Aircraft landing in St Maarten

[mlc2000]

Yea, this has been posted before, but you can't deny this is a cool photo.

http://cdn-www.airliners.net/photos/photos/4/2/7/1252724.jpg

[weedb0y]

wasn't this fake?

[NDman]

wasn't this fake?
For the millionth time, no. Look up pictures for "St Maarten and planes" and you'll see them

[Yaowsers]

This has been posted before.

[AMDr]

For the millionth time, no. Look up pictures for "St Maarten and planes" and you'll see them

If I've told you once, I've told you a bazillion times... don't exaggerate :cheesygri

[edgedamage]

Cool:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLMMLmfVa-k

[ben_liu]

St. Maarten is a beautiful place, i took travel and tourism and had an assignment on if Dominica should built a bigger airport for things like that :)

[goob3r]

lots of pressure to not be too anxious to land...

[konfusion666]

Now I just need to take my next vacation in St. Maarten so I can be one of those guys jumping up and down in front of the fence...

[nalababe]

Other than a more scenic location, you also come over water, low to the ground at Laguardia and SF....

[najibs]

Here's what the spectators feel:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_gtBmJcRrA&mode=related&search=

Here's what the pilot sees:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksmDuXO_k6E&mode=related&search=

More amazing than the short landing is that they turn the 230 foot long 747 aircraft 180 degrees at the end of the 200 foot wide runway.

[najibs]

ANother landing from the cockpit view:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXRF-t9eCCY&mode=related&search=

Takeoff view from the cockpit:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HRxppaWTdc&mode=related&search=

Another view from the beach:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZJc2hyymmc&mode=related&search=

[JAC]

It still amazes me that they haven't closed the section of beach in front of the runway.

[najibs]

It still amazes me that they haven't closed the section of beach in front of the runway.

WHy would they? It's a tourist attraction for aviation enthousiasts!

[Kasakato]

The KLM in the pic looks to be ~40ft or so above the runway. The video shows the pilot at least 100ft above the runway at the beach area. Why was pilot landing right at the end of the strip? It looks like hes going to be gear down way before the center.

[najibs]

The KLM in the pic looks to be ~40ft or so above the runway. The video shows the pilot at least 100ft above the runway at the beach area. Why was pilot landing right at the end of the strip? It looks like hes going to be gear down way before the center.

You can't judge how high the airplane truly is by looking at the picture from that angle. Realistically an airplane should cross the threshold at a minimum of 50 feet, which is at least what this airplane is crossing at.

The pilot has to land as possible to the threshold because it is a short runway. And no, he wasn't planning on landing right at the threshold. The airplane 'flares' at around 50 feet above the ground. FLaring is when you change the aircraft to a higher nose up attitude and it reduces the vertical speed so that the airplane touches down relatively smooth, otherwise it would bounce or damage the gear. By the time the airplane crosses the threshold at at LEAST 50 feet, combined with the flare and speed at which the aircraft is travelling, wheels down happens at least 500 feet from the threshold.

[Stoe99]

The whole St. Maarten thing is real, my dad went and was on the beach right under the planes and said it was wild. That first photo posted is fake, the pilot has managed to land RIGHT AT THE BEGINNING of the runway, which is not realistic, plus it looks fake anyways, not a good chop.

[Kasakato]

You can't judge how high the airplane truly is by looking at the picture from that angle. Realistically an airplane should cross the threshold at a minimum of 50 feet, which is at least what this airplane is crossing at.

The pilot has to land as possible to the threshold because it is a short runway. And no, he wasn't planning on landing right at the threshold. The airplane 'flares' at around 50 feet above the ground. FLaring is when you change the aircraft to a higher nose up attitude and it reduces the vertical speed so that the airplane touches down relatively smooth, otherwise it would bounce or damage the gear. By the time the airplane crosses the threshold at at LEAST 50 feet, combined with the flare and speed at which the aircraft is travelling, wheels down happens at least 500 feet from the threshold.

Any chance you would happen to know the length of the runway? Amazing to see its possible to pull that off.

The whole St. Maarten thing is real, my dad went and was on the beach right under the planes and said it was wild. That first photo posted is fake, the pilot has managed to land RIGHT AT THE BEGINNING of the runway, which is not realistic, plus it looks fake anyways, not a good chop.

Read above.

[najibs]

Any chance you would happen to know the length of the runway? Amazing to see its possible to pull that off.


7535 feet according to this chart. And I was wrong before, by saying it was 200 feet wide. It's actually 150 feet wide, making it that much more incredible that they can turn the aircraft 180 degrees on such a small runway.
http://www.weingut-gottwald.de/tjzs/TNCM_AIRPORT.PNG

[Kasakato]

Well that makes sense. Hard to imagine they are able to land a 747 while heavy on such a short runway.

[Odysseus_Maximus]

crazy

[najibs]

Well that makes sense. Hard to imagine they are able to land a 747 while heavy on such a short runway.

yep, and because it's such a short runway I can guarantee that this airplane does not fly fully loaded out of that airport. There's probably a passenger restriction due to the weight, otherwise it would need more runway to take off...

[Kasakato]

yep, and because it's such a short runway I can guarantee that this airplane does not fly fully loaded out of that airport. There's probably a passenger restriction due to the weight, otherwise it would need more runway to take off...

Sounds bad for the airline I guess.

Now I have to add going to this airport on my list of things to do. :lol:

[skyblue12]

i've been to st. maarten before from a cruise.. but i never took the tour to the airport part of the island. pretty cool picture, must be REALLY loud for an airplane to be landing so close :|

[najibs]

must be REALLY loud for an airplane to be landing so close :|
maybe if you watch one of the videos you'll find out just how loud

[rock hard]

Here's what the spectators feel:

More amazing than the short landing is that they turn the 230 foot long 747 aircraft 180 degrees at the end of the 200 foot wide runway.

if you look at the end of the landing they have a turn around.. probably another 30-40 feet out to the right of the runway, to enable the nose wheel to turn. they follow the yellow line on the runway just after the runway 27 marking.

[najibs]

if you look at the end of the landing they have a turn around.. probably another 30-40 feet out to the right of the runway, to enable the nose wheel to turn. they follow the yellow line on the runway just after the runway 27 marking.

I'm well aware of how they do it. I'm a pilot myself. But it definitely takes some skill to move a 747 like that in such a relatively small space, is all I'm saying.

[Kasakato]

I'm well aware of how they do it. I'm a pilot myself. But it definitely takes some skill to move a 747 like that in such a relatively small space, is all I'm saying.

The runway is 148 wide is it not?

[najibs]

The runway is 148 wide is it not?

Correct, and for an airplane that's 230 feet long, that would be considered a small space.

[Kasakato]

Correct, and for an airplane that's 230 feet long, that would be considered a small space.

Now thats a tight turn. I wonder of these pilots make good drivers? :lol:

[mlc2000]

This has been posted before.

Jeez, sounds like the first 5 words of my post.:confused:

[rock hard]

I'm well aware of how they do it. I'm a pilot myself. But it definitely takes some skill to move a 747 like that in such a relatively small space, is all I'm saying.

Makes a big difference when the wheelbase of a 744 is approx 84 feet ;)

[mlc2000]

Makes a big difference when the wheelbase of a 747 is approx 84 feet ;)

I was just thinking that. :idea:

[rock hard]

I was just thinking that. :idea:


sorry... I'm ATC by trade and a 747-400 is marked as a 744 on strips.. old habits die hard lol