By Vania Raebel | October 7, 2019
Ready for Descent!
Don’t freak out now, this is not a plane about to crash-land on the beach. As a matter of fact, this scene is a pretty common sight to behold on the Carribean island of Saint Martin. Aside from the beautiful white sand beaches and crystal clear waters, another big hit with the tourists is the opportunity to have an up-close and personal encounter with an airplane.
Due to the short runway at the neighboring Princess Juliana International Airport, approaching aircraft have no choice but to touch down as close as possible and fly over the beach at a very low altitude. You would think beach-goers would complain about it, but people actually find it pretty cool, so much so that it has become a popular beach activity on the island. Nearby restaurants even go so far as displaying airline departure and arrival schedules and broadcasting the pilots’ radio transmissions.
