Turbulence 1 Woman 0

[Blackadder]

When plane-spotting turns bad - girl blasted by jet engine | News.com.au

 

[nlagalle]

I just saw that! very funny!

 

[SeatBackForward]

I'm sure turbulance isnt the right word..and the sand would be so abrasive it'd cut you!

 

[mannej]

It's more jet blast then turbulence.

You can't help stupidity can you?

 

[markis10]

I just saw that! very funny!

I dont draw pleasure at seeing someone hurt, even if its through their own stupidity. Jet blast is very powerful with the capability of inverting following aircraft, the fact people can stand so close is unlikely to be something that continues into the future I suspect.

 

[dk4]

...the fact people can stand so close is unlikely to be something that continues into the future I suspect.

I don't think that there is much that anyone can do about it, there simply isn't the room to move the fence further back, as it is right up against the road as it is.

Beach at Maho SXM - note the two jet blast signs (on the right, mid picture).

 

[nlagalle]

I dont draw pleasure at seeing someone hurt, even if its through their own stupidity. Jet blast is very powerful with the capability of inverting following aircraft, the fact people can stand so close is unlikely to be something that continues into the future I suspect.

It's been going on there for years (as you probably already know!), However if someone is stupid enough to stand there then it's their own fault.. All to often we now cater for the stupid...

 

[2impulsiv]

This place is on my "Must Do" list, but sitting at the bar watching will be close enough for me!

 

[markis10]

They could just make the beach offlimits!

 

[Fantic125]

or some sort of deflector to wash the jet blast up and over the beach.

 

[dk4]

SXM blast riders

But the runway at the beach at Maho, is one of the things that makes Sint Maarten different from “just any other” Caribbean Holiday Destination.

A whole industry revolves around people coming here, from all over the world, I don't think that it wouldn’t make economic sense to close the beach, or remove one of the island's major "adventure" draw cards. (All the signs make it abundantly clear what can happen if you play the game and lose, as too does the video now.)

As a beach, it’s small and pokey, the one at Philipsburg is much larger and calmer - but in the end that one is “just another” Caribbean beach, not much to differentiate it from the myriad of other warm stretches of white silica on any other island.

Philipsburg & Beach

This is the Caribbean, "relax mon", no one is going to upset the apple cart and risk their tourists going elsewhere.

 

[markis10]

Re: SXM blast riders

If people keep getting hurt on a regular basis (including the copy cat or dare factor) then they will close the beach!

 

[fbrimfield]

Re: SXM blast riders

I don't have any sympathy, I just laughed!

 

[harvyk]

Re: SXM blast riders

If people keep getting hurt on a regular basis (including the copy cat or dare factor) then they will close the beach!

I doubt it, it's for some people a major draw card... However some sort of deflector may be installed to prevent others from being blown away like that...

Also I'm with you, I don't see how someone getting injured is funny, be it they underestimated the danger, or be it they where doing it as a dare. I won't have any sympathy for them if it was a dare, but I'm not going to find it funny either. (I guess I'm not in the funniest home video's target audience)

 

[casanovawa]

Re: SXM blast riders

Yeah its on my to do list as well to visit that place, but I thought i had read where they had closed part of that beach etc already so glad to hear they haven't....

If that is what a small A320 or so can do, imagine a 747 taking off from that place?? I think i would stand directly under for the landings, but maybe a bit off to the side for the take offs...

 

[haydensydney]

Re: SXM blast riders

This is just hilarious - I can't wait to give this a crack one day. I wrote about this on my blog. Too funny.

 

[samh004]

Re: SXM blast riders

I’m not sure getting a jet blast is on my to-do list, but certainly to stand there as a plane lands would be quite cool.

Sucks for the girl, but she let go… if I was seriously going to do that I’d want to fly like a flag, and be attached… oh and wear glasses lol!

 

[awilcockson]

Re: SXM blast riders

Every time I see a story about this place I start doing random airline searches to see what it would cost to get me there

No way I'd be standing there during a take-off, but I'd love to be standing under a 747 as it lands over the top of me.

St. Maarten KLM Boeing 747 landing (1080p) - YouTube

 

[haydensydney]

Re: SXM blast riders

Every time I see a story about this place I start doing random airline searches to see what it would cost to get me there

...and it's always uber expensive - I got into a spin recently where I was hell bent to get there and tick it off my bucket list... but alas... $4k in Economy and something ridiculous in Business really bought me back to earth lol

 

[VHOEJ]

Everyone who goes to Maho Beach knows the risks. The countless Youtube videos, all the signs all around warning of the danger - if you are stupid enough to risk the injury, you get what you ask for. Yes the woman was injured but she is probably only 1 out of 100 who gets injured at that location.