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The Most Dangerous Airport in the World…For Observers
A little too close for comfort
If you’re flying to St Martin http://www.st-maarten.com/, a/k/a Sint Maarten — or touching down before continuing on to other Caribbean points — try to schedule a little extra time so you can grab a cab and head over to Sunset Beach, about a mile away.
The Sunset Bar & Grill will provide you with libations of every variety in order to better get into the rhythm of the Caribbean. But the real reason to go is so you can experience firsthand one of the most dangerous airports in the world — for observers.
Officially known as the Princess Juliana International Airport, the approach for the runway is located right next to Sunset Beach. Incoming planes fly so close to the sunbathers that it looks like you can almost reach up and touch the landing gear.
More precarious, however, is when a jet sits on the runway and guns its engines for takeoff. As I watched on one recent layover, the ensuing sandstorm and gusts were enough to blow a swimmer off course and blow a boogie board out to sea.
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