The beach where planes land in Phuket - how to get there and is it worth it. The most dangerous airports in the world Airport on the seashore
There is a beach in Phuket where planes land right above your head :) This beach is located next to Phuket airport, some believe that it is part of Mai Khao beach, someone claims that it is also , I think that planes land between these two beaches and to avoid confusion, this part of the coastline is simply called – :)
The beach with airplanes in Phuket is where planes land right above your head!
Of course, we couldn’t help but go to this part of the island to photograph the planes flying overhead. The beach with the planes is quite far from our condo in Phuket, about 35 km! Therefore, we decided to go to the beach with planes as early as possible in the morning, so that the road would be easier, otherwise it would be very unpleasant to ride a bike in the heat during the day, but you still need a car to get around Phuket!
With what difficulty we managed to wake up at 7 in the morning and leave the house before 8 is a hotel story :) But I will say that we didn’t get to this beach with airplanes the first time. I’ll digress a little from the topic, but I’ll write anyway. The first time, waking up early in the morning and going out into the yard to get on the bike and rush off to the beach, we were surprised to discover that one of our helmets had been stolen from our bike! How did it happen? This is the first time I encountered this! Not only is the helmet old and worth a penny, who would need it? Also, we seem to have a guarded complex: guards sit at the entrance/entrance to the condo territory, and constantly walk around the territory, and there are cameras hanging. In general, an incomprehensible situation... It’s not a pity to have a helmet, it’s just unpleasant that you can’t easily leave anything on the bike or on the territory. Otherwise, I could leave the phone on the table near the pool and swim calmly, without looking around. That morning, instead of the beach with the planes, we had to go to the Tesco store and buy a new helmet. Of course, that day we had already decided not to go that far, but went to another, nearby beach.
A day later we had to get up again at 7 am, this time we had already safely reached the beach with the planes :) Now I’ll tell you about it in detail.
Beach with airplanes in Phuket: review and impressions
Airplane Beach is located at the confluence of Phuket's two northern beaches: Nai Yang and Mai Khao. Despite the fact that these beaches are very long, the beach strip itself, from where you can watch and take photos of planes taking off and landing, is small. And the part where everyone wants to take a photo under a flying plane that is generally 100-150 meters long, so at the peak of the influx of tourists, crowds form here and taking good photos without strangers in the frame becomes problematic.
In the morning the beach is almost empty 
Part of the beach near the airport We arrived at the beach with planes at 9 am and, despite the early morning, there were already people here who wanted to take photos, most likely they were guests of a neighboring hotel.
It’s early morning, and tourists are already waiting for planes :) 
Families with small children came for a photo shoot 
And we are waiting for the plane, and while it is not there we take a photo against the backdrop of the sea Around 10 am, planes landed quite often, but then there was a short break and we went on vacation further north to Mai Khao Beach, and then further south to Nai Yang Beach, from where you can also watch planes landing over Phuket :)
We observe planes north of the airport from Mai Khao beach 
Watching from Mai Khao Beach 
View of a landing plane from Nai Yang Beach In order to take beautiful photos with planes landing over the sea and the beach, you need to plan so that there is the “correct” wind on that day and the planes land from the sea, because... Planes do not always land on this side. We were lucky with the wind and landing :) But all the planes, except one, took off that day in the opposite direction from the sea.
Only when the wind is in the “correct” direction can planes land from the sea 
That day, when we were on the beach, before lunch only one plane took off towards the sea, the rest took off in the other direction Photos with airplanes turn out to be interesting, but already looking at these photos at home, I understand that I should have photographed from a longer distance and from below. Many professional photographers come to this beach to shoot photo sessions, you need to see from them what angles they take pictures from :) I saw cool photos on the Internet where a girl scratches the “tummy” of an airplane, we didn’t get such photos... Frankly, standing over a flying plane There was a plane flying over my head, I was a little scared... And after the plane flies, a strong wind rises and sand flies into my eyes, blowing things away, so be careful! I lost my favorite earring on this beach; it was impossible to find it in the sand :)
I'm looking for the plane: it's far away there - still a very small dot 
And here he is! 🙂 
In this photo I had to stand where the girl was sitting and take the photo from below About the beach itself
Now a few words about the beach itself, or more precisely about that part of the beach that is next to the airport. The sand here is very coarse and yellow, I don’t like that kind of sand. The water in the sea is clear, in the high season the sea is calm, from April to October there are waves in this part of the island.
The beach is quite dirty, there are mountains of garbage everywhere, and a small river flows into the sea. There is no shade in the center of the beach, in the place where everyone is waiting for planes, but to the north, next to the hotel, there is a causarine grove where you can hide from the scorching sun. Despite the absence of palm trees, this part of the beach with airplanes for some reason reminded me of.
The beach is wide, the sand is coarse, yellow 
There is no vegetation in the part of the beach where planes land. But to the north the casuarina grove begins 
This gorgeous casuarina grove 
In the northern part a river will flow into the sea 
The sea water is clean and transparent 
But there’s a mountain of garbage nearby on the shore :) 
Beach near Splash Beach Resort by Langham Hospitality Group 
Beach near Splash Beach Resort by Langham Hospitality Group 
The same beach in April. From April to October there are strong waves on the beach with airplanes Where is it and how to get to the beach with planes in Phuket
The beach with airplanes Phuket is located in the north-west of the island, one might say almost at the exit from Phuket to the mainland. Beach coordinates with airplanes: 8.111991, 98.301942
The distance from the popular Patong Beach to the beach with airplanes is just over 40 km. A taxi will cost 900-1000 baht one way. But I know that on social networks they offer a Russian taxi for 1,400 baht round trip with an hour wait on the beach.
From Phuket Town to the beach with airplanes is 35 km. You can take the Airport Bus to the airport, go to Nai Yang Beach and walk along it to the place where planes land. Airport Bus departs from the old bus terminal in Phuket Town (coordinates: 7.884055,98.395671) from 6 am to 6:30 pm approximately every hour. The fare is 100 baht.
We rode the bike from our condo to Katha for over an hour. Traffic jams on Phuket roads are still bad!
How to get to the beach with airplanes
Well, now the most important thing: how to get to the beach with planes, where to leave the transport, so that you don’t have to walk very far along the seashore.
Before going to the beach, I tried in vain to find the answer to this question. Everyone wrote somehow vaguely: the landmark hotel Splash Beach Resort by Langham Hospitality Group to the north or the Maya Phuket Hotel to the south of the airport. Someone even suggested leaving the vehicle in the airport parking lot and then walking! Below I will tell you how to get as close as possible to the point that is indicated on Google maps as an Aeroport view point.
We drive from the south/centre of Phuket, pass the airport and almost immediately turn left onto road 3033, there will also be a sign for Mai Khao Temple. We drive until we hit a T-junction with a 7-year-old store on the corner. Then there are two options. One option is not very correct, but I will write about it anyway.
Option 1
From 7 eleven we turn left, pass the turn to the water park and at the next turn right and almost reach the hotel. You can try to leave your vehicle in the hotel parking lot and walk through the hotel, or there is a road with a barrier nearby (coordinates: 8.116090, 98.306177), sometimes a guard sits there. He didn’t want to let us in, so we left the bike nearby and walked. But, as I understand from the reviews, there is a security guard in this place, sometimes not. If there is no one, then you can safely drive under the barrier and drive along the road to the sea. And there are literally a few steps and the desired beach.
If you go straight, you will end up in the hotel parking lot. The best option is to turn onto the road under this barrier and drive to the end of the road straight to the sea. But sometimes a formidable guard stands here and doesn’t let you in :) 
There are several cafes and shops near the entrance Option 2
At the intersection where there are 7 streets, turn right, and then turn left into one of the streets. For example here: 8.123953, 98.308099 and get to point 8.120987, 98.302011 near the Coriacea Boutique Resort hotel. You will have to leave the car here, and then walk along the path along the sea past the villas of the Splash Beach Resort by Langham Hospitality Group to the place where the planes land.
We turn into this lane and go to the sea 
After the road reaches the beach, you can ride a bike onto this pedestrian path along the sea and drive all the way, you can’t drive a car! 
We drive along the villas. I’ll be honest, it was unpleasant to drive, it seemed like you were driving through private territory :) 
And here comes the sea. We park the bike nearby and walk literally 50 meters to the beach where planes land 
Plenty of parking space Option 3
The enterprising Thais organized a large parking lot (coordinates: 8.127668, 98.301308) and launched a tuk-tuk from it and some nearby hotels to the place where you can watch the landing planes! Prices in the photo:
Prices for tuk-tuk from the nearest hotels to the beach with planes 
Knock-knock to the beach with airplanes If we talk about access to the beach from the south side of the airport, from Nai Yang Beach, then it is advised to leave your transport near the Maya Phuket Hotel and then walk. Nearby is the entrance to the Sirinat National Park, the entrance to which is paid - 200 baht per person! (I don’t understand why? It’s still dirty there!). And then walk along the seashore to the point where planes land far away. I am this way I don't recommend it.
- Lately, information has been popping up more and more often on the Internet that the beach with airplanes is closed! Beach not closed, it cannot be closed :)
- The landing direction of aircraft depends on wind directions: During the low season from April to October, planes mostly land not from the sea side, but from the land side! Airplane landing directions can be tracked on the flightradar website
- I advise you to come to the beach where planes land as soon as possible! The best time is from 7 to 10 am
- On the beach where everyone is waiting for planes no shadow, the day is very, very hot. Sunscreen, light long sleeves, a hat and you can wait for takeoff and landing :)
- Here the sun sets into the sea, so it’s good in the evening at sunset, but photos of airplanes will also turn out against the sun
- Take water/food with you to the beach; there are no cafes or other infrastructure on the seashore
- If someone, like me, needs a fresh shower after the sea: there is a shower at the entrance from the beach to the Splash Beach Resort hotel
Even in the morning it is very hot on Mai Khao beach. Waiting for planes in the shade of trees :) Photo
There are many unique places on our planet, and one of them is in Phuket - this is a beach located in close proximity to the landing strip. In this area of the sea coast on Mai Khao (Nai Yang) beach, you can capture planes taking off and landing in photos or videos and admire the unusual view.
Moreover, today there is such a direction in photography as spotting. This hobby has become an exciting hobby for many who love photographing unusual situations and objects. Selfie lovers visiting this country will definitely choose the beach on the coast in Phuket, where planes land overhead.
In fact, air transport lands 100 meters from the coastline, due to the runway located perpendicularly. The beach section, which is located in front of the airport, is an open and unguarded place. Thus, any traveler can visit here. Everyone will agree that the sight of an airplane taking off overhead and the power of this iron machine, weighing several hundred tons, is simply mesmerizing and makes the heart beat faster.
Please pay attention! Remember that landing an airplane is a complex technical process. When visiting this beach, you should be extremely careful, since the warm air currents from the turbines of aircraft can literally knock you off your feet.
Location of Mai Khao Beach
If you fly to Phuket, then finding Mai Khao Beach will not be difficult. As mentioned above, it is located in close proximity to the airport in the northeast of the island.
The beach itself is a fairly long strip of sand, the length of which is 11 kilometers. Previously, this was a favorite nesting site for leatherback turtles, which laid their eggs here. Today it is a developed part of the sea coast with a familiar, but rather modest infrastructure for tourists.
We also note that the place where the beach is located, where you can relax and enjoy the magnificent spectacle of planes taking off, is located within the boundaries of the Sirinath National Park. Therefore, in addition to the main attraction, tourists will be able to get wonderful impressions of exotic landscapes, unique flora and fauna for which Thailand is so famous.
Beach Features
Near the beach, travelers will not find cafes and restaurants familiar to most resorts. Nevertheless, this area does not lose popularity, because its main advantage is that tourists and vacationers can capture how the plane will land.
- There is no special rescue service on the beach;
- The shore itself is not suitable for relaxing and swimming with children due to the problematic uneven bottom, which is unsafe for children;
- On this beach, as a rule, there are few umbrellas and sunbeds; such equipment is provided on the territory of hotels;
- When going to the beach, be sure to take sunscreen with you, since there are no protective canopies on the coast.
We can say that the beach is not the best place for those who are used to comfortable relaxation, shopping, nightlife and entertainment. However, this is a popular part of the island for people who love thrills.
During the day, Mai Khao is almost always crowded, everyone is trying to catch an unusual shot. If you need to conduct a professional photo shoot, then it is better to arrive before 9 am or after 19 pm. The planes will also fly low over the beach, but other tourists will not be present in the pictures.
Favorable weather, when the sea is calm, lasts in this place from November to April. At this time, it will be easier to photograph a low-flying airliner against a cloudless sky. Although hotel prices are lower from May to October.
It is not every day that you can see flying planes; this is directly related to weather conditions. After all, airliners choose their landing site depending on the wind. But the plane takes off in only one direction - over the beach. The airliners fly so low that you can feel the heat of the turbines and the vibration of the air from their operation. Gusts of wind sometimes carry away tourists' clothes and slippers, and also lift heaps of sand and shells into the air. Security guards constantly drive away the most curious from the fences behind which the airport begins. Therefore, it is better not to approach the fence directly.
How to get to Mai Khao
Although the beach and the unusual airport are located nearby, it is impossible to move freely from one to the other. There are several ways to get to this place on the coast in order to capture airbuses flying nearby.
The best option to get from the airport to the beach is by taxi (Highway 402). Public transport is rare. From the highway, the path goes through the Sirinath National Park or the Centara Hotel. Please note that for vehicle owners there is an entrance fee to the park, which is about 100 baht.
Another option is to go through the water park located in the southern part of the island. If you came with a rented vehicle, then you will have a place to leave it. The water park has parking. You can also book a beach transfer here with cargo and passenger planes flying to Phuket.
As mentioned above, Mai Khao Beach is not the best place for shopping and entertainment. Although here you can do some shopping in the turtle village (food, drinks, souvenirs). The main attraction is the sight of the planes landing.
The nearest entertainment center is an hour's drive from the beach. Please note that due to the fact that Mai Khao is part of a national park, this beach is closed to all types of watercraft equipped with engines, including scooters.
That is, Mai Khao is an ideal place for people who love thrills (photos of airplanes up close), as well as those who come to relax and enjoy exotic nature, long walks along the seashore or enjoying the bright and lush landscapes of the national park.
Climate and attractions
On the beach, travelers can not only take photographs of airliners taking off, but also enjoy the natural features of this island.
Vacationers can take advantage of the small shops located along the coast. As a rule, near each of them there is an open area with a couple of tables where you can sit with friends and drink refreshments.
Another interesting attraction of this island with a unique beach where airplanes fly is the fund for helping stray cats and dogs (Soi Mai Khao, 10). As a rule, visitors to this place are couples with children who want to play with the animals. The conditions for keeping pets here are very decent, and admission is free, and tourists can watch exotic animals at any time.
In 2017, Phuket was one of the top three islands where tourists prefer to spend their holidays. Here you can see not only how airliners fly by or take off, but also a lot of other attractions.
Mai Khao is a place where you can get a lot of impressions from airliners flying overhead. But for a leisurely holiday on the sea coast, it is better to choose other beaches on the island.
Video
The island of Saint Martin (some use the name Sint Maarten) and its airport are located in the Caribbean Sea, which is one of the most popular tourist regions in the world. Almost every island that can be reached comfortably has development potential. There are two main ways to solve the delivery of passengers: ship or plane.
Sea and ocean cruises create a significantly smaller portion of the tourist flow compared to air transport. But the cost and complexity of air harbor infrastructure is significantly higher and sometimes requires non-standard solutions from engineers and architects.
The island of St. Martin in the Lesser Antilles archipelago has one of the most interesting airports in the world (ranked in the top 10 in terms of danger rating, according to Reuters). It also plays a major role in transport services to the surrounding areas: St. Eustatius, Saba, St. Barthelemy and Anguilla.
Princess Juliana Airport (full official name) has the ability to accommodate even large Boeing 747 class aircraft, although the runway, with a normal width of 45 m, is only 2300 m long, which is the maximum permissible value for some types of airliners. In this regard, takeoffs and landings taking place at a glide slope of 3° are considered the most dangerous in the Caribbean region.
The construction of the airport began with the construction of a military air base back in 1942. Although already in 1943, due to the lack of military operations in the region during the Second World War, it was converted into a civilian one. After 1964, it was reconstructed and a new control tower and terminal appeared. After 1985, it was modernized, so it began to be able to accept long-haul classes of aircraft and fully comply with the high development of tourism in Sint Maarten.
Features of the air harbor
Here we can talk about a variety of factors.
The island has a relatively small area - only 87 km², with predominantly hilly terrain and tropical thickets.
The island is divided by different states: the northern part is the French overseas community of Saint-Martin, the southern part is the autonomous entity of Sint Maarten, subordinate to the Dutch crown.
Only after 1994 was the Franco-Dutch protocol on border control signed. The end of the landing strip abuts Maho Beach in the west of the Dutch part. Airplanes land and take off directly above the heads of tourists, 10-20 m above the surface.
Spectacular photographs and videos of airplanes bring incredible popularity to Princess Juliana among other airports in the world. Nearby there are several cafes and hotels that specialize in the island's most famous species. A loudspeaker is installed on the beach, which reports about planes approaching to land and broadcasts conversations between dispatchers and crew.
In the central part of Maho, wind speeds can reach 180 km/h, which can be very dangerous and even fatal for humans, but this does not stop curious tourists who try to take vivid photos and shoot videos of the aircraft.
In 2012, renowned photographer Josef Heflener published black-and-white spotter photographs from the area around the airport, including them in the book Jetliner: The Complete Works.
Infrastructure
The location and topography of the island of Sint Maarten did not allow for the construction of a full-fledged runway. Therefore, it was decided to build a runway of the minimum allowable length for long-haul airliners (for example, 747). The width was increased to 45 m. Radar systems provide a range of up to 460 km. The capacity is thus up to 30 flights per hour.
The dispatch service also provides control over other small airports in this area: Clayton J. Lloyd, L’Espérance, Gustaf III. The terminal, with an area of 30,500 m², can serve up to 2,500,000 passengers per year. In the entire history of the airport, not a single accident has been recorded, although this runway is considered one of the most difficult for airliner crews and air traffic control services.
Photos and videos from Sint Maarten airport
View of the island of Sint Maarten
Princess Juliana Airport runway
The end of the landing strip abuts Maho Beach in the west of the Dutch part. Airplanes land and take off directly above the heads of tourists, 10-20 m above the surface.
For those who are afraid of flying :)
1. Princess Juliana International Airport, o. Saint Martin
This post has been translated and compiled specifically for Pikabu.ru (you should finally go to it :))), just kidding :) in fact, we are growing and thriving)
Princess Juliana International Airport serves Sint Maarten, the Dutch part of the island of St. Maarten. It is the second busiest airport in the Eastern Caribbean. The runway is only 2,180 m long - barely enough for large airliners. Pilots have to land very low, right over Maho Beach.
That's why this place is so popular among plainspotters. It is difficult to believe the authenticity of the photographs of giant airliners flying at an altitude of 10-20 meters above sunbathing tourists, however, they are real. Despite the difficult take-off and landing conditions, not a single accident has been recorded at this airport.
Here's a video of the landing:
2. Juancho Airport - Irauskin, Saba Island
Juancho Airport is the only airport on the Caribbean island of Saba, Netherlands Antilles. It is widely known among experienced pilots for its runway size.
Juancho Airport occupies quite a large part of the small island of Saba. Some experts are of the opinion that the airport is one of the most dangerous in the world, despite the fact that no accidents have occurred here. There is an X on each side of the runway, indicating that the airport is closed to commercial aviation.
The location of the airport poses a threat. On one side there are high mountains, and on the other - the sea and steep cliffs. The danger is that the plane may go off the runway when landing or taking off.
3. Courchevel Airport
Courchevel is the largest ski resort in the world, located in the French Alps. Courchevel Airport is notorious in aviation due to its short runway, 525 m (1,722 ft) long and with a slope of 18.5%. You have to approach and take off on a slope to set the required speed.
Who can land here? Well, Pierce Brosnan would be on that short list. This is the airport shown at the beginning of the movie Tomorrow Never Dies. For others, the only way to get here is by private planes, helicopters, and charter flights. Pilots undergo extensive training to land at the CVF.
You can skip straight to the 4th minute, before that there is a lot of talking and flying. And judging by the video, it’s really very difficult to land...
4. Gustav III Airport, Saint Barthélemy
Gustav III Public Airport is located in Saint-Jean on the Caribbean island of Saint Barthélemy. Most passenger planes, such as the Twin Otter, carry fewer than twenty passengers and are designed to give vacationers a view of the island from above. The short runway runs along the slope and ends right at the beach. Planes take off over the heads of tourists, there are signs everywhere prohibiting standing at the end of the runway.
And here crash plane at this airport
5. Barra International Airport
Barra Airport is the only airport in the world where planes land on a beach. The airport is located on the wide beach of Tri Moor, on the Isle of Barra, Outer Hebrides, Scotland. If you want to travel here by commercial plane, you can book tickets with British Airways, with flights to Barra from Glasgow and Benbecula.
The airport is literally flooded by high tide once a day. If you arrive in the evening, you will notice several cars in the parking lot with their headlights on. This is additional lighting since the airport is not designed for night flights. You probably won't want to walk along the beach at Barra Airport unless you're an aviation fanatic. For such cases, signs are placed everywhere: “When the windsock is raised and the airport is operating, it is prohibited to be on the beach.”
landed right on the beach)) it looks so unusual)
6. Madeira Airport (Portugal)
Madeira International Airport, also known as Funchal Airport and Santa Catarina Airport. It operates national and international air services on the island of Madeira. Madeira Airport is considered one of the most dangerous due to its short runway, surrounded by high mountains and the ocean. This arrangement and length of the runway makes landing very difficult even for the most experienced pilots.
Previously, the length of the runway was only 1400 m, but after a plane crash in 1977, it was decided to increase the length of the runway by 400 m. In 2003, the runway was completely rebuilt, almost doubling the original length due to an external structure over the ocean, which is located at 180 reinforced concrete pillars about 70m high
For the extension of the new runway, Funchal Airport received the Outstanding Structures award from the international association IABSE. In Portugal, this award is considered the "Oscar" of engineering structures.
7. Lukla Airport, Nepal
A huge mountain on one side, and a kilometer-long cliff on the other. And this is at an altitude of 2900 m, not much depends on you here.
Lukla Airport is a small airport in eastern Nepal. In January 2008, the Nepalese government announced that the airport would be renamed in honor of Sir Edmund Hillary, the first person to reach the summit of Everest. The airport is very popular as the city of Lukla is where many people begin their climb to Everest. You can read more about this airport
"Photoshop!" - those who see these pictures for the first time immediately declare decisively. “This is an obvious fake! - critics convince. - Look at the shadows here and here. Look at the landing gear, planes don’t land like that! Yes, there is such a noise that everyone will be deaf! Everyone will just be blown away! It can not be!". Can not?
Looks impressive, no doubt. Giant liners fly so low over the beach that the landing gear almost seems to touch the heads of sunbathers. Well, they don’t want to connect these shots with ideas about security.
Skeptics immediately noticed that in some photographs the shadows of people and flying cars were falling in different directions. They considered the position of the landing gear not ready for an early landing.
Many were also puzzled by why vacationers don’t look at airplanes? Is this common? Why didn't these crazy people go deaf from the noise of the engines?
But, as it turns out, there are a lot of such photographs (it is extremely difficult to imagine such a large-scale falsification). And the photographs, judging by the picture, were taken in the same place. Coincidence?
June 26, 2003. A Boeing 747-406 belonging to Royal Dutch Airlines lands (photo by Aric Thalman from Airliners.net).
At the same time, a significant number of people (tourists, experts and even pilots) assure that the photographs and what is on them are 100% real. To find out if this is true, we did some research.
And this is what turned out. St. Maarten Island is located in the northern part of the Eastern Caribbean islands. Its northern part belongs to France, and its southern part belongs to the Netherlands. We are interested in the Dutch part of the island, this is where everything happens.
During World War II, an airfield was built on the island, which is now Princess Juliana International Airport - now considered the busiest airport in the Caribbean.
Indeed, it seems incredible. But this is reality (photo from aviationpics.de).
And the Maho Beach resort, located in the immediate vicinity of the airport, is called by many as “the best place in the world for watching airplanes.”
They, the planes, land from the sea, fly over a strip of beach, then over the highway (there are warning signs about very low-flying planes) and immediately - immediately - they land on the runway.
It starts right behind the fence. Its length is about 2130 meters, which is not enough for heavy aircraft like 747s - they would be at least 2.5 thousand.
But there is nothing to be done: there is simply no other airport on St. Martin Island capable of receiving large airliners (there is, however, another one for small aircraft). Thus, the seemingly fantastic landings captured in photographs are obtained.
Princess Juliana Airport. Airplanes are landing from the left (illustration from pjiae.com).
Naturally, a lot of onlookers gather to look at this. Armed with alcoholic drinks, young people hang on the fences and watch. The police no longer pay attention to this.
Moreover, gatherings take place at both ends of the runway, because takeoffs, according to some, look more spectacular.
Therefore, lovers of this kind of sights and sensations specially come to the island. However, in the invitation from the Maho Beach resort, you most likely will not find a word about landing planes.
The reason is obvious - tourists come to stay in paradise, and not to live on the runway. Looking at it once or twice may be great, but several times a day? It must be quite noisy.
And another 747 (photo by Francisco Jose Jurado Ariza from Airliners.net).
However, some people, on the contrary, are exploiting the current situation. For example, the owners of the Sunset Beach bar - one of the best on the island - do not hide the existence of airplanes.