Island Visitor
Reged: 12/19/02
Posts: 10396
Loc: Retraité
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I had told the friends we were taking on our most recent trip of the great fun of bouncing around as you skimmed the top of Le Tormente. Yet, having overnighted in SXM (which is a long story - then again, isn't it usually a long story when any of us overnight in SXM?) we left for SBH in the early morning.
Given that there were no thermals that early, we circled past Le Tormente, over the east side of the island and swooped into land over the baie. Way, WAY cool. I had never done that before. The view of the east part of the island, and then Baie St Jean as it got closer and closer was really pretty special.
There is something magical about bouncing in over Le Tormente. But landing backwards is kind of cool too, for a change...
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tim
Moderator
Reged: 06/18/03
Posts: 5966
Loc: Vélo, Virginia, Vitet
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I've only done it once in about seventy five trips, so odds are definitely against landing backwards. I agree it's a neat experience, especially in the context of emotions one usually experiences in anticipation of and during the drop over Le Tormente.
Another interesting experience is a landing in the prevailing cross wind and then the aircraft carrier style takeoff of a fully loaded twin otter at Saba. Winair once decided that I and a few other passengers, who innocently thought we were flying from SBH to SXM, needed to experience the Saba airport on our way. After what was a way too exciting cross wind landing on this not long enough runway, we picked up a full load of holiday bound medical students and their considerable baggage, taxied to the start of the runway, and the pilot revved the engines until I thought both plane and passengers would all rattle apart. Our Saba passengers just grinned knowingly. The pilot released the brake, off we went, and we almost achieved airspeed just before running out of runway. Then it became evident what the Saba folks knew that we didn't appreciate. The runway is on a cliff, and although we dropped down a little as we went off the end, the trusty old twin otter smoothly climbed up into the sky, perhaps somewhat lightened as the hearts of us newbies had flown away on their own when we "ran out" of runway.
Edited by tim (12/04/04 10:54 AM)
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Steve_in_STL
Reged: 02/01/03
Posts: 283
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We have seen planes landing over the water before but my initial reaction is that the pilot is not qualified to land over La Tormente. Recognizing that a little knowledge is dangerous, it's also my understanding that it's generally safer to both takeoff and land into, not with, the wind, which is usually coming off the water. It is not by coicidence that planes takeing off on St. Thomas and SXM usually take off toward the hills/mountains--and if you have ever taken off in St. Thomas you know that is a pretty good size mountain at the end of the runway. Maybe it is less of an issue with smaller planes but on a hot day in St. Barts, I don't think so. I would be interested in any pilots take on this.
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Mike
Reged: 12/18/02
Posts: 116
Loc: Michigan
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Steve,
We always try to take off into the wind, especially on a short runway or if obstacle clearance is a factor. The other factor of an over the water landing at SB is that there is not an option for a go around if something goes sideways during the landing attempt.
Other factors that come into play are temperature, wind direction and speed, gross weight and alititude above sea level(obviously not a problem in the French West Indies)
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As pilots, my wife and I always try to get the front seats in the Otter so that we can kid around with the pilots and see the view from the front. Last year our return flight was on a 10 seat, including pilots, aircraft that was sigle pilot operation. I told the pilot that I was a pilot as well and asked if I could fly right seat on the trip to Anguilla and on to St Martin. I was suprised and delighted when he said "Hop in". It was a great flight.
65 days to go!
Mike
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NYCFred
Reged: 01/06/04
Posts: 6092
Loc: NYC
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Did it once, oddly enough on the way back from Saba also...popped over for a day of diving with SeaSaba, 4pm return flite to SBH cancelled, so Winair puts 3 of us on the 5PM back to SXM...I'm in a bathing suit, lugging scuba gear, and an evening alone in St Martin (with my wife in SBH) is doable, but not the preferred solution..no hotel, etc....land in St Martin, one of the counter clerks comes out onto the tarmac and makes the universal 'SHHH' gesture, finger to lips...scoots us over into another aircraft, where we're the last flite into SBH that day...backwards..
(I guess, to be formal about it, we shoulda cleared immigration in SXM...which woulda made the SBH landing NG...gotta love the Caribbean....)
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I go for the Q-tips.
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jdr
Reged: 04/25/03
Posts: 323
Loc: Boston
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We spent 8 days on St. Jean beach and saw one landing over the water. Shocked everyone because the plane comes in almost silent. I actually had my video camera running, and you here this "sput sput" in the background then it whizzes by. But I wasn't fast enough.
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St. Barths Flickr Group!
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KevinS
Reged: 07/23/03
Posts: 3406
Loc: Boston
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I've never landed backwards, but I have been diverted through Saba. After my last involuntary night on SXM I fly to SBH by way of Saba. Once I knew where we were going I knew exactly what to expect - there is a sheer dropoff at both ends of the runway. The runway length at SAB is variously listed as 1312 feet and 1748 feet, while the SBH runway is much longer, at around 2100 feet. (The SBH runway doesn't win many contests in the length department. I haven't been there, but I'm told that the airport in Statia is shorter than SBH too.)
The landing at SAB is as Tim described it. We unloaded a dive group and all of their gear but picked up nobody. The takeoff routine was also as Tim descibed it - both pilots stand on the brakes, they firewall the throttles, the plane starts to shake apart, they do a countdown and release the brakes, and off you go. In our case, lightly loaded, instead od running out of runway and dropping, the Twin Otter was airborne about halfway down the runway.
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JEK
Moderator
Reged: 01/20/04
Posts: 10662
Loc: Northern Virginia
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Last November we were at the Eden Rock for 10 days of le grand pluie. Due to the weather patterns the planes landed mostly over the baie.
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Carnaval 2009: Mardi 24 Février 2009!!!!
JEK
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dybocain
Reged: 12/03/03
Posts: 47
Loc: Hinsdale, Illinois
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During the week of November 8th, as observed from Camaruche, the reverse landing protocol was almost continuously in effect. Last year, during the first week of December I noticed the same, perhaps it has something to to with my presence on the island......
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Eric
Reged: 10/07/02
Posts: 679
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In only 6 trips to SBH, we've landed "backwards" twice. The 1st time I was a little surprised & disappointed, but a very nervous flyer on our flight was quite pleased and a little irritated with my disappointment.
Last January, we landed "backwards" also & at this point it really doesn't matter to me which way we land. I'm just glad to get back to SBH.
Eric
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Mike R
Reged: 05/26/03
Posts: 15651
Loc: Stinson Lake - New Hampshire
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any landing that isnt belly up is a good one...have done it once in my umteen landings.....it was pretty cool
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karma is a beautiful thing at times
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Brian
Reged: 10/22/02
Posts: 594
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Landing on runway 28 (ie, "backwards") doesn't mean the pilot is not qualified for the regular approach (runway 10). Rather, it means that either the wind is favoring that direction, or that there is sufficiently light wind to permit landing either direction and the pilot requested that landing (and the tower approved).
You need to be specially qualified to land at SBH, regardless of the runway. At least, that's what I found a few years back when I looked into getting qualified for the airport.
Brian
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