After a bit of investigation even I was surprised at how massive the jet blast radius is on the bigger aircraft! You wouldn't want to be within about 600m of the back of a 777 on takeoff power!

 

Have a look at this: http://www.boeing.com/commercial/airports/plan_manuals.html go to the model, and then 'Operating Conditions'.

I have to say that I honestly can't understand how the construction of a jet-wash deflector could be construed as nanny-state interference with people's freedom, any more than the existence of a fence to stop people from wandering onto the runway itself is, or the practice of putting guards on dangerous machinery is.

 

If this is, in fact, a public beach, then people have the right (as in freedom) to be there without fear of being blasted into the sea by jet engines going to TOGA thrust at the runway chevrons. Which rights have priority? Those of people on the beach not to be blown around like leaves in a gale, or the rights of aircrew to blithely ignore public safety when powering up?

 

To be honest....I bet people take a vacation there intentionally knowing that this is the one place in the world where they can stand behind a jet during takeoff and landing. Just like people want to come to New Zealand to bungy jump and do other crazy things here too.

 

New Zealand is the best country in the world to Bungy Jump and Saint Maarten is the best country in the world to get blasted on a beach by a jet. Neither country is going to change that anytime soon.

 

As long as their are adventurers out there then their is money to be made....and lot's of it.

 

Cheers

Presumably the heavies that go out of there don't need to taxi onto the chevrons?

 

There is never a need to taxi onto the chevrons as taxiing onto the chevrons is completely illegal.

This has been discussed over and over and over and over... It's normal and authorities don't care about this. There are warnings on the beach and people know the dangers. Get over it.

This diagram shows just breakaway thrust. At full throttle the whole beach would go!!!

vololiberista

 

This has been discussed over and over and over and over... It's normal and authorities don't care about this. There are warnings on the beach and people know the dangers. Get over it.

 

The guy in charge there may not care, but the chevroned area is still not any sort of movement area. Even if they don't care, your boss might.

The modern day Pirates of the Caribean use Jet Blast to cause trouble :LMAO:

 

To me it seems like it is good for tourism so leave them alone....ALSO I really hate it when people tell my country what to do so let's not tell that country what to do either. They have their reasons for allowing airplanes to blast drunk people on the beach. It is good for tourism and makes the locals have a laugh.

 

Cheers

The modern day Pirates of the Caribean use Jet Blast to cause trouble :LMAO:

 

To me it seems like it is good for tourism so leave them alone....ALSO I really hate it when people tell my country what to do so let's not tell that country what to do either. They have their reasons for allowing airplanes to blast drunk people on the beach. It is good for tourism and makes the locals have a laugh.

 

Cheers

 

I understand that the authorities in St.Maarten are all probably in on the joke in the interest of keeping the beachbars filled. However, that doesn't change how the management and authorities of the airline and country that you are from are going to handle things if a video shows up on youtube of you doing something that is flagrantly a violation of the regulations. Last I head of the two jetblue guys are that they got sent to prostans. Hopefully, that's all that will happen. I have nothing against blasting drunks into walls if that is the local sport. It is doing that while you are taxiing into areas that are not meant to be taxiable that is stupid, because that opens you up for certificate action. Blast them from the runway, not the overrun.

I understand that the authorities in St.Maarten are all probably in on the joke in the interest of keeping the beachbars filled. However, that doesn't change how the management and authorities of the airline and country that you are from are going to handle things if a video shows up on youtube of you doing something that is flagrantly a violation of the regulations. Last I head of the two jetblue guys are that they got sent to prostans. Hopefully, that's all that will happen. I have nothing against blasting drunks into walls if that is the local sport. It is doing that while you are taxiing into areas that are not meant to be taxiable that is stupid, because that opens you up for certificate action. Blast them from the runway, not the overrun.

 

This is true. You have to follow your FAA licence rules in and outside the USA.

 

But that aircraft taking off in that video is from Curaçao so they answer to a different authority

But that aircraft taking off in that video is from Curaçao so they answer to a different authority

Curacao, Aruba, Sint Maarten, Saba, Bonaire, etc. etc. are ruled by the Netherlands, previously the Netherlands Antilles until Aruba left in the 80's and the rest followed.

Curacao, Aruba, Sint Maarten, Saba, Bonaire, etc. etc. are ruled by the Netherlands, previously the Netherlands Antilles until Aruba left in the 80's and the rest followed.

 

I think what happened is some of these other guys like to taxi back over the chevrons and blast the beach....The Jetblue guys tried it too and got in trouble. :Thinking:

 

Different authorities and jurisdictions

It will end badly..

It will end badly..

 

Kind of like this?

 

The problem with a blast fence though is it will be an obstruction and further shortening the usable length of the runway.

True....If an aircraft did over-run it would just run into the beach and ocean. Not good for the Beachgoers.

 

But that is just it with a vacation isn't it. I could choose to vacation in Hawaii where I know it has good infrastructure, I can drink the tap water without diarea, and if a shark bit my leg when surfing a very good chance the local hospital could save my leg.

 

I could also choose to vacation in Fiji.....Tap water will make me sick, local government is a dictator and if a shark bit my leg they would just amputate it, no chance of a medevac as Fiji is too far away.

 

That's just life isn't it.