Flying high

Princess Juliana Airport, St Maarten, Caribbean

Hold on to your sun hats, Maho Beach on the Caribbean island of St Maarten lies directly under the flight path of jets coming into land on the 7,500ft runway.

Because it practically backs on to the beach, aircraft have to make their final approach less than 100ft above the ground. No wonder it is one of the world’s best locations for plane spotters and filmmakers looking for close-up shots of a landing approach.

The beach itself is a typical Caribbean one, with white sands, yet there is no vegetation thanks to everything being blasted away by the jet engines.

Saint Maarten is only 13 square miles and is the Dutch side of the divided (with the French) Saint Martin island, offering a mix of Caribbean and European culture and food.