Is it really necessary to have a runway right beside a crowded beach?
During a recent bout of doing entirely too much work, I was dreaming of being on the beach.
Ah, thoughts of sand between my toes, slight breeze running through my hair, the sun beating down on my face. A trashy novel sitting by my side, which I’d glance at in between sips of my daiquiri/bloody mary/pina colada.
I might even paint my toes for the occasion, who knows?
And then, all of a sudden, a cloud begins to block my sun. Not to worry, I’m sure the cloud is just moving lazily through the sky the same way I’m moving through my martini.
The sun will be back in full swing in just a second.
Well, now it seems to be getting even darker out here, as if the sun is totally blocked. And a loud noise and swishing sound is beginning to hurt my ears. Am I going to have to take off my sunglasses, and the cucumbers on my eyes underneath them, to see what is going on?
Photo: W8EB / Feature photo: Richard Moross
Damn you, KLM!!
Got a too-close-for-comfort plane, train, or automobile story? Share your thoughts below.
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8 Comments... join the discussion!
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Gotta confess it looks a little spooky to me. Damned if I’d be sunnin’ my buns on that beach !
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Clearly, the picture is doctored. Let’s be logical: what would all those people be doing on a sandy runway, anyway?
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Wow if the picture above is real then that must be a contender for the worst beach in the world! It reminds me of all of the old shots of planes coming in to land at the old Kai Tak Airport in Hong Kong, flying so low they almost touch the buildings!
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Julie, it’s definitely real…there are quite a few photographers out there who have shot plans landing there at the Princess Juliana airport. Just Google “Princess Juliana Maho beach photo” and you’ll see quite a few…
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do ya think those on the beach consider all that noise relaxing? Maybe. But if that jumbo jet even flies over once a day, I agree with Julie — that beach is a contender for worst beach in the world.
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I have been to that beach, and been tanning when the planes come in. It is more cool then actually scary. It is one of those the picture looks worse then in actually is but the picture is totally real!
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That’s sooo kool!
I guess this is why airline pilots make the big bucks, and why we prefer the auto pilot to be turned OFF when the giant metal blob is ready to land.
I hear the new jets can land on their own now. Amazing, if true!↵
