Princess Juliana Airport

image This is a pretty amazing picture, and it screams 'Photoshop!' After all, where in the world would planes really land that close to sunbathers on a beach? It looks like the plane is landing right on top of them. Well, the place is Princess Juliana Airport in St. Maarten. And the airplanes really do come in that close to the beach. A collection of shots of planes landing at Princess Juliana is circulating as a powerpoint file via email. Jozee V sent the file along to me (Thanks, Jozee!). At first I couldn't believe that the shots were real, but after a little research I was convinced. The thumbnail shot was taken by the photographer Justin Cederholm. You can see more shots of planes landing at Princess Juliana Airport here, and here, and here. And if you don't believe this is a real airport, then check out it's website. Trust me, it's real. But personally I think those people sunbathing there are crazy. It seems to me like it would be a good way to shatter your eardrums.

Photos Places

Posted on Fri Feb 20, 2004



Comments

People actually stand in the jet wash here when a plane is taking off... I have seen people blown off their feet into the water from the hot wind!
BTW... we are there EVERY April...
If you don't believe it... go to Sint. Maarten yourself!
Posted by SXMRegular  on  Tue Dec 21, 2004  at  01:37 PM
If your the photographer of THAT photo, then I am the pope.
Posted by dave on Mon Feb 23, 2004 at 07:48 PM


Dave, if you are the pope, then I'm President George Bush.

That photo is 100% REAL whether you like it or not. If you guys haven't been there, buy yourself a $400 roundtrip airfare and see for yourself, 'nuff said.
Posted by Kevin  on  Sun Jan 02, 2005  at  06:40 PM
Well... 4 those who think the pic is a FAKE all i can say is come 2 my lovely island & see 4 urself! I go down 2 the beach every sunday & the airport is right in front of the beach, there is also a beach bar there, so when the plane lands, it sets right above the ppl who choose 2 stand there.. So like i said, check it out 4 urself, i KNOW its real.
Posted by Norisha  on  Sun Jan 02, 2005  at  11:44 PM
ive been to st maartin. If this was fake than im G. Bush. I went for 3 days during thanksgiving just for the beach. Amazing site-especialy the daily Air France a340. 4 pina coladas+4 engines+a beach= me blown into the water with about 10 other people. heh,cant wait to go back
Posted by someone  on  Wed Jan 05, 2005  at  06:39 PM
Those pictures are 100% real. I was there myself before. I sat on the beach and filmed planes coming in to land 30-40 feet over my head, even a KLM 747-400. This airport has been featured in airline magazines as the best place to view airplanes in the world.
Posted by Ray  on  Sun Jan 23, 2005  at  07:16 AM
I have read everyone's comments with great amusement! First of all, the photograph is real! I am a former combat pilot and can tell you the landing gears in the photograph are in the proper position. The landing gears on a 747-200, as well as other 747's, are multipositioned, that is the back of the gear (the tires) hangs down lower and then the front levels off as the aircraft lands. This is to allow a smoother landing. Also, I have been going to St. Maarten for over twenty years, four and five times a year. When a heavy aircraft lands, in particular a 747, it needs every inch of that small runway to land. The runway at SXM is only 7000 feet long. I have personally seen an Air France 747 actually run out off the end of the runway onto the grass. Before Air France used to stop in Martinique to get fuel, they would take off for France with a full load of fuel, every seat taken and the luggage compartments fulled to the max. It must have taken nearly all the runway to rotate (lift off) and after crossing Simpson Bay, it flew over Port DePlaisance where I was staying. As the plane banked to the right, I was looking right into the face of the second officer (co-pilot), the engines were at 106% of power, in essence putting their guts out, and the aircraft was between 600 - 800 feet in the air. I never liked Air France pilots, and this is one of the reasons why. A plane that is landing, perhaps at 120 - 140 miles per hours, will not create an air vortex that will pick up a car or even a person.
People like to stand at the very end of the runway and hang onto the fence when the aircraft take off. Sometimes they will get blown across the road! The only time I ever saw the police make the people move is when a Concorde took off.
If you want to see fantastic photo opportunities, spend a day there!
Posted by Bruce Jacobs  on  Thu Feb 03, 2005  at  01:08 PM
Bruce, well said and thanks for the insights!
Posted by SXMRegular  on  Fri Feb 04, 2005  at  08:25 AM
You're all wrong, the plane is real it's the beach that's fake. Notice how the grains of sand lean to the left, but the wind is blowing to the right. What a give-away, I mean really, you'd think they would have checked this one, amateurs!
Posted by The Oracle  on  Fri Feb 04, 2005  at  09:11 AM
Oracle... I'm there every April... It's real... believe it!
if u don't believe it... see picx from the Sunset Beach Bar which is located at the end of the runway...
http://sunsetbeachbar.com/Members/Norbert/phot_1102630756/view
Posted by SXMRegular  on  Fri Feb 04, 2005  at  11:19 AM
I am most certain the picture is real. I have stood right on that very beech and watched a prop plane come in with my son. We booth ducked.
Posted by albin  on  Fri Feb 11, 2005  at  09:18 AM
Want to see almost the same thing in the states? go to Reagan (old National) Airport in Washington, DC... you can park in the spectator lot at the beginning of the runway... not quite as spectacular as SXM, but it will give you a sense of what SXM is like...
Posted by SXMRegular  on  Wed Feb 16, 2005  at  08:04 AM
Of course its real! Ask the 75,000 people that live here on St. Maarten/St. Martin. Or the owners of the gajillion dollar business that sits at the end of the runway: http://www.sunsetbeachbar.com/
Posted by annie  on  Thu Feb 24, 2005  at  03:55 PM
Hey all,
The photos and everything are real. I worked there, in the airport flying the police helicopter for the island. I have tonnes of photos and videos that would amaze most aviation enthusiasts. I think its one of the best places in the world to check out planes. The beach is great and the life is fantastic, and the people on the beaches dont give a shit about the planes and the noise, its all part of the atmosphere, and is fricking hilarious when they all stand on the beach to watch the airliners take off.
Check out some of the videos at this website.

http://www.flightlevel350.com/index.php?action=ad
Posted by scubasteve  on  Tue Mar 01, 2005  at  12:26 PM
Nah, don't even waste your breath. People are inherently stooopid and need to be there to believe it. Basically, people suck. Dammit, when is this waste of a world going to cease to exist??
Posted by Porklover  on  Tue May 24, 2005  at  07:07 PM
It's real...

heres some video

http://www.killsometime.com/Video/vids/Beach-Landing.wmv
Posted by webologist  on  Wed May 25, 2005  at  12:18 PM
I wasn't doubting it, just saying people suck is all.
Posted by Porklover  on  Wed May 25, 2005  at  12:28 PM
We all have a choice to believe it or not. I personnaly do. My question here (and concern) is what about when the planes take off? If the aircrafts take off in the direction on the beach, then the noise would be deafning, wouldn't it be? And the same for the oposite direction, right? I could be wrong. Often am.

Y the way, thanks for the blessing, Pope Dave! :cheese:
Posted by Smrik  on  Thu Jun 30, 2005  at  09:13 AM
There's one born every minute ...
Posted by hehe  on  Fri Jul 01, 2005  at  10:55 AM
For the truly skeptical, this site has video footage of jets landing over the beach:
http://www.flightlevel350.com/search_videos.php?country=147
Posted by Russ  on  Thu Jul 07, 2005  at  10:25 PM
Check out this video if you want to see some spectacular St Maarten landings:

http://www.flightlevel350.com/viewer.php?id=3978
Posted by William  on  Thu Aug 18, 2005  at  07:42 PM
I am a Delta Air Lines pilot. I stumbled upon this site somehow and I am amazed that some of you don't believe this shot. I have never flown a 757 to SXM which is what Delta sends becasue my seniority isn't high enough but have been there on leisure. It does not look that low from inside the cabin but once you get on the beach it is quite amazing! Yes, the airplane is pretty much at idle when you come in on what we call 'finals'. We have to constantly adjust the throttle on finals to maintain a certain angle of attack and keep on glidesope. On minimums, which is generally right over the beach, we go to idle and ease her down. Great beach though! Visit delta.com and book your next trip.
Posted by Roy Davison  on  Sat Aug 27, 2005  at  08:05 AM
First Officer Davison here again. Here is a link to Delta's landings at SXM on airliners.net Not quite that 747 but close.
http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?&airlinesearch=Delta Air Lines&maxres=500&keywords=SXM&keywrange=all&nr_of_rows=24&first_this_page=15&page_limit=15&sort_order=photo_id+DESC&nr_pages=2&engine_version=6.0
Posted by Roy Davison  on  Sat Aug 27, 2005  at  08:21 AM
You obviously don't know what you're talking about - at least any of you who believe this is not true. How do you think these planes get down out of the sky? The don't magically appear on the runway! I have more pictures of this exact scene if you would like to see them. E-mail me @ "[email protected]" Thank you - Scott
Posted by Scott  on  Wed Sep 07, 2005  at  04:37 PM
BWAHAHAHA!!!!!! its so funny to read these posts thinking they're so smart and outsmarting all of those who've actually BEEN there...just do a frieken google search....Princess Juliana International Airport....haha man i had such a funny time reading this.
Posted by chris g  on  Sat Oct 01, 2005  at  02:20 PM
The last time I checked a 757, 747 and an airbus 340 cant land at a 7000ft runway. Yes the airport is that close to the water, yes those are still fake pictures. You can cut and paste whatever you want, photoshop does wonders.
Posted by Doesnt matter  on  Sun Dec 11, 2005  at  08:02 PM
Well I think you are either trying to continue stir up the crap or you are just as naive and stupid as the rest of the people who dont believe it all. All you have to do is check the timetable or airlines that serve this airport at th Princess Juliana International Website http://www.pjiae.com/ and that will confirm to everyone that this is all true - you dont need photos to verify this kind of thing.
Posted by Steve  on  Sun Dec 11, 2005  at  10:00 PM
Lol, no matter what you do, you can't get through to these a-holes who can't believe it. I'd photoshop my ass to their face, but it would be an improvement.
Posted by porklover  on  Mon Dec 12, 2005  at  04:28 AM
Don't suppose anyone's going to attempt to put an Airbus A380 down there 😛
Posted by Webologist  on  Mon Dec 12, 2005  at  05:50 AM
If you think it is photoshop... download the pictures in photoshop... examine the layers and then tell me the pictures were doctored...
I have landed at PJIA every April since 2000...
I have sat at the bar at Sunset Beach Bar many times to watch the planes landing in SXM...
Before you say it is not real... go there yourself... then tell me it is a hoax...
Posted by peconic  on  Mon Dec 12, 2005  at  07:47 AM
I would love to see someone... anyone post a non-doctored picture of a plane landing at PJIA that contradicted any picture on this thread... to you non-believers... GO THERE YOURSELF!!!
If you don't...
Be content to live in your conspiracy laden, lied to, skeptical little world...
YES IT'S TRUE... THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF PICTURES OF PJIA AIRPORT OUT THERE... ALL HAVE BEEN DOCTORED BY PHOTOSHOP!!! PICTURES & VIDEO'S ALIKE... IT IS A CONSPIRACY BY ALL WHO VISIT ST. MAARTEN!!! WE ALL SIGN AN AGREEMENT EVERY TIME WE VISIT SXM TO ONLY POST PICTURES THAT ARE FALSE!!!
SEE YOU ARE RIGHT!!! IT'S ALL BEING DONE TO YOU!!!
YOU ARE THE VICTIM!!! BOO-HOO... YOU'VE FIGURED IT ALL OUT!!!
Posted by peconic  on  Mon Dec 12, 2005  at  10:20 AM
I wish all you conspirancy laden skeptics the best in your own little world...
BUT...
The neighors are starting to complain...
All your cats are starting to smell and they want them removed...
Posted by peconic  on  Mon Dec 12, 2005  at  10:36 AM
The pics are as real as it gets. I have been visiting the island yearly for 8 years now and always spend a couple of afternoons at that beach. I do enjoy "hanging onto the fence" for the Air France and Corsair 747 take-offs. Although it is quite a rush, it does not lift you off the ground like some people claim.
Posted by bc  on  Thu Dec 29, 2005  at  03:44 PM
Dear lord, so much arguing about if this is real or not! I just happened to stumble upon this site. I think it's been laid to rest fairly well, but it does in fact happen several times a day, and while people seemed concerned about the noise, it was always the sandstorm that really bothered me. Sometimes tourists get caught off guard and get blasted, I do it just for fun. As long as we're arguing about seemingly unsafe airport practices.... anyone know about Saba, a nearby island that boasts the worlds shortest commercial runway (or something like that...) ? I live there and the landing/stalling out of the sky still freaks me out. I'll try and get a seemingly unbelievable picture of it up on here soon for people to argue about.
Posted by Nate  on  Thu Jan 05, 2006  at  03:44 PM
I have been there and the picture is very much real. The noise is heard on the takeoffs not the landings. And the planes taking off will lift you off the ground because I saw I have seen it role a tourist into the water.
Posted by mark092238059  on  Mon Jan 16, 2006  at  04:05 PM
Just got back from St. Maarten. Not only does the occasional sunbather accidently get "caught" in the backwash from the planes, but some poeple actually go there to experience it. The photo is taken from the bar Sunset Beach Club, which features a very large deck overlooking the beach/landing area, and the Club actually posts arrival times of the jumbos. The landing planes don't create all that much disturbance, but departing planes turn around with their tail ends maybe 100 yards from that beach, and the takeoffs DO produce huge gusts. People go right up to the chainlink fence and hang on just to experience the blast. Takes all kinds, eh?
Posted by madpeters  on  Sun Feb 05, 2006  at  02:51 PM
madpeters...
slight correction to your post...
It's NOT "the bar Sunset Beach Club"...
The name is Sunset Beach Bar...
http://www.sunsetbeachbar.com/
Posted by Brian  on  Mon Feb 06, 2006  at  12:12 PM
BTW...
We will be there in:
9 weeks, 6 days, (69 days) 21h 49m 01s
Posted by Brian  on  Mon Feb 06, 2006  at  12:14 PM
Why are people so upset that some don't believe the pics? It's not like there are not thousands of fake pics and stories circulating on the Internet. Of course people are going to doubt. If you know it's true, then be happy that you know the truth and don't be so bitchy about it. You must admit that it is hard to believe! If it's real then there's no reason to get all uppity.
Posted by robin.g  on  Fri Feb 24, 2006  at  10:12 AM
Its runway 9 (heading east, or 90 degrees) on the Isle of St Maarten.
Posted by Silent Otto  on  Mon Apr 03, 2006  at  11:50 AM
It's 100% real.

Been to St. Maarten and saw it myself (though they usually aren't THAT low, but it does happen every now and then, according to the locals). It's a HUGE tourist attraction there, watching the 747's, etc, land.

The pic was taken on Maho Beach. There are beach bars nearby, but the only reason people are in that area is for one of these extra low sightings (jet fumes don't mix well with rum). Princess Juliana airport is infamous for it, but I'll tell you, watching them take off, where it looks like they are just going to crash into homes and mountains is even scarier.
Posted by LearningConformity  on  Wed Apr 12, 2006  at  06:04 AM
Check out the video at the following link if you're still a skeptic....

http://webpages.charter.net/swarner/maho.asx
Posted by joeruger  on  Wed Apr 19, 2006  at  09:39 AM
all i have to say
Posted by alex perry  on  Wed May 17, 2006  at  02:39 PM
http://flightlevel350.com/video_streaming.php?id=3929
Posted by alex perry  on  Wed May 17, 2006  at  02:40 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egQhwpD50fw&search=landings

and a few more...
Posted by Aaron  on  Sat Jul 08, 2006  at  08:19 PM
This video says it all.I took this video when we visited St.Maarten in May 2006
Posted by Frozen1  on  Wed Aug 02, 2006  at  03:50 PM
I am going to this island on my 18th birthday(next year). I have dreamt of going here because i'm a student pilot training to be a delta airlines pilot. I own the dvd from http://www.justplanes.com. They are all real the photos . And just a quick question.For those of you who've been there how often do planes land there in a 10 minute range? also how busy is the traffic, like how often is there activity there?and also , how big do the planes look in reality even the tiny ones because you really can't tell with these pictures. All comments accepted 😊 except if your skeptical and are trying to bash me because I know this island exists being my folks went there before I was born.
Posted by philip  on  Wed Aug 16, 2006  at  08:38 PM
Philip. The day we were there it was a mix of small island hoppers and big jets. 757-737.
It is a constant stream of air traffic.(awsome)
Anyone into aviation needs to go there. I'm trying to link the video I made again. We just got back and looking to go again soon. Later.
Posted by steve  on  Thu Aug 17, 2006  at  04:48 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOWzy696ZQE
Posted by steve  on  Thu Aug 17, 2006  at  04:50 PM
Is there any possibility for Airbus A380's to land and takeoff to/from this airport?
Posted by Alejandro  on  Tue Oct 03, 2006  at  07:27 PM
No way an A380 could land there. Even though the runway is 7070' long, it has displaced thresholds on both ends (only departing aircraft can use this portion of the pavement). So the actual landing distance available is only 6742'.
Posted by Keith  on  Fri Oct 20, 2006  at  11:45 AM
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