An airport where planes land low. The most dangerous airports in the world

"Photoshop!" - those who see these pictures for the first time immediately declare decisively. “This is an obvious fake! - critics convince. - Look at the shadows here and here. Look at the landing gear, planes don’t land like that! Yes, there is such a noise that everyone will be deaf! Everyone will just be blown away! This can’t happen!” Can't?

Looks impressive, no doubt. Giant liners fly so low over the beach that the landing gear almost seems to touch the heads of sunbathers. Well, they don’t want to connect these shots with ideas about security.

Skeptics immediately noticed that in some photographs the shadows of people and flying cars were falling in different directions. They considered the position of the landing gear not ready for an early landing.

Many were also puzzled by why vacationers don’t look at airplanes? Is this common? Why didn't these crazy people go deaf from the noise of the engines?

But, as it turns out, there are a lot of such photographs (it is extremely difficult to imagine such a large-scale falsification). And the photographs, judging by the picture, were taken in the same place. Coincidence?

June 26, 2003. A Boeing 747-406 belonging to Royal Dutch Airlines lands (photo by Aric Thalman from Airliners.net).

At the same time, a significant number of people (tourists, experts and even pilots) assure that the photographs and what is on them are 100% real. To find out if this is true, we did some research.

And this is what turned out. St. Maarten Island is located in the northern part of the Eastern Caribbean islands. Its northern part belongs to France, and its southern part belongs to the Netherlands. We are interested in the Dutch part of the island, this is where everything happens.

During World War II, an airfield was built on the island, which is now Princess Juliana International Airport - now considered the busiest airport in the Caribbean.

Indeed, it seems incredible. But this is reality (photo from aviationpics.de).

And the Maho Beach resort, located in the immediate vicinity of the airport, is called by many as “the best place in the world for watching airplanes.”

They, airplanes, land from the sea, fly over a strip of beach, then over the highway (there are warning signs about very low-flying aircraft) and immediately - immediately - they land on the runway.

It starts right behind the fence. Its length is about 2130 meters, which is not enough for heavy aircraft like 747s - they would be at least 2.5 thousand.

But there is nothing to do: another airport capable of receiving large airliners, on the Island of St. Martin there is simply no (there is, however, another one, for small aviation). Thus, the seemingly fantastic landings captured in photographs are obtained.

Princess Juliana Airport. Airplanes are landing from the left (illustration from pjiae.com).

Naturally, a lot of onlookers gather to look at this. Armed alcoholic drinks, young people hang on the fences and watch. The police no longer pay attention to this.

Moreover, gatherings take place at both ends of the runway, because takeoffs, according to some, look more spectacular.

Therefore, lovers of this kind of sights and sensations specially come to the island. However, in the invitation from the Maho Beach resort, you most likely will not find a word about landing planes.

The reason is obvious - tourists come to stay in paradise, and not to live on the runway. Looking at it once or twice may be great, but several times a day? It must be quite noisy.

And another 747 (photo by Francisco Jose Jurado Ariza from Airliners.net).

However, some people, on the contrary, are exploiting the current situation. For example, the owners of the Sunset Beach bar - one of the best on the island - do not hide the existence of airplanes.

For those who are afraid of flying :)

1. Princess Juliana International Airport, o. Saint Martin

This post has been translated and compiled specifically for Pikabu.ru (you should finally go to it :))), just kidding :) in fact, we are growing and thriving)

Princess Juliana International Airport serves Sint Maarten, the Dutch part of the island of St. Maarten. It is the second busiest airport in the Eastern Caribbean. Take-off length runway is only 2,180 m - this is barely enough for large airliners. Pilots have to land very low, right over Maho Beach.

That's why this place is so popular among plainspotters. It is difficult to believe the authenticity of the photographs of giant airliners flying at an altitude of 10-20 meters above sunbathing tourists, however, they are real. Despite the difficult take-off and landing conditions, not a single accident has been recorded at this airport.

Here's a video of the landing:

2. Juancho Airport - Irauskin, Saba Island

Juancho Airport is the only airport on the Caribbean island of Saba, Netherlands Antilles. It is widely known among experienced pilots due to the size of its runway.

Juancho Airport occupies quite a large part of the small island of Saba. Some experts are of the opinion that the airport is one of the most dangerous in the world, despite the fact that no accidents have occurred here. There is an X on each side of the runway, indicating that the airport is closed to commercial aviation.

The location of the airport poses a threat. On the one side high mountains, and on the other - the sea and sheer cliffs. The danger is that the plane may go off the runway when landing or taking off.

3. Courchevel Airport

Courchevel is the largest ski resort in the world, located in French Alps. Courchevel Airport is notorious in aviation due to its short runway, 525 m (1,722 ft) long and with a slope of 18.5%. You have to approach and take off on a slope to set the required speed.

Who can land here? Well, Pierce Brosnan would be on that short list. This is the airport shown at the beginning of the movie Tomorrow Never Dies. For others, the only way to get here is by private jets, helicopters, charter flights. Pilots undergo extensive training to land at the CVF.

You can skip straight to the 4th minute, before that there is a lot of talking and flying. And judging by the video, it’s really very difficult to land...

4. Gustav III Airport, Saint Barthélemy

Gustav III Public Airport is located in Saint-Jean on the Caribbean island of Saint Barthélemy. Majority passenger aircraft, such as the Twin Otter, carry fewer than twenty passengers and are designed to give vacationers a view of the island from above. The short runway runs along the slope and ends right at the beach. Planes take off over the heads of tourists, there are signs everywhere prohibiting standing at the end of the runway.

But crash plane at this airport

5. Barra International Airport

Barra Airport is the only airport in the world where planes land on a beach. The airport is located on the wide beach of Tri Moor, on the Isle of Barra, Outer Hebrides, Scotland. If you want to get here on a commercial plane, you can book tickets at British Airways, there are flights to Barra from Glasgow and Benbecula.

The airport is literally flooded by high tide once a day. If you arrive in the evening, you will notice several cars in the parking lot with their headlights on. This is additional lighting since the airport is not designed for night flights. You probably won't want to walk along the beach at Barra Airport unless you're an aviation fan. For such cases, signs are placed everywhere: “When the windsock is raised and the airport is operating, it is prohibited to be on the beach.”

landed right on the beach)) it looks so unusual)

6. Madeira Airport (Portugal)

Madeira International Airport, also known as Funchal Airport and Santa Catarina Airport. It carries out national and international air transport on the island of Madeira. Madeira Airport is considered one of the most dangerous due to its short runway, surrounded by high mountains and the ocean. This arrangement and length of the runway makes landing very difficult even for the most experienced pilots.

Previously, the length of the runway was only 1400 m, but after a plane crash in 1977, it was decided to increase the length of the runway by 400 m. In 2003, the runway was completely rebuilt, almost doubling the original length due to an external structure over the ocean, which is located at 180 reinforced concrete pillars about 70m high

For the extension of the new runway, Funchal Airport received the Outstanding Structures award from the international association IABSE. In Portugal, this award is considered the "Oscar" of engineering structures.

7. Lukla Airport, Nepal

A huge mountain on one side, and a kilometer-long cliff on the other. And this is at an altitude of 2900 m, not much depends on you here.

Lukla Airport is a small airport in eastern Nepal. In January 2008, the Nepalese government announced that the airport would be renamed in honor of Sir Edmund Hillary, the first person to reach the summit of Everest. The airport is very popular as the city of Lukla is where many people begin their climb to Everest. You can read more about this airport

Incredible facts

The most incredible airport is located on the island of Sint Maarten in the Caribbean Sea. The strange thing about this airport is that planes, coming in to land, fly a few meters above the beach with tourists vacationing there, and herself runway starts very close to the shore.

Looking at the photos of Boeings and Airbuses landing, it may seem that this is just a joke for those who like to play with Photoshop, but the reality is this: the island’s territory is so small, and there are so many people who want to come here, that you have to save space.

The slightest mistake by the pilot and you could end up in the water.

Planes are landing, disturbing the serene rest of vacationers.

The airport was built to serve the island of Sint Maarten. In the eastern part Caribbean region this airport is the second busiest.

The runway is very small and starts just 12 meters from the beach, being only 2180 meters long.

Fortunately, there have been no reports of any accidents in the area of ​​this dangerous airport.

Those who are afraid of thrills will prefer another, less “nervous” place to relax.

1) Airport on the Caribbean island of Saba. The runway of this airport is located quite strange place: there are cliffs at both ends. However, it costs an experienced pilot nothing to land the plane in the right place if there is at least some kind of runway.

A similar situation is observed on Madeira island , where there is a break on one side of the strip. Some time ago, this airport was notorious because it had a too short runway, which was sandwiched on one side by mountains and on the other by the ocean. Later the strip was expanded and doubled in size by installing a bridge with columns on one side.

Mountain Airport

2) Courchevel Airport (France). Courchevel - name ski resort in the French Alps, which is visited by hundreds of thousands of tourists every year. The easiest way to get to these places is to take a plane.

Do you think it is impossible to build an airport in the mountains? It is possible, although a little strange. Courchevel Airport has a very short runway - only 525 meters long, with a slope of 18.5 degrees!

3) Barra Airport is the only airport in the world where planes land directly on the beach. The Isle of Barra is one of the islands of the Outer Hebrides archipelago, which belongs to Great Britain.

There is virtually no runway in these places, and planes land directly on the beach. Due to the tides, once a day this strange airport is literally submerged under water. Needless to say that relaxing on this beach is prohibited?

Unusual airport on the island

4) Kansai International Airport The Japanese city of Osaka occupies an entire island. Since the Japanese cannot boast of large spaces, and every piece of land matters, they had to build an airport, first building an island for it.

The artificial island consists of two parts, the length of most of it is 4 kilometers, and the width of the island is 2.5 kilometers. This island is a true masterpiece of engineering. Unfortunately, due to global warming and rising sea levels, this artificial island flooding is in danger.

Yesterday we discussed with mib55 difficulty of landing, however, there are a dozen airports where landing conditions are also difficult and specific. It is clear that the airports in these places were designed not for beauty and spotters, but as much as possible in the conditions of the natural environment, in order to at least pull something out and connect with air traffic... But not only the pilots have to maneuver and follow all the rules of a difficult landing, I think the passengers of these flights You will also have an unforgettable experience of taking off and landing in such places.

1. Princess Juliana Airport, Holland

Operating airlines: almost all US airlines, French charter carrier Corsairfly, KLM airline.
Princess Juliana Airport is located on the island of San Maarten, which is part of the Dutch Antilles in the Caribbean Sea. The airport's runway is very short (its length is 2130 meters) and therefore planes are forced to land literally a hundred meters from Maho Beach, where tourists sunbathe. An additional thrill is given by the knowledge that the airport is not equipped with an automatic landing system, so the planes land under manual control. The runway almost ends at a group of beach restaurants. Planes must land as close to the start of the runway as possible due to its short length, so they land at such minimum altitudes that they appear to brush the heads of people on the beach. You can peacefully lie on the beach, but when a Boeing 747 flies a few tens of meters above the ground, a real sandstorm arises due to the air flow created, which easily scatters things around. There is also some special fun here. Tourists are trying to stay on the beach when the plane taxis to the net off the coast and starts to take off from there, the jet from the engines hits the tourists and tries to knock them into the water) People come here for thrills, not for sunbathing, and all conditions have been created for this - in All bars and restaurants nearby have flight schedules. As if that weren't enough, a loudspeaker on the roof of the Sunset Beach Bar broadcasts conversations between air traffic controllers and pilots of planes about to land.
This is a spotter's Mecca. It is difficult to believe the authenticity of the photographs of giant airliners flying at an altitude of 10-20 meters above sunbathing tourists, however, they are real. Despite the difficult take-off and landing conditions, not a single accident has been recorded at this airport.

2. Kai Tak - Kulun, Hong Kong
Airlines operating flights: Cathay Pacific, Dragonair, cargo Air airlines Hong Kong and Hong Kong Airways
Due to the location of the airport, surrounded by high hills and close to the water, as well as the presence of residential buildings in its immediate vicinity, KaiTak airport went down in history as one of the most terrible, and the landing of airliners at this airport looked very spectacular due to its extreme nature. The airport was closed in 1998.

3. Paro, Bhutan
Operating airlines: Druk Air, local carrier
Paro Airport is located at an altitude of 2,225 meters above sea level and is surrounded by Himalayan peaks over 4,000 meters high, making take-off and landing extremely challenging.
Before leveling the plane for landing and landing it on the airport pad, the pilot performs several unconventional maneuvers in a narrow corridor of mountain peaks.

4. North Front, Gibraltar
Airlines operating: British Airways, EasyJet, Iberia Airlines and Monarch Airline
The airport is located on a tiny peninsula with an area of ​​6.8 square kilometers. The lack of space on this peninsula is catastrophic, so the airport's only runway crosses the busiest highway, Winston Churchill Avenue, leading to the land border with Spain. When planes land or take off from the runway, traffic on the highway it is interrupted by barriers and traffic lights, just as it happens at railway crossings. This situation arose due to the tiny size of Gibraltar, which consists of a southern rocky part and a northern flat part - sand spit, connecting the rock with the Spanish coast. The airport runway is located on the flat part of Gibraltar, crossing it across and dividing its territory into two unequal sections. These two sections are connected by a single highway, which is forced to cross the airport runway.

5. Mariscal Sucre - Quito, Ecuador
Through the glass wall of the airport building you can see planes landing. The airport in the capital of Ecuador is one of the most difficult airports for pilots in Latin America. There is a very tight runway here, which is based practically between several active volcanoes.

6. Barra - Outer Hebrides, Scotland
Airlines operating flights: British Airways and Flybe (England).
The only airport in the world located on a beach and with regular flights. The operating hours depend on the ebb and flow of the tides. The airport itself is just a very shallow bay. Therefore, landing and takeoff here are only possible during low tide. The rest of the time the runway is covered with water. For takeoff and landing iron birds There are three sand strips on the island. By the way, the airport is not suitable for all winged guests, but only for aircraft with short takeoff and landing characteristics

7. Matekane Air Strip, Lesotho
It's not just the landings that are difficult. In the tiny African kingdom of Lesotho, the 416-meter-long runway is located on the edge of a gorge at an altitude of 2,303 meters, so the plane 'drops' about 600 meters before taking off. . According to the pilots, there is a possibility that, having reached the end of the site, the plane will not leave the ground. The rule of flying in the mountains is as follows - it is better to take off with the wind and downhill than against the wind and uphill.

8. Funchal - Madeira, Portugal
The runway of this airport is located on a cliff.
Madeira International Airport is located at island of the same name in Portugal. Despite its civilized appearance, it is located in a very nerve-wracking place - between the rocks and the ocean. The runway is built on 180 pillars with a diameter of 3 m, some of which rise 50 m above sea level.

9. Toncontin, Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Airlines flying: American Airlines, Continental, Copa Airlines, TACA, Islena Airlines and Aerolineas Sosa.
Pilots have a saying, “A landing you can get away with is a good landing.” This strange statement makes sense when it comes to Toncontin Airport in Honduras. The location next to a mountain range, the runway being too short, and the difficulty of the approach make the airport one of the most dangerous in the world.

10. Tenzinga and Hillary, Nepal
Operating airlines: Nepal Airlines, Yeti Airlines, Sita Air, Gorkha Airlines, Agni Air. Flights operate only from Kathmandu
The airport's runway is only 527 meters long and is located at a slope of 12% at 2860 meters above sea level in a rock gorge ( mountain peaks nearby, almost 5 km tall), while the pilots do not have the opportunity to go around, but there is a need to dive with the nose below before landing so as not to hit the mountains. . Due to the large slope, the ends of the runway differ in height by 60 meters. Flights here are only possible during the day and subject to good visibility. The weather around the airport is unpredictable, and its instability causes frequent flight cancellations. The airport allows only helicopters and short take-off and landing planes. The airport is in demand among climbers intending to conquer Everest and starting from the city of Lukla.

11. Juancho Airport (Juancho E. Yrausquin), Saba Island in the Caribbean Sea
A dangerous airstrip at the very edge of Saba Island.
Juancho Airport occupies quite a large part of the small island of Saba. Some experts are of the opinion that the airport is one of the most dangerous in the world, despite the fact that no accidents have occurred here. There is an X on each side of the runway, indicating that the airport is closed to commercial aviation. Landing at the airport, located on the peninsula, pilots must cope with strong winds and sea spray. In addition, the length of the landing strip is only 396.5 meters.
The location of the airport poses a threat. On one side there are high mountains, and on the other - the sea and steep cliffs. The danger is that the plane may go off the runway when landing or taking off.

12. Airport named after. R. Reagan, Washington, USA
The airport has an unenviable location in close proximity to strategically important US national security installations. We are talking about the White House, the Pentagon buildings and the headquarters of the CIA. Thus, the airport is located between two no-fly zones, requiring pilots to exercise great skill to stay away from strategically important objects. When taking off, the plane must gain altitude as quickly as possible and turn sharply to the left in order to avoid flying over the White House.

13. Courchevel - Alps, France
The airport was included in the Guinness Book of Records due to its “hunchbacked” and unusually short runway. Its length is 525 meters, and the slope is 18.5%. You have to approach and take off on a slope to set the required speed. This is the airport shown at the beginning of the movie Tomorrow Never Dies. For others, the only way to get here is by private planes, helicopters, and charter flights. Pilots undergo extensive training to land at the CVF.

14. Maui, Hawaii
Aerial view of the airport runway on the coast of Maui. Fortunately, this is not the main airport in Hawaii.

15. Kranebitten - Innsbruck, Austria
The airstrip is in the mountains and surrounded by houses.

16. Male (Maldives)
Archipelago Maldives, consisting of twenty-six islands, is surrounded Indian Ocean, and Male Airport (officially called Ibrahim Nasir International Airport) is located on Hulule Island. The airport begins and ends with water. Opens during landing scenic view to this island and most of the archipelago. The airport was built by 2,250 local volunteers in the 1960s.

17. Corfu

Airlines: Olympic Airways, Aegean Airways

18. Eilat (Israel).
The airport is located right in the city, planes fly not over the beach, but over the road and buildings. The spectacle is certainly not usual, to put it mildly, it is fascinating.

19. London City (London, UK)
As the closest airport to central London, the views as you approach London City Airport are spectacular with iconic landmarks including Big Ben, the London Eye and Olympic Park. The approach to this airport is also unique due to its steep landing glide slope of 5.8 degrees, compared to 3 degrees at conventional airports.

20. Jackson Hole (Wyoming, USA)
Here the approach takes place against the backdrop of the Teton Mountains, and the airport itself is completely surrounded by picturesque scenery National Park Grand Teton. That's why Jackson Hole Airport became a US National Monument in 1940. According to PrivateFly respondents, the approach to this airport is especially beautiful during sunset.

21. Airport on the island of Aruba (Dutch Caribbean)
Queen Beatrix International Airport is the gateway to Caribbean island Aruba. Sunset over the ocean at a location located on west coast The island strip gives stunning views of the island. Originally there was an American airbase at this airfield. In the 1950s he made money here international airport. Passengers upon landing can fully see the entire island from coast to coast.

22. St. Barts (French Caribbean)
Airport named after Gustav III has a runway just 650 meters long and is located on the Caribbean island of Sant Barthelemy. Only the most highly qualified pilots can fly to this island. One even compared St. Barts to “landing on an aircraft carrier.” An additional difficulty is represented by the hilly terrain, difficult wind conditions, and the need to land at a sharp angle. Large planes flying international flights, cannot be accepted by this airport: to get to this Caribbean island you must use the rental service of a propeller plane from local charter lines.

23. Queenstown Airport (New Zealand)
Located on South Island New Zealand. Landing here gives you a bird's eye view of the entire island, enjoying New Zealand's famous scenery, including views of Lake Wakatipu, the Southern Alps, mountain range Remarkables. This airport is especially popular in winter time: Ski lovers come here from all over the world. “The plane descends very smoothly, at low altitude; it feels like you’re flying a few centimeters away from the skiers on the mountain slopes.”

24. Narvik Airport (Norway)
This is one of the northernmost airports in the world. Located above the Arctic Circle, in the northern part of Norway. It was built in 1972 and was originally used as a military airfield. On approaching the airport, a stunning view of the winter landscape opens up: “This is a spectacle of the real Arctic - mountains, lakes and fjords.”

Based on materials from Internet sources

Maho Beach is located on the Dutch side of the island of St. Maarten in the Caribbean. If you are an airplane lover and beach holiday- this is exactly the place where you should go. The thing is that Princess Juliana International Airport is located right next to Maho Beach. Due to the small size of the island, the runway here is very limited and planes have to land almost on the border with the sea, flying over the beach at a minimum altitude, delighting vacationers

Imagine an amazing picture where you can see the belly of a huge Boeing 747 in close proximity while lying on the beach. LifeGlobe has already written about this place in the article The Noisiest Beach in the World, but here I will focus specifically on the airport and airplanes. The opportunity to watch huge airliners land, feel their power and the gusts of wind that raise columns of sand and knock you off your feet - all this has made Maho Beach a favorite place for aviation fans

It is the airport and planes that attract the majority of tourists here, which is what the local recreation industry is built on. Local bars offer online broadcasts from the cockpits; special monitors here show flight arrival times, especially about arrivals. large planes a special speaker announces over the loudspeaker












Continuing the topic of airports, I also advise you to go here -