St Maarten, shared between Holland and French interests, is the ultimate location to visit for most plane spotters. The great thing about it is that the hotels around Maho Beach, offer great views, easy walking to teh beach itself, some nightlife and even gambling!
Maho Beach itself is dominated by the sunset bar, filled with spotter and holiday makers alike. Great for beers, food and views of the comings and goings - it is complete with surf board come arrivals board. Its well known, any taxi driver will gladly take you to the beach bar.
For those after other views, around the terminal side of the airport, apart from the problems with taking pictures into the sun, there are very few spots. Pictures from inside the terminal once airside are possible with care.
Driving along the road from the terminal, it wraps around the end of the runway, from which some pictures of departures, especially heavies are possible. The large hill at the end of the runway, which aircraft turn to avoid, also offers great views of aircraft as they depart and turn, plus some great, if distant views of the airport and maho beach.
For a full look at my pictures taken last winter, please follow the link to :
Plane Sight Images - St Maarten Photo's
Movements are sometimes well spaced out, but on the most part Insel Air MD80's, Carribean Airlines B737-800, LIAT Dash 8's and DAE F100's will come and go regularly. Supplemented by daily US carriers and most excitingly the Heavies from France, the traffic is exciting enough, but then throw in many regional aircraft from the neighbouring islands and based Winair Dash 6's - it becomes a perfect place to watch planes. Finally getting up early on several mornings will reward any spotter with Amerijet B727'F, Shorts 360 and best of all DC4's!
For flights to SXM, all major East Coast cities are served, as well as direct flights to Paris and Amsterdam. Intra Cariibean links are numerous and frequent allowing you to visit for a day or two, or holiday for a lot longer! check out teh following websites amongst others....
www.liat.com, www.jetblue.com, www,flyklm.com, www.airfrance.com, www.winair.com, www.delta.com, www.fly-inselair.com, www.flydae.com
Don't forget for any aircraft or aviation images, log onto my site to buy or download images, pictures and branded merchandise @ Plane Sight Images, Galleries
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| Caribbean Airlines B737-800W taxying onto runway 20 at sunset |
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| B727-200F of Amerijet arriving at 8am |
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| A Fokker 50 at Sunset |
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| The mighty Boeing 747-400 shortly after take off |
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| The Danger signs around the runway can frame a perfect picture |
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| Classic B727-200F on short final |
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| Not often you see a Shorts 360! |
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| Even less a DC4! |
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| Dusk makes this J31 shot all the better |
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| Classic B747-400 over Maho Beach |
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| Bizjets arrive regularly |
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| Pictures from the terminal are possible with care |
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| Sunset Bar arrival "Surf" Board |
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| You'll see this Dash 6 a lot |
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| Perfect Dash 8-300 shot |
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