Caribbean. I call it weird because believe it or not it wasn’t the white sandy beaches, the clear waters nor the intrigue of island life that motivated booking the trip. It wasn’t even the allure of cruising with Royal Caribbeans latest and greatest ship to grace the waters- the Oasis of the Seas (though that was a well welcomed bonus!). We were actually traversing half way across the globe to sit at an airport and watch some planes come and go. Say what now? Yes. You read correctly. The one and only pull for my father booking the trip was the desire to sit on Maho beach and oogle at the jumbo jets as they made their journeys to and from Princess Juliana Airport in Sint Maarten.

What makes this beach special? 

Forget about quiet mornings, blissful sunsets or moseying about on the beach in peace. While the Caribbean is known for its quaint and peaceful beaches Maho beach is definitely the exception.  Why? Because it happens to lay a mere two car lengths away from the second busiest airport in the Eastern Caribbean. With a harrowing runway length of only 2180 meters in order for the jets to land they must swoop in at minimum altitude skimming right over Maho beach and casting an epic shadow over any beach goers. You can literally lay on the sand and through a rock up to the plane that’s how close they are. However I’d suggest against doing that.

For those brave enough it's probably your one and only chance to line yourself up behind a plane, dig your feet into the sand and feel the magnificent force being blasted from the rear.

If you’re lucky this may mean playing a serious game of tug of war with the wind or if you’re unlucky... (or luckier depending on your thrill seeking desires) it’ll be a quick trip straight out to sea. 

Need to see it to believe it?

Youtube is full of fantastically funny clips of tourists a-flyin' You can see one of my personal favourites here Plane vs Japanese Tourist. Be wary though taking on the force isn't for the faint hearted. Particularly that of the big name jumbos. There are a number of (almost humerous) large red warning signs stuck up along the fence warning and advising the potential for bodily harm or death via jet blast. Yes, death via jet blast. The beach has become quite a tourist destination in its own right with little Caribbean beach bars being opened up for business, some even sporting large arrival and departure signs to notify tourists exactly when to prep your panties for the show. One of the beach cafes I sat at went as far as broadcasting live radio transmissions that went between pilots and the control tower! 

The fun and games aren't just for tourists though – Look over to the sidelines of the beach or up along the apartments and I'm sure you'll find a collection of locals having a right old laugh watching on as the tourists are willingly or unwillingly blasted away.

How to get there?
Other than the obvious option of flying directly to the airport Saint Martin port is a typical port of call for many cruises making their way through the Eastern Caribbean. If you're already on the island there are a number of tours that run through Maho Beach though I'd suggest just getting a cab from the main port of Saint Martin and heading there yourself. A cab directly from the port to the planes will cost you around $8.


Photo credit: Mark Wippel

A word for the wise

Don’t wear a strapless dress to the beach that day. Being the thrill seeking anything-once traveller that I am there was no way I was missing this experience, even in my little yellow sundress. Mid blast, eyes squinted, sand pelting from all angles & holding on for dear life to my father’s arm I could feel my feet begin to lift off the floor. It all happened so quickly though within the next 3 seconds I fought, lifted, swung, fell & at some point during this sequence of movements... my dress flew off. I kid you not. I’m sure somewhere on the internet I’m actually a youtube sensation due to my naïve decision to wear a little strapless sundress for a day of taking on the ultimate blast of wind. If it wasn’t for my dad leaping quick smart to my rescue I would have ended up doing half naked cartwheels out to sea. Thankfully it wasn't quite that bad, much to the dismay of the two German tourists who had their camera glued to the scene... though I’m sure it was still a sight not to be missed. If somewhere in the big wide web there is footage out there... you're welcome youtube.


Whether you’re an aviation enthusiast, a thrill seeking tourist or just looking for another out of this world thing to gawk at, Maho Beach has it covered and is definitely an edition worth adding to your Caribbean adventures.
For another intriguing beach side phenomenon take a look at this bioluminescent plankton lighting up the shores of the Maldives!

1 comment:

  1. This is definitely a beach I'd like to get to for the experience of seeing these planes coming in so low. It has grown in fame over the years and provides such a unique experience for photographers.

    That is quite an embarrassing tale about the dress! I guess we live and learn.

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