TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Stupid people on St. Martin Beach

I am sure the camera makes it looker closer than it really is but who knows how close it really was.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/vi...-martin-beach/vi-AAzNUiO?ocid=spartandhp

Well, if the two of them average 6', then her foot is roughly 12' in the air; not nearly as close to the plane which is still (according to the video) 100' up.

Still, the wash from the engines is going to knock her for a loop and she's in danger of breaking her neck when she hits the sand.

People on social media really need to get over themselves. If we, as a society, could regulate common sense it wouldn't then be such a rarity.

jenni--agreed no way the plane would hit her actual body, but the wash from the engines is a real danger. What morons...

To add to what was mentioned in the now closed "Airport stunt" thread.





I doubt there is any chance the airport is going to be moved.



Sorry, you "close" the beach and you lose one of the biggest tourist attractions on an island that needs all the the revenue they can generate.

How about this, let's not depend on any government entity to protect people who CHOOSE to not use common sense?? What a novel idea, use common sense! There is a double fence there, there are warning signs, there is a heavily traveled road and there is one heck of a view of planes and a nice beach with businesses trying to make a go of it.

Very well said, ruralcarrier. Common Sense - imagine that!

Lense positioning at its best. Nowhere they were in any danger other than she losing her balance. Plane was not close to them.

Agree!

Also agree!

To pull off that stunt looks pretty amazing to me.

Of course. we're all assuming, I guess, that the whole thing wasn't photoshopped in, as there is no way they were actually as close to that plane as it shows in the picture.

I don't think this is photo-shopped, as this is a real couple that performs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KmC5Vy5dPM

It is about camera angle and aspect. Similar to holding the Eiffel Tower shots....
http://www.businessinsider.com/pictures-of-people-holding-the-eiffel-tower-2014-3

That is what those two do as a profession. Acrobatics.

It wasn't close at all.

If you believe it was real I'd love to sell you Cupecoy Beach!

It's all about the angle, I have a picture of my grandson standing near Sunset Beach bar with what looks like a planes landing gear parting his hair. They got what they wanted in publicity but were certainly in no danger.

I have a picture of my wife standing with her hands up “holding” KLM 747 from about 10 years ago.... thank you baby Jesus that we didn’t post it anywhere!
There are no limits to people’s stupidity...

The over reaction was amazing to me. Someone said “they put hundreds of lives in danger” speaking about passengers. Do people think she could have kicked the plane out of the sky?

C’mon!!!

You know what Barnum said. Lol

LOL, too true. And the jet is a 15 PAX business jet (G650?)
, not a "cargo jet" or a 747. Also, the 2 engines are at flight idle during this portion of the approach. No appreciable thrust to blow them over as some have worried about.

Actually looks like an old 727 with a fresh paint job. Could be angle, could be photoshop, i dont know.

I personally think the whole maho/airport experience is ridiculous and dangerous and think anyone taking part, Acrobatic or not, is incredibly stupid. I suppose the term stupid tourist fits the bill.

Is it more dangerous than sky diving or scuba diving or mountain climbing or even just swimming in the ocean? It's called an experience for a reason. Is sitting on the beach exciting? More people die or are injured by just sitting on the beach (skin cancer) than having the airport experience. Are all acrobats stupid? Cheerleaders are acrobats. Are they incredibly stupid too?

While Sky divers, scuba divers, Mnt climbers, acrobats, swimmers etc all work with precision/ skill and intelligence - being blown uncontrollably into the ocean by jet propelled engines requires nothing more than stupidity and foolishness.

Sort of like taking a parasail excursion and the rope breaks? Or skateboarding and trying to jump over a railing and not making it which then has the person landing on the family jewels? People will always do things that others don't like or think it's foolish.

Nonsense comparison. Everyone on Maho Beach can be blown in the ocean. Is everyone on Maho Beach stupid? I've had the excitement of standing behind a jet taking off and I'm never been hurt. Do you know why? I knew how to hold onto the fence. It's no more dangerous that any of the other sports I mentioned.

People need to be careful there though. Clearly there are warning signs posted, and I've seem some really stupid stunts...like a Fiat that was flipped due to the engine blast of an Air France. But people don't listen or read. And a tourist recently lost their life, granted she was hanging on the fence, but still.

I'm sorry, and this is JUST my opinion, but anyone standing in the way of a jet engine blast while trying to hold onto a fence gets what they ask for. People have been severely injured or killed doing that; if you haven't, consider yourself lucky. People who sky dive or mountain climb or scuba dive all have a degree of training and experience involved, with some safety factors put in place. It doesn't take much experience (or brains) to be blown by a jet engine blast. With that being said, it never occurred to me that the girl in the photo was anywhere near the plane, nor in danger of causing a problem for the passengers. Some people will buy anything if it's online.

I agree with the stupidity of hanging on the fence. However 25 years ago when I was younger and dumber I admit I did it. This convsation wasn’t about that. This was about the picture of acrobats having a plane fly over their heads while doing a stunt. The most ridiculous statement mentioned the safety of plane passengers being at risk. The lady, no matter how hard she could try, was never going to kick the plane out of the air.

Thousands of people have stood behind a jet during take off. I maintain that it's no more dangerous than sky diving or mountain climbing. Just because you wouldn't do it doesn't change that fact. Have you ever done it? It's a tourist attraction for a reason. Think about mountain climbing, A person is thousands of feet in the air held up by a single rope that attached to a piece of metal that wedged into a rock. Why don't you think that's a stupid sport? As far as danger goes, I'll take a jet blast ( on terra firma) over the previously described mountain climber any day.

'Younger and dumber' I can understand. We've all done stupid, absurd things when we were younger (and dumber) and are glad to have lived through them to tell the story.

I wonder why it is not common practice at most US airports if it is such routine thing?

Not only that, I believe the main tourist attraction is watching the planes land over the beach.

Simple reason. Princess Juliana Airport is unique as far as runway placement is concerned. It's listed as one of the best, if not the best airport for plane spotting. Plane spotting is a recognized activity. Google it.

Plane spotting is a thing and there are degrees of it. My initial interest in aviation took me to SXM years ago. The ability to land and be at La Terasse within minutes is what drew us in buy. Its an easy vacay spot.

YEs, tI’ve fence ridden and such. A stunt, yes, but the couple wasn’t at that much risk.

That being said, hundreds died today just riding in their cars. Sadly, I lost an employee within an hour of saying “see you tomorrow “ at my office, on a road I’ve driven thousands of times. I’ll do a hand plant at SXM any given day as I stand a higher risk dying every day that I drive...