Tourists in Saint Martin watch planes take off and land at Princess Juliana International Airport, located in the Dutch part of the island of Saint Martin in the Caribbean, as if they were at a real attraction. And why is that? Well, the landing strip 10/28 of this small airport, located right on the waterfront, is considered one of the most terrifying in the world.
By doing so, seen from above, the runway practically literally merges with the island's famous beach, Maho Beach. The consequence? During takeoff and landing, planes are at a little less ( ! ) 8 meters above vacationers. Furthermore, planes preparing for takeoff position themselves only a few dozen meters from the beach, with their engines facing the swimmers.
Maho Beach is therefore one of the rare places where you can admire the trajectory of airplanes while being physically at the end of the runway. Watching these flying monsters over the beach has become such a popular activity that the departure and arrival times of the different airlines are displayed on boards in the surrounding bars. However, this proximity is not without risk, and all measures are taken to warn tourists, who, for their part, do not seem to worry about it generally...
Interestingly, the famous runway 10/28 was originally called 09/27. The change in designation was due to the variation in the Earth's magnetic field that occurred on November 1, 2008.
See for yourself:
Feel like getting away? Enjoy this taste of sunshine to discover The Suite, in Rio, or the Casa Turquesa, in Brazil, and dream a little!
