Airport on the coast where planes fly low. The most dangerous airports in the world. Where is Mai Khao Beach located? How to get there
Spotting is the name given to photographing landing planes at close range. In Phuket, the beach with airplanes is a real attraction. People come there not to swim, but to catch impressions and take unusual shots. On the map, this beach is marked as Nai Yang. Very close to Mai Khao Beach. I did not see any special marks or designations where one beach ends and another begins.
How to get to the beach with planes in Phuket
You need to go towards Phuket Airport. You don’t need to drive to the airport itself, it’s better to follow the signs to the Sirinat National Park and park your car there, and then walk along the sea in the shade to the beach with airplanes.
Taxi fare is 1000 baht one way. Plan a few hours to visit the beach. If you wake up late, then a whole day of light will be gone.
Is the beach with planes worth 2000 baht and a whole day? It's up to you to decide. We spent a wonderful day full of impressions, walked in Sirinat Park, saw enough planes, saw a piece of another Phuket. But super-photos were not taken. The weather was gloomy. Good for walking, but not so good for photography. Well, we are not such professionals to catch amazing shots at once.
Well we tried :)
Maxim and I walked to the beach along the sea from Sirinat National Park. Everyone usually scolds him, they say there is nothing to do there. We liked.
When planes land on the beach
If you have time and desire to look at a slightly different Phuket, go to the beach with airplanes early, right in the early morning. There are many people who want to capture themselves against the backdrop of an airplane. Chinese, Europeans, Russians, families, couples, large companies, with small children - there are no spotting fans here! At the height of the day, for a good shot, you will have to try very hard!
They say there are breaks in the flight schedule. You can sit waiting for two hours and not catch a single plane. We were lucky, the landings went one after another.
Beach safety with planes in Phuket
The airstrip is located just a few meters from the beach. There are barriers, but it's still better to take care of safety yourself.
As the plane takes off, the turbines kick up a wave of hot air. It literally knocks you down and closes up your eyes and nose, if you stand with your back to the sea, facing the plane. It is better at this moment to sit on the ground, and cover the child with a towel. Hats, panama hats and caps fly away just like that! Either put them away or hold them with your hands.
This plane is about to take off
But landing planes can be observed from any angle, even standing, even lying down, even in a jump. It's fun!
It is located in the Caribbean, 300 km from Puerto Rico. And vacationers here are attracted not by warm sand and blue sea. People go here for indescribable thrills, because literally 10-20 meters above the beach and tourists with a roar, giant airliners coming in to land. A dangerous but fascinating sight! Maho Beach is very close to Princess Juliana International Airport. 
Due to the short length of the runway (2,180 meters), planes are forced to land as close as possible to its beginning, flying directly over the heads of vacationers at a height of 10-20 meters from the ground. 
This beach is hugely popular with thrill-seekers and photographers looking to capture a low-flying giant airliner. 
In all the bars of Maho Beach, the following signs with the schedule of arriving flights are installed: 
There are also warning signs that jets of air from aircraft jet engines can be thrown into the sea, injuring or even killing. But that doesn't stop anyone: 
On average, only 1 in 4 planes landing here can create a strong gust of wind with their jet engines. Then vacationers have a hard time: 
Despite difficult landing conditions, not a single crash has yet been recorded. 
Extreme lovers tend to be right above the landing airliner. And this is landing one of the largest passenger aircraft in the world - Boeing 747: 
It's hard to believe that this is not a photomontage, but real photos: 
Incredible Facts
The most incredible airport is located on the island of Sint Maarten in the Caribbean. The strange thing about this airport is that airplanes, landing, fly a few meters above the beach with tourists resting there, and the runway itself begins very close to the coast.
Looking at the photos of landing Boeings and Airbuses, it may seem that this is just a joke for fans to play with Photoshop, but the reality is this: the territory of the island is so small, and there are so many people who want to come here that you have to save space.
The slightest mistake of the pilot, and you can end up in the water.
Airplanes come in for a landing, disturbing the serene rest of vacationers.
The airport was built to serve the island of Sint Maarten. In the eastern part of the Caribbean, this airport is the second busiest.
The runway is very small and starts just 12 meters from the beach, with a length of only 2180 meters.
Fortunately, so far there have been no reports of any disasters 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 in a rather strange place: there are cliffs at both ends. However, it costs nothing for an experienced pilot to land the plane in the right place, if there is at least some kind of runway.
A similar situation is observed in 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 squeezed on one side by mountains, and on the other by the ocean. Later, the strip was expanded and its size was doubled by installing a bridge with columns on one side.
Mountain airport
2) Courchevel airport (France). Courchevel is the name of a 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 that 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, and with a slope of 18.5 degrees!
3) Barra airport - the only airport in the world where planes land right on the beach. Barra is one of the islands of the Outer Hebrides archipelago, which belong to the UK.
There is virtually no runway in these places, and planes land right on the beach. Because of the tides, once a day this strange airport is literally submerged under water. Needless to say, it is forbidden to relax on this beach?
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 before 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 real masterpiece of engineering. Unfortunately, due to global warming and rising sea levels, this artificial island is in danger of flooding.
Yesterday we discussed mib55 the difficulty of landing, however, there are about a dozen airports where there are also difficult and specific landing conditions. It is clear that airports were designed in these places not for beauty and spotters, but as much as possible in the natural environment, in order to stretch at least something and connect with air traffic ... But not only pilots have to maneuver and follow all the rules of a difficult landing, I think the passengers of these flights also waiting for an unforgettable experience of takeoff and landing in such metsa.
1. Princess Juliana Airport, Holland
Operating airlines: almost all US airlines, French charter carrier Corsairfly, KLM.
Princess Juliana Airport is located on the island of San Maarten, which is part of the Dutch Antilles in the Caribbean. The airport's runway is very short (its length is 2130 meters) and therefore the planes are forced to land just a hundred meters from Maho Beach, where tourists are sunbathing. An added thrill is the knowledge that the airport is not equipped with an automatic landing system, so the planes come in for landing under manual control. The runway almost rests on a group of beach restaurants. Planes have to land as close as possible to the start of the runway due to its short runway, so they land at such low altitudes that it looks like they hit 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 rises due to the created air flow, which easily scatters things around. There is also some fun here. Tourists are trying to stay on the beach when the plane taxis to the grid near 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, the loudspeaker on the roof of the Sunset Beach Bar broadcasts the conversations of the controllers and the pilots of the planes coming in to land.
This is Spotter's Mecca. It is difficult to believe in the authenticity of the pictures of giant liners flying at a height of 10-20 meters above sunbathing tourists, however, they are real. Despite difficult take-off and landing conditions, not a single accident has been recorded at this airport so far.
2. Kai Tak - Kulun, Hong Kong
Operating airlines: Cathay Pacific, Dragonair, Air Hong Kong Cargo 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, the 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 extremeness. The airport was closed in 1998.
3. Paro, Bhutan
Operating airlines: Druk Air, local carrier
Paro Airport is located at an altitude of 2225 meters above sea level and is surrounded by Himalayan peaks over 4000 meters high, which makes takeoff and landing extremely difficult.
Before leveling the plane for landing and landing it on the airport site, the pilot performs several unconventional maneuvers in a narrow corridor of mountain peaks.
4. North Front, Gibraltar
Operating airlines: 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 simply catastrophic, because the airport's only runway crosses the busiest highway called Winston Churchill Avenue, leading to the land border with Spain. When planes land or take off from a runway, highway traffic is interrupted by barriers and traffic lights, similar to what happens at railroad crossings. This situation arose due to the tiny size of Gibraltar, which consists of a southern rocky part and a northern flat part - a sandy spit that connects 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 how the planes come in for 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 airstrip, which is based almost between several active volcanoes.
6. Barra - Outer Hebrides, Scotland
Operating airlines: British Airways and Flybe (England).
The only airport in the world located on the beach and having regular flights. The mode of operation depends on the tides. The airport itself is just a very shallow bay. Therefore, landing and takeoff here are possible only at low tide. The rest of the time, the runway is covered with water. There are three sand lanes on the island for takeoff and landing of iron birds. 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
Difficult are not only landings. In the tiny African kingdom of Lesotho, a 416-meter long runway sits 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 take off from the ground. The rule of flight in the mountains is as follows - it is better to take off into 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 on the 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, Tegucigalp, Honduras
Operating airlines: 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." Such a strange statement makes sense when it comes to Toncontín Airport in Honduras. The location next to the mountain range, the too short runway, the complexity 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 from Kathmandu only
The airport runway has a length of only 527 meters and is located at a slope of 12% at around 2860 meters above sea level in a rock gorge (mountain peaks nearby are almost 5 km tall), while the pilots do not have the opportunity to go around, but there is the need to dive nose down before landing, so as not to touch the mountains. . Due to the large slope, the ends of the runway differ in height by 60 meters. Flights here are possible only during the day and subject to good visibility. The weather around the airport is unpredictable, and its instability causes frequent flight cancellations. The airport only accepts helicopters and short takeoff and landing aircraft. The airport is in demand among climbers intending to conquer Everest and starting from the city of Lukla.
11. Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport, Saba Island in the Caribbean
Dangerous airstrip on the very edge of the island of Saba.
Juancho Airport occupies a fairly 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 to indicate that the airport is closed to commercial aviation. When landing at an airport located on a peninsula, pilots have to cope with strong winds and sea spray. In addition, the length of the runway is only 396.5 meters.
The threat is the location of the airport. On the one hand, high mountains, and on the other - the sea and sheer cliffs. The danger is that when landing or taking off, the aircraft may go off the runway.
12. Airport them. R. Reagan, Washington, USA
The airport has an unenviable location in close proximity to strategically important US national security facilities. We are talking about the White House, the Pentagon buildings and the CIA headquarters. Thus, the airport is located between two no-fly zones, so pilots need to show miracles of skill in order to stay away from strategically important objects. When taking off, the plane must climb as quickly as possible and turn sharply to the left in order not to fly over the White House.
13. Courchevel - Alps, France
The airport got into the Guinness Book of Records because of the "humped" and unusually short runway. Its length is 525 meters, and the slope is 18.5%. You have to land and take off on a slope to set the required speed. It is this airport that is shown at the beginning of the movie "Tomorrow Never Dies". For the rest, the only way to get here is by private planes, helicopters, charter flights. Pilots go through extensive training to land in 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 is surrounded by houses. 
16. Male (Maldives)
The archipelago of the Maldives, consisting of twenty-six islands, is surrounded by the Indian Ocean, and on the island of Hulule there is Male Airport (officially called Ibrahim Nasir International Airport). The airport starts and ends with the water. Landing approach offers scenic views of the island and much 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, the planes do not fly over the beach, but over the road, buildings. The spectacle is certainly not familiar to put it mildly, bewitching. 
19. London City (London, UK)
As the closest airport to central London, the views from London City Airport are spectacular due to iconic landmarks such as Big Ben, the London Eye and the Olympic Park. The approach to this airport is also unique due to the steep landing glide path of 5.8 degrees, compared to 3 degrees at conventional airports.
20. Jackson Hole (Wyoming, USA)
Here, landing takes place against the backdrop of the Teton Mountains, and the airport itself is completely surrounded by the scenic landscapes of Grand Teton National Park. That is why, in 1940, Jackson Hole Airport became a US National Monument. 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 the Caribbean island of Aruba. Sunset over the ocean on the strip located on the west coast of the island gives a stunning view of the island. Initially, this airfield was an American air base. In the 1950s, an international airport was opened here. Passengers can see the entire island from shore to shore when landing.
22. St. Barts (French Caribbean)
Airport them. Gustav III has a runway of just 650 meters and is located on the Caribbean island of Sant Barthelemy. Only the most highly qualified pilots can fly to this island. One of them even compared St. Barts to "landing on an aircraft carrier." An additional difficulty is the hilly terrain, the difficult situation with the winds, the need to land at a sharp angle. Large aircraft making international flights cannot be accepted by this airport: to get to this Caribbean island, you must use the rental service of a propeller aircraft of local charter lines.
23. Queenstown Airport (New Zealand)
Located on the South Island of New Zealand. Landing here gives you a bird's-eye view of the entire island, enjoying New Zealand's famous landscapes, including views of Lake Wakatipu, the Southern Alps, and the Remarkables mountain range. This airport is especially popular in winter: skiing enthusiasts come here from all over the world. “The aircraft descends very smoothly, at low altitude; the impression is that you are flying a few centimeters from the skiers on the mountain slopes.
24. Narvik Airport (Norway)
This is one of the northernmost airports in the world. Located beyond 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.”
On the Caribbean Sint Maarten (the southern Dutch part of the island of Saint Maarten) you can sunbathe under the wing of an airplane: liners flying over Maho Bay are the main attraction of the coast. The snow-white strip of the beach rests on the runway of the airport Princess Juliana, giving the opportunity to all vacationers in the resort to enjoy amazing landscapes. Airplanes flying directly overhead seem to be within reach. Huge liners, descending, literally knock tourists off their feet: gusts of wind are so strong that warning signs are installed on the coast. Smaller replicas of signs reading "Low-flying aircraft may cause injury" are the island's most popular memento.
The schedule of the nearest landings can always be found in cafes, bars, hotel lobbies and beach restaurants, so keeping an eye on the approach of liners is a simple task. The largest number of aircraft land here in the morning and in the afternoon.
When choosing Maho Bay as a holiday destination on Sint Maarten, be careful: planes fly here really often, and daily engine noise - after photographing a couple of dozen planes - can interfere with a pleasant stay. Be sure to hold the children by the hand: the gusts of wind when the liners approach are quite strong. To protect the health of babies, it is better to use earplugs. When landing air giants, you should not hold onto the fence of the airport: debris and gravel rising into the air can seriously injure you.
You can also watch the takeoff and landing of aircraft from the windows of the hotels surrounding Maho Bay.
Sint Maarten lies on the southeastern periphery of the "Caribbean hurricane belt" and is subject to typhoons, most likely between July-August and October, so travel during this period is best avoided.
How to get there
Sint Maarten is located in the Windward Islands group of the Caribbean. Most planes land at Princess Juliana Airport, one of the most popular in the region. The most convenient way to get to the island is with transfers in the cities - New York, Philadelphia and Miami. In the high season - from November to May - you can also fly direct flights from Toronto.
Sint Maarten is operated by Windward Islands Airways International N.V., also known as. It flies internationally from Princess Juliana airport to the neighboring islands of Saba, St. Eustatius, St. Barthelemy, Nevis, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda.
Location
Maho Bay with the beach of the same name is located on the southwestern coast of the island, located in the northern part of the Windward Antilles group (Leeward Islands, Islas de Barlovento).
