797 From Venezuela, joined Aug 2005, 1821 posts, RR: 26 Posted (7 years 8 months 2 days 19 hours ago) and read 3716 times:
Hello guys,
Probably this subject has already been discussed, but I couldn't find anything regarding to it.
Yesterday I met with 3 Venezuelan A.netters (Chiguire, Luisde8cd and BA747). Luis recently went to SXM and told me that he was behind the fence just when an AA 757 was about to take off. He decided to back off a little bit because he was with his little cousin, but a drunk guy stood at the fence waiting for the a/c to depart. Luis told me that when the a/c pushed the throttle, all the sand started to fly towards him. All those pieces of sand caused a little pain on him, but he also said that the drunk guy was screaming "It Hurts!". Supposedly, the heat coming out from the engines is very high and strong, and Luis compared to a huge hair-dryer blowing towards your face. Also he said that the water from the beach went back because the thrust caused like a hole due to its power.
So, my question is, if this powerful thrust was form a 757, how could a 747's be?
Could this actually burn your skin or cause serious damage?
Hope you guys say NO, because I'm dying to go to Maho Beach and stand behind a 747!!!
Oh, by the way, Luis told me that this can't be done:
TPASXM787 From United States of America, joined Mar 2005, 1730 posts, RR: 22 Reply 2, posted (7 years 8 months 2 days 19 hours ago) and read 3634 times:
I don't know that standing behind it is a great idea, but I doubt anything terribly serious would happen. So far as spotting and taking pics, there's no where else like it:
Venezuela747 From United States of America, joined Jan 2004, 1407 posts, RR: 5 Reply 3, posted (7 years 8 months 2 days 19 hours ago) and read 3633 times:
The question you should be asking youself is it worth the pain........of course, it's a once in a lifetime opportunity
JHSfan From Denmark, joined Apr 2004, 469 posts, RR: 2 Reply 4, posted (7 years 8 months 20 hours ago) and read 3436 times:
Quoting 797 (Thread starter): So, my question is, if this powerful thrust was form a 757, how could a 747's be?
Based on the Airplane Characteristics for Airport Planning manuals from Boeing for 747 and 757, I have made a picture showing the Jet engine exhaust velocity contours at takeoff thrust. Using page 151 in the 747-400 manual and page 113 from 757 manual I have merged the two footprints. Size is 72,7 KB, dimensions are 5541 x 2282 pixels and format is PNG. Blue is the contours forn 747 and green is for 757. Please notice that I have used data for the 757-200, not the -300. Feel free to make a picture with -300 instead.
A rough estimation of the distance from the fence at Maho Beach to a 747 or a 757 waiting to take off is 20-40 meters. Jet engine exhaust velocity contours at takeoff thrust.
Quoting 797 (Thread starter): Could this actually burn your skin or cause serious damage?
My answer concerning temperature, based on Boeing's manual, is NO, if the exposure to the exhaust do not last to long.
Yours in realtime
JHSfan
Look at me, I´m riding high, I´m the airbornmaster of the sky...
No it isn't. You will die if you do it. I have heard stories of little girls being blown out in the ocean and eaten by mutant robot sea snakes in front of horrified onlookers.
It will rip your flesh clean off. That's why there's so many deformed monster skeleton people walking around St Maarten.
Ahlfors From Canada, joined Oct 2000, 1318 posts, RR: 5 Reply 10, posted (7 years 8 months 10 hours ago) and read 3038 times:
I've stood behind B757s, A340s, and a B747 at SXM, and I must say that when standing right behind the centerline, the B757 packs the meanest punch... but man is it FUN!
I found that if you're right at the fence, it won't hurt much (keep your eyes closed though), though there might be a tiny bit of loose gravel, and I got a small cut once. However, if your closer to the sand, you get sand blasted, which a) hurts, and b) covers your body afterwards.
So as long as you are healthy and strong enough to hold your own weight, you should have a problem. The force is not as strong as gravity, so if you can hang from a horizontal bar for 15 seconds without letting go, it's not going to blow you away. But DO HOLD ON!
As for the heat, if you stand behind 10 in a row, your probably in for about the equivalent of a mild sunburn, so enjoy in moderation.
theoretically...if your at SXM, your going to do some amount of swimming. And in saltwater, if you plan to look at anything underwater, goggles are a good idea. Why not just stand there with goggles?!?! (you may look like a retard, but who the hell cares)
797 From Venezuela, joined Aug 2005, 1821 posts, RR: 26 Reply 15, posted (7 years 8 months 8 hours ago) and read 2922 times:
Quoting Longhornmaniac (Reply 14): Why not just stand there with goggles?!?! (you may look like a retard, but who the hell cares)
Ha! very smart idea! But you'd be the make-me-laugh of all the spotters there... So, imagine that someone takes a pic of a jet landing and accidentally your head comes up in the image, and eventually it's posted on A.net! OUCH!
So... some people might care after all!!!
Saludos!
Flying isn't dangerous. Crashing is what's dangerous!
Longhornmaniac From United States of America, joined Jun 2005, 3094 posts, RR: 48 Reply 17, posted (7 years 8 months 7 hours ago) and read 2915 times:
Quoting 797 (Reply 15): Quoting Longhornmaniac (Reply 14):
Why not just stand there with goggles?!?! (you may look like a retard, but who the hell cares)
Ha! very smart idea! But you'd be the make-me-laugh of all the spotters there... So, imagine that someone takes a pic of a jet landing and accidentally your head comes up in the image, and eventually it's posted on A.net! OUCH!
So... some people might care after all!!!
Saludos!
LOL, true, that would be quite embarassing. I'd roll over laughing if I saw somebody doing that. Maybe I'll be the first, hopefully I can make it to SXM sometime before I die.
I did Airliners.net photo search -- there are no SXM incident photos (especially photos of jets after crash landing).
To me, looks like SXM is accident-free spot.
I was told while in SXM (July '05) that the fence was hit twice by the same Air France pilot on approach. I have no other basis for touting this as true but I may have seen it mentioned on the a.net forums before.
Runway31 From United Kingdom, joined Nov 2004, 72 posts, RR: 0 Reply 22, posted (7 years 8 months 3 hours ago) and read 2757 times:
As far as I am aware it is not compulsory to stand directly behind aircraft hanging on to the fence to get the full effect of the jet blast. It is therefore safe to say that if you use your brain it will tell you to stand back and keep away from the fence to ensure your safety.
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