Aviation Photo #1252724 Boeing 747-406 - KLM - Royal Dutch Airlines

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Aircraft

KLM - Royal Dutch Airlines
Boeing 747-406

Reg.: PH-BFG

MSN: 24517

Line No.: 782

Code: FG-003

Location & Date

Philipsburg / St. Maarten - Princess Juliana (SXM / TNCM)
St. Maarten - July 2, 2006

Caption

Well I don’t think this really needs a comment. It speaks for itself. Truly SXM trademark at its best. If he were much lower he would have gotten the fence and these guys’ heads. Not very often you see grown men ducking down there. What an awesome weekend this was. Thanks guys!

Photographer

Trent R Sellers

163 USA

Contact Trent R Sellers

Sponsor Message

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Distinct Views: 2,071,247
Photo Added: August 23, 2007

Comments (220)

Anonymous

16 years ago

Holy s*** this is by far one of the lowest 744 landing in SXM I've seen so far thanx for sharing this great moment. And of course touching down on the runup part of the rwy...

Anonymous

16 years ago

Wow!!! This is a really low approach. I think there is less than one meter between wheels and man head. Excellent timing my friend.

Anonymous

16 years ago

I have seen many shots from SXM, but this is truly fantastic! Looks like the pilots wanted to go to the beach right away...

Anonymous

16 years ago

They did it again! Except this one isn't as low as the first one.

Anonymous

16 years ago

How low can you get. Great Capture,Perfect Timing

Anonymous

16 years ago

It captures the awesome spectacle of 300 tons of jumbo jet about to touch down on the very edge of runway 09 at Princess Juliana having just shaved the heads of the bathers on Maho beach. It also shows the skill and precision flying of the 747 pilot(Captain?)although it must be said, he would appear to have got just a little bit below the glideslope! However one must bear in mind that the approach here is 'Non Precision'! IE: VOR/DME!

Anonymous

16 years ago

Oh my god, that's insane, way to low!

Anonymous

16 years ago

Um... who forgot to tell the pilots that the limbo contest has moved from the airport to the bar....

Anonymous

16 years ago

Unbelievable landing.
See the guy lying on the sand and enjoy the plane crashing on him !!!
See another guy so afraid that leaning on the fence.
What if, what if, I would jump up and touch the wheels instead. Haaaaaaa.....

Anonymous

16 years ago

Most dramatic of the three pictures capturing PH-BFG mad landing at SXM! KLM's crew should order this print and keep it framed to remind them!

Anonymous

16 years ago

Famous approach in the world! Thx for your shot!

Anonymous

16 years ago

One of the most intense from SXM.

Anonymous

16 years ago

WOW! Op! Too low... but good point of view.

Anonymous

16 years ago

Woha! That is low! Look at the water, looks like a wave blown back into the ocean.

Anonymous

16 years ago

Once again, how low can you go

Anonymous

16 years ago

Brilliant! Almost looks like that grey car should be on it's roof or in the sea by now :D

Anonymous

16 years ago

I think we have just found the next top of last 365 days!

Anonymous

16 years ago

Someone should show KLM guys the difference between beach and threshold markings. All work and no play makes KLM a dull boy:/

Anonymous

16 years ago

Great picture. I'm sure the pilots earned a speaking too. :D

Anonymous

16 years ago

I rate this 3 stars for good combination of timing from both photographer and pilot!

Anonymous

16 years ago

Imagine sitting at the very rear of the aircraft and seeing how close you were to the beach and the cars!

Anonymous

16 years ago

The precision in time it was taken makes it the best

Anonymous

16 years ago

Awesome. A truly remarkable image from a remarkable airport

Anonymous

16 years ago

Best photo on .net

Anonymous

16 years ago

This photo realy shows how low can a jumbo
aproach can be.Careful guys

Anonymous

16 years ago

No words for the photo other than excellent flying and superb photographing combined... Congratulations

Anonymous

16 years ago

Absolutely 5 Stars! Congratulations! Well, another spectacular landing at St. Maarten, but's too low!

Ricardo Hermida.

Anonymous

16 years ago

OMG!! I just can't wait to get there!! Now I understand why that fence is so low...

Anonymous

16 years ago

Awsome work!

Anonymous

16 years ago

This is the best SXM shot I've ever seen

Anonymous

16 years ago

This is IMPOSIBLE!!!

awesome shot...

Anonymous

16 years ago

I think I've found my favorite pic on a.net! "The Flying Dutchman" wins this limbo contest!

Anonymous

16 years ago

Wow... that really seemed low and close. Excellent picture in the right moment!

Anonymous

16 years ago

BFG could stand for two things here... Big Friendly Giant or Big Fence Grater... almost the latter and it's an accident waiting to happen... Amazing shot though.

Anonymous

16 years ago

Perfect and touch down!

Anonymous

16 years ago

Great photo of a KLM 747 landing over a bunch of people

Anonymous

16 years ago

Lower than usual...

Anonymous

16 years ago

I'll like this photo.

Anonymous

16 years ago

The timing of this shot and quality of this shot is incredible - considering the plane is moving fast and there is little camera shake evident. Most of my colleagues who who see this can't believe it is for real!!

Anonymous

16 years ago

I never seen anything like this i can,t beleave it's real. That's just crazy

Anonymous

16 years ago

One of the most spectacular photos of Maho Beach, in my opinion. I can imagine the adrenaline rush the people on the beach felt, then. The plane almost landed on the fence...

Anonymous

16 years ago

This pilot is landing way short of the actual runway. The yellow arrows show that the threshhold for landing is further up. This section of the runway is for emergency overrun.

Anonymous

16 years ago

This is definitely the lowest i've seen as well! Great moment Trent! Jeanny

Anonymous

16 years ago

I have a pilot friend who says this is extremely low. Apparently a downdraft hit him before he went over the road. In a video I have seen you can hear the KL pilot put more power in his engines to power him over the sand. Even so he only just makes it!

Anonymous

16 years ago

Excellent tracking!

Anonymous

16 years ago

I love the guy crouched down right beneath the plane. It looks like he is the only one that didn't run out of the way.

Anonymous

16 years ago

An extreme landing in an extreme airport by a huge aircraft

Anonymous

16 years ago

OMG! It's amazing! Look at the person under the wheels!

Anonymous

16 years ago

Uuhaaaa! Holy cow! Perfect- thanks for sharing

Anonymous

16 years ago

Incredible !!

Anonymous

16 years ago

I feel the most impressive aspect of this photo is knowing that the tail of this phenomenal aircraft is literally feet off the ground and the anticipation or thought that it may drag on approach is titillating.

Anonymous

16 years ago

Amazing piloting skills to be able to bring this beast down so close to the fence and on the Stopway.

Anonymous

16 years ago

Hi a very special greeting from Tabasco, Mexico. This picture is impresinante, but when I like and landing aircraft near something that you believe or think will happen. There is another picture that I have been looking for aircraft landing on a bridge, even in movies to come out this picture, I gustari I eviasen this photograph is one of my favorites. They command a cordial greeting from Mexico to his entire team. Thanks.

Anonymous

16 years ago

Wow! cool!

Anonymous

16 years ago

This is impresionant,very good imagine

Anonymous

16 years ago

I was there in Febuary, but I didnt see the KLM fly in. The only long hauls that I saw were the Air France A 340 and the American B757. Anyway awesome picture.

Anonymous

16 years ago

That fence WILL be ripped out of its base one day. Almost seems like the KLM 747 pilots have a contest on who can pass over it with the least clearance...

Anonymous

16 years ago

Do you know the lyrics of Blur's "Song 2"? "I got my head checked By a jumbo jet" ;-)

Anonymous

16 years ago

Sweet!

Anonymous

16 years ago

This is the best shot I ever saw from an airliner which is on a super short final at SMX. This guy came in surely only centimeters above the fence.

Anonymous

16 years ago

More unique compared to the others at this location. Especially with by-standers ducking.

Anonymous

16 years ago

Driver of that car right under 747 was lucky not to get blown away!

Anonymous

16 years ago

In that moment, I wouldn't be one of this guys down there at the fence. One day, somebody dowmthere is going to taste some rubber.
BTW nice shot

Anonymous

16 years ago

A fabulously dramatic photo based on the sheer size of the airplane and the absurdly low approach punctuated by the man ducking at the fence to keep from having his head knocked off by a tire moving at 150 mph. Since there is no precision approach guidance (ILS) the pilot has to "hand fly" the approach based on visual cues. He erred low as evidenced by actually landing on the displaced threshold (not technically the runway) which is a violation of regulations. Has the fence ever been knocked down?

Anonymous

16 years ago

Wow that's cool

Anonymous

16 years ago

I love this shot. We have been to Sunset Beach and the planes coming in so low is really something (and loud)

Anonymous

16 years ago

Right place right time but almost wrong place right time.

Anonymous

16 years ago

How low can you go. Nice Shot

Anonymous

16 years ago

Incredible.....I wonder if they have a mortician on this island that specializes in restoring high speed de-capitations? Also couldn't the downdrafts/wake from this aircraft litterally dismember someone with the sheer force of the wind? At the very least send them tumbling? Awesome photo though!

Anonymous

16 years ago

Truely what makes aviation so special. One of the reasons people create and capture these marvels of engineering. Great photo!!

Anonymous

16 years ago

Amazing

Anonymous

16 years ago

Decapitation anyone???
I just love the "Danger!" sign in the bottom left of the shot.
Great photo.

Anonymous

16 years ago

Its beatiful see the contracts between this giant of the air and the spectactor on teh beach watching the bird landing, but the must beatigul for me is can see the old KLM colors in his bird, the contrast between the two blue colors is amasing

Anonymous

16 years ago

This photo is awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous

16 years ago

Perfect balance between exceptional and scary - amazing timing just before touchdown - nice NOT to see brake smoke.

Anonymous

16 years ago

Wow... Simply amazing.

Anonymous

15 years ago

I bet they have to top up that beech regulary with sand! That is one amazing photograph. A brave guy below that fence! 5 stars well earned.

Anonymous

15 years ago

I've never seen a plane approaching so low at SXM! It really must have been very awesome. Congratulations to this beautiful shot, this photo is perfect! So i just can say WOW!

Anonymous

15 years ago

That looks extremely perilous.

Anonymous

15 years ago

Great photo

Anonymous

15 years ago

So wonderful

Anonymous

15 years ago

What a nice shot!!! great job

Anonymous

15 years ago

Brilliant picture,looks like the main wheels will touchdown before the threshold,very low.

Anonymous

15 years ago

I´ve heard about low aproaches but this is too much. I bet the 747´s tires were 5 cm over the fence. T.B.

Anonymous

15 years ago

Wow...non-precision or not...what about the LDA calculations?

Superb photo.

Anonymous

15 years ago

As usual, SXM's the best spotting place and the shot's awesome too. But there's a limit to it. It's people lives we're talking about: minus one star for the stupid guy at the fence. People won't learn their lesson before someone actually has it's head burnt, or worse ripped off.

Anonymous

15 years ago

A brave pilot!

Anonymous

15 years ago

Good

Anonymous

15 years ago

Wonderful

Anonymous

15 years ago

Perfect timing!
The photo was taken right at the best moment. It is very well focused.

Anonymous

15 years ago

Great capture of the famous runway at Princess Juliana. You can almost see the rivets.

Anonymous

15 years ago

This pilot won the bragging rights of lowest of all low SXM approaches of all time!

Anonymous

15 years ago

A really Flying Dutchman...

Anonymous

15 years ago

Nice shot!
I believe it is totally irresponsible from the pilot for such an early landing with such a low approach.

Anonymous

15 years ago

That is CRAZY!

Anonymous

15 years ago

LOL what an experience the guy must have got!
It must be quite loud hissing that just the wheels make that close.. then add the hissing from the rest of the plane.. plus sound of engines.
Not to mention that you may think for a while that this is the time when it actually lands short...

Anonymous

15 years ago

Unbelieveable. I cannot imagine what it must be like to be one the beach under this bird when it lands.

Anonymous

15 years ago

Awesome timing nice landing. I would love to sit down there and drink beer same time hearing bigboom over me!

Anonymous

15 years ago

Just a perfect shot.....

Anonymous

15 years ago

Is it Airport St.Marten? i think its so seriously landing ,but its Funny too hehh :))))))

Anonymous

15 years ago

Really its my Fav.photo
more dangerous more Fun. Thanks for this great picture.Good Luck Nice Flight.

Anonymous

15 years ago

Awesome,almost like the pilot did this approach on purpose!

Anonymous

15 years ago

Great photo

Anonymous

15 years ago

Great shot! I like how it looks when it's low to the ground and it looks as if it's going to crash but it's really not. It would be fun to be there at that time.

Anonymous

15 years ago

Wow! Look at that guy in white standing closest to the fence! To low!!

Anonymous

15 years ago

Amazing ! The pilots perfectly knows the lenth of its plane (or where to put its weels !)

Anonymous

15 years ago

Another great shot of the planes landing over Maho!

Anonymous

15 years ago

Very nice shot! I really like this airport in Princess Juliana which is very good located near the beach ;-) And with landing KLM 747 it´s simply fantastic!

Anonymous

15 years ago

Outstanding piture!

Anonymous

15 years ago

Fascinating moment!
much lower isn`t possible!

Anonymous

15 years ago

Wheels no more than 10ft off the tarmac and yet the tailcone is still over the sea. Incredible! Only at SXM!

Anonymous

15 years ago

WOW! it's unbelievable
How do they do that!!!!!! it's a amazing moment just before the
Langing Gear touch the ground.......
I wish I can see the real sight while I'm walking in the sand

Anonymous

15 years ago

KLM, please bring back this livery. Your current livery is too plain.

Anonymous

14 years ago

Wonder if the pilots were a bit nervous wondering where the wheels were?

Anonymous

14 years ago

This has to be the best shot on the entire site. i am really thinking of getting a tattoo with this photo. just sensational!

Anonymous

14 years ago

It looks very low, but it really isn't. Go to youtube.com and search for klm 747 landing at princess juliana airport (or sxm) and see for yourself. I live in st.maarten i have seen klm land many times, by the angle of this picture is looks like the bird is very close to the ground but it really isn't. even if that guy jumped as high as he could he wouldn't even be close to the giant. I've been to this beach many times, as a matter of fact i once stayed the whole day just to watch planes land. And iv'e flown allot and trust me it isn't even close to the ground when it passes.

Anonymous

14 years ago

Wow, this photo really is amazing. Look on youtube at the video posted by sergejbojic (not me) and you will see it the actually video landing of this exact same landing. Right down to the little red car with the tyre on the back and the car behind it... even to the guy at the end of the video in the red shorts and white tshirt that you can see in the photo!! Very interesting!!!

Anonymous

14 years ago

Wow, it looks like he's going to touch down BEFORE the displaced treshold!

Anonymous

14 years ago

Unbelievably cool! You have to see it to believe it! :)

Anonymous

14 years ago

The dream

Anonymous

14 years ago

Where are the guiding lights? In the Ocean?? I have seen many photos about the landings at this airport, but seriously how do they land at night?

Anonymous

14 years ago

An amazing photo!!! It seems that KLM routinely makes the most spectacularly low (too low)approaches, but this one takes the cake!

Anonymous

14 years ago

Any lower, the guy crouching behind that fence would've been squished like a bug! Great photo!!! I gotta visit this airport someday before I die!

Anonymous

14 years ago

Great photo... I to have to visit this airport one day before i die... and the airport closes before it gets to dark...

Anonymous

14 years ago

Goliath about to step down gently! Asolutely awsome picture. Moving the camera with the motion well done.

Anonymous

14 years ago

This is what makes airliners.net such a great forum for aviation enthustaists. Hope to be at SXM someday to contribute some of my own...

Anonymous

14 years ago

Landing in the displaced threshold area and all.

Anonymous

14 years ago

I've been to this beach and this pic captures the actual landing of KLM.

Anonymous

14 years ago

The picture speaks a thousand words.. amazing photo, amazing photographer, amazing place, amazing aircraft and an amazing pilot!! Stunning!!!

Anonymous

14 years ago

How close to touchdown it was

Anonymous

14 years ago

Excellent photo. the plane have about 120 mph in landig moment y appear static

Anonymous

14 years ago

It is a super nice plane and it is very close to the public while landing. would like to have this picture as wall paper.very nice picture.kim hansen

Anonymous

14 years ago

I spent a week there and was at the airport many times. I watched many landings and the visitor from the Netherland Antilles is right. On pictures it lookes way lower than it really is.But it still is really awesome:)

Anonymous

14 years ago

A little lower... And that guy would be dead. I'm sure he is deaf, though, after that. Fantastic!!

Anonymous

14 years ago

One of the strangest pics i ever saw

Anonymous

14 years ago

Great job Trent! By the way in one of your pictures, there is a man looking out the window. It is an A330, US Airways. The man looking out the window is probably my father because he may have been flying on that day to FRA!

Anonymous

14 years ago

Absolutely impresive and exciting to see the skill needed to land such an aircraft in this particular runway.I

Anonymous

14 years ago

Captured the shot with superb clarity. I went to St. Maarten last year and failed to see a 747 landing, so sad... perhaps next time!

Anonymous

14 years ago

Absolutely perfect timing on the shot and I would love to sit on that beach all day just to watch the landings. But let's not forget one thing: What a beautiful plane the 747 is!

Anonymous

14 years ago

Excellent photo. Who cares about touching the plane, think of the thrust generated by the engines. The guy at the fence is pretty lucky in my book.

Anonymous

14 years ago

I think this is the scariest landing both for crew and passengers , not to forget the onlookers. Great photo.

Anonymous

14 years ago

Gear touches tarmac.. passengers at the very rear are still hovering above the beach haha

Anonymous

14 years ago

Nice shoot

Anonymous

14 years ago

Dam thats close to those people

Anonymous

14 years ago

Great shot

Anonymous

14 years ago

Nice cant be better......

Anonymous

14 years ago

Funny and close lol lol lol

Anonymous

14 years ago

Best pilot

Anonymous

14 years ago

Id like to see the prize for the shortest, but I think I can imagine what they bet about down there in the cockpit ;-)

Anonymous

14 years ago

Amazing

Anonymous

14 years ago

Extremly nice

Anonymous

13 years ago

A majestic airplane to fly and had some power. Passengers (in that day) just loved it. Those good feelings were felt around the globe as evidenced by the nonchalance of the inhabitants of "Eiland van dove mensen".

Anonymous

13 years ago

Can you imagine one of the biggest plane of the world just about 10 metres above your head ! That should be wonderful! I wonder how these guys were not blown away by the 747's wind ! Incredible and of course 5 stars .

Anonymous

13 years ago

Really incredible altitude on the final approach huh!!!

Anonymous

13 years ago

Great!

Anonymous

13 years ago

I laugh at people that say it is irresponsable of the pilot for coming in at such a low approach.First of all ... planes of all kinds need to get low to land ... duh. And secondly,if you are not a pilot and if you have never landed a 747 or any other type of aircraft at this particular airstrip you shoulden't say the pilot is being irresponsable in his/her approach. This is a text book landing and it is nothing less than perfect. If anyone is irresponsable it's the people who decided to keep a public beach so close to a busy runway ,but as usual nothing will be done about it until a disaster happens.

Anonymous

13 years ago

Awesome

Anonymous

13 years ago

Good screen

Anonymous

13 years ago

Spectacular! I wanna go :D

Anonymous

13 years ago

Look like the tail is going to hit the ground :D I really hope those ppl have some sort of earplug and spare underpants.

Anonymous

13 years ago

Wow, that is low!

Anonymous

13 years ago

Around the outline of the airplane are artifects visible that are normally appear when a background has been replaced in a photo.
I have been restoring damaged photos for many years, it is easy for me to recognize digital manipulation.

Joop

Anonymous

13 years ago

Joke's on you Joop, this is legitimate. Must go there someday.

Anonymous

13 years ago

The queen arrives.pure royal this a/c.

Anonymous

13 years ago

Best sxm pic ever.and yes that man at the fence is an lucky cookie

Anonymous

13 years ago

Great pic! was there last summer with the kids! they loved it! bit scary when it come right over you tho! photo is real! check out youtube for videos of it!!!

Anonymous

13 years ago

Awesome shot! How long is that runway?

Anonymous

13 years ago

To the smart canadian guy who laughs at people who think this is irresponsable. This pilot has been ask to report at head office KLM. Not a textbook landing. He was too low.

Anonymous

13 years ago

I AGREE THIS IS WAY TO LOW.

Anonymous

13 years ago

Great pic indeed but this is NOT a textbook landing at all. See the yellow chevron markings on the runway ? They indicate a pre-threshold which is an area where aircraft should NOT land (in general pavement strength is not sufficient).

Anonymous

13 years ago

Excellent

Anonymous

13 years ago

Agreed. It's private pilot level knowledge that displaced thresholds are not to be landed on. If I was acting PIC, I'd only make a PIC decision to use it in the event of a no-flap landing or stuck throttle. Stay in your lane and comment about the picture, not the piloting unless you actually know what you are talking about. This is a prime example of a failed go-around/failed proficiency check

Anonymous

13 years ago

Very good picture.

Anonymous

13 years ago

It is not a photo one sees everyday, it truly is unusual, i have seen many taken a this location.

Anonymous

13 years ago

WONDERFULL shot! the guys lying on the fence are very lucky!

Anonymous

13 years ago

Awesome shot! I wonder if the aircraft landed on the threshold, the aircraft's descent rate seems like the 747's rear wheels were going to!

Anonymous

13 years ago

Must be a hell of a feeling to stand down on that beach !

Anonymous

13 years ago

Nice

Anonymous

13 years ago

Well, that is one way to get dry after taking a dip in the ocean! Nice photo!

Anonymous

13 years ago

Stunning view !

Anonymous

13 years ago

Ok so there is another photo taken by Chris Starnes of this event. Captured mabey a second after this it shows that the wheels have not yet touched down after the first Chevron on the threshold. A visitor from Australia posted Thu June 4, 2009: "Look on youtube at the video posted by sergejbojic [which shows this landing]..." If you did this you would be able to hear the pilot increase power twice. The first is about 5 seconds before reaching the threshold, the second is just as the nose passes over the beach and it sounds like their ramming it to well above 60%. I'm no 747 pilot, but I doubt this is a case of being "brave"or "gutsy"nor do I think it is a private competition. Other people have said this and I would agree ... suddenly lost altitude on approach due to the forces of nature. Very cool and very, very infrequent shot.

Anonymous

13 years ago

Great Timing! Kudos

Anonymous

13 years ago

That's why the aircraft on the day is PH-BFG, the Big Friendly Giant

Anonymous

12 years ago

How Low Can you Go? doubleC MW

Anonymous

12 years ago

Just 1 word to describe this photo ... AWESOME!!

Anonymous

12 years ago

Awesome photo...Hats off to Pilots..

Anonymous

12 years ago

Absolutely amazing! not anyone makes a shot like that.

Anonymous

12 years ago

Way tooo high !!!

Anonymous

12 years ago

St-maarten is definitely one of the most spectacular airports in the world

Anonymous

12 years ago

Airbus states that the danger zone for the exhaust of the A330 at takeoff power is 1175ft. At that distance the airflow is more than 50MPH. The temperatures there will be about 100degF. These people stand right underneath the aircraft?????
BTW, the danger zone for the A380 is 1800ft

Anonymous

12 years ago

Let's see the Antonov 225 land there lol.

Anonymous

12 years ago

Oh wow, any time a KLM jet comes anywhere near SXM, it makes for an iconic photo.

Anonymous

12 years ago

Must be a very short runway!

Anonymous

12 years ago

Reminder!i wonder why the guy on the fence is still standing.

Anonymous

12 years ago

Well if the danger zone is really 1175 ft (= c.350 meters!)for an A330 at t/o power, then I should have been smoked countless of times, And I never got anywhere near SXM. Sure you can't go stand right behind 'em, but whatever anyone might want to prove with this shot, I think Airbus is 'exaggerating', or perhaps better, overestimating.

Anonymous

12 years ago

Lowest I've ever seen at TNCM

Anonymous

12 years ago

The guy at the fence has either got guts or he just plain crazy. I´d be crazy enough to sit there too, but would I have the guts? Not sure...

Anonymous

12 years ago

Wow!

Anonymous

12 years ago

Amazingly low

Anonymous

11 years ago

Jacob Veldhuyzen van Zanten does it again

Anonymous

11 years ago

That's how the Dutch do it!

Anonymous

11 years ago

How close that huge jet got to the road... Fortunately there is no car in the direct path of the exhaust or else it would be a watery ending for a very unhappy car owner.... AWESOME PHOTO..

Anonymous

11 years ago

Great pic, you can really see and appreciate the size of the 747 compared to cars and people.

Anonymous

11 years ago

Amazing!

Anonymous

11 years ago

Great shot! and the aircraft is pretty low! SXM is my favorite airport by far... and this picture shows why!

Anonymous

11 years ago

Love to be there!

Anonymous

10 years ago

Is that pilot trying to kill someone???

Anonymous

10 years ago

Visitor from Canada...don't blame the pilot. There are roadsigns warning people away from the line of approach. If anything happens, it's their own stupid fault ant not that of the airplane!

Anonymous

10 years ago

This guy is a nut.

Anonymous

10 years ago

Amazingly low

Anonymous

10 years ago

The plane is doing an amazing landing.

Anonymous

10 years ago

Simply Incredible!!!

Anonymous

8 years ago

Great photo. It really shows how low the aircraft are when they land at St. Maarten!

jamesjoyce

Belgium

6 years ago

KL stopped flying the 747 into SXM

withgk

Netherlands

6 years ago

Very strange that the people on the beach are not watching the plane at such a dramatic landing. It seems that they are talking and having a good time. Look at the older man in white t-shirt between the cars..he seems not even noticing the plane. All this give me a feeling that this picture is not real. I have been there twice and I know the excitement of the public when the KLM 747 lands. Not accusing or targeting anyone, but for me it's very strange.

NotNufSed

New South Wales, Australia

5 years ago

Good point withgk, although blurry, you can see that people's heads are turned away. I'm also noticing the shadow of the plane doesn't seem right. You can see the darkness of the shadow of the cars and it's really different to the plane's.
It would be sad if this photo was doctored... if it was real though, amazing