Amazing pilot skill

[ralphy]

Just had to share these remarkable pics.

I recently got back in touch with a dive buddy whom I hadn?t seen for over a decade. We were reminiscing about various locations we had dived together and the conversation turned to St Maarten in the Dutch Caribbean.

One memorable incident for me was a flight we shared there about 15 years ago from one of the other islands; it was a tiny plane & the pilot had to do a ?fly over? St Marrtens runway to chase off the grazing goats before banking sharply & landing before the goats wandered back???..

?Well, it?s changed a lot since then, they actually have a 747 landing there now? says Dave.

?I don?t believe it!? was my response, so he?s just sent these to prove it:









I think the pilot deserves everything he?s paid to land such a big plane on such a tiny runway; in the 2nd pic he?s touching down before the piano stripes. :shock: :shock:

R

[hogthrob]

Those are real pics? Truly awe inspiring. Those crazy Dutch! :D

Edit: Do you know where the 2nd picture was taken from? It appears to be from about 50 feet above the sea?

[ralphy]

Edit: Do you know where the 2nd picture was taken from? It appears to be from about 50 feet above the sea?

Judging by the perspective, I'd say it's a (very good) telephoto lens shot perhaps from the top of the building you can see on the left in the 1st pic.

When I was last there there were only shacks on that beachfront.........

[GraniteQuarry]

Here's videos of it... Simply stunning!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAfQwDizpRo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksmDuXO_k6E

D.

[hogthrob]

Holy shit. :shock: That has to go on any list of things to do before you die. Quite possibly, immediately before you die.

[Lohse]

Talk about precision flying / landing :shock: :shock: :shock:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGnokcAu0c4

[Seamus]

Those are real pics? Truly awe inspiring. Those crazy Dutch! :D

Edit: Do you know where the 2nd picture was taken from? It appears to be from about 50 feet above the sea?

From another plane chasing tourists off the runway before banking sharply & landing before the tourists wander back :?: :lol:

Very cool photos and video, truly amazing.

Cheers
Thomas

[Gruntfuttock]

I hope they have a few first aiders to hand to wash all the sand out of everyone's eyes!

[HilltopMichael]

I think the pilot deserves everything he?s paid to land such a big plane on such a tiny runway; in the 2nd pic he?s touching down before the piano stripes. :shock: :shock:
R

Yes, it certainly does look like that plane is touching down before the beginning of the runway on the displaced threshold. :( You can use that space for takeoffs, but not for landings.

[Nimrod]

DEFINATELY real pictures. Makes Kai Tak look a safe place to land!
I am suprised that they do not keep the public away when the aircraft land.

Peter (Nimrod)

[ralphy]

DEFINATELY real pictures. Makes Kai Tak look a safe place to land!Peter (Nimrod)

I had the amazing experience of sitting in the flight deck of 747's twice into Kai Tak, one day and one night landing.

I will never forget it!
:shock:

R

[Nimrod]

As they say if you can land and take off in Kai Tak you can fly anywhere!

Regards

Peter (Nimrod)

[mr1973]

C130 Combat Landing ;-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iIUJAXwjEk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ge1XhDnNQBI

[Nimrod]

The C130 footage was originaly done by the USAF in 1968 in Vietnam and is known as the "Khe Sahn approach" and is designed to minimise the danger from small arms fire when landing in a combat area.

The RAF does it too. A nice way of getting rid of your lunch!!

PS landing a Nimrod in crosswinds can be interesting especialy for the crew in the rear of the aircraft!

Regards

Peter (Nimrod)

[Eccles]

I've been a passenger on that flight a couple of times,(lucky old me)it is a bit brutal. The first time we had to overshoot because rain obscured the runway as we were on very short finals. I didn't know there were mountains at the other end until we went over them. Take-offs can be a little bit unsettling as well. I'm not sure if it was the same trip,but the return flight goes via Curacao and leaving there we lost an engine, they shut it down,it didn't fall off, but they diverted to JFK. I shudder to think what would have happened if they'd lost it departing St Maartin.
Regards, Jon.

[Mrcrowley]

Sorry if this has already been posted, but fantastic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeu-EP1XC-0

I love the priority of the Russians - £50 Ford Transit - £100,000,000 aircraft :lol: