Plane-watching in St. Maarten…the coolest.

Calling all aviation geeks…..I will start by sharing one of my favorite things to do.  Plane-watching.  It does not matter where or when, plane watching is so much fun.  As I mentioned, I worked for an airline for over 17 years, and there is nothing I enjoy more than watching a takeoff or landing.  It’s even more thrilling watching up close and personal.  I’ve actually had the opportunity to fly a 757 in a flight simulator, sat in a real cockpit (while aircraft parked), walked the ramp, and watched a crew paint a 777 from start to finish.   But one of the best places to catch runway action is in St. Maarten, at the world famous Princess Juliana Airport.

The place to be or be seen is the world famous Sunset Bar and Grill at Maho Beach in St. Maarten.   It’s an aviation geek’s dream, no other airport rivals this spot.  Crowds gather daily from all over the world, with cameras and cellphones in tow, ready for that great shot.  My personal favorite is the arrival of KLM’s 747 from Amsterdam.  You can catch a range of very large (747s) to very small (turboprops and private planes) planes on a daily basis. The real thrill seekers get very close to the runway, hold on to the fence during takeoff, and catch the jet blast, which can be very dangerous.  The sand blast is powerful, the engines are noisy, but it’s about as cool as you can get.    All I can say, is JUST DO IT!