Philipsburg, Sint Maarten: In 1981 and 1989, the Concorde, a supersonic jet, made landings on the Caribbean island of Sint Maarten. The event in 1989 generated excitement and anticipation as residents and visitors eagerly awaited this marvel of aviation and the historic meeting between Pres. Mitterand and Pres. Bush.
On November 3, 1989, the Concorde touched down at Princess Juliana International Airport, leaving spectators amazed and terrified with its aggressive, sleek design and thunderous roar. The Supersonic commercial jet made its maiden landing in the Caribbean at the Cayman Islands on October 20, 1984.
During its visit to Sint Maarten, a large crowd was gathered on the beach to witness the fastest commercial jet using jet engines. Concorde’s arrival at Princess Juliana Airport demonstrated the island’s capability to handle such advanced aircraft.
Another Concorde flight landed in Sint Maarten on December 16, 1989. The Air Force One landed right next to it. The Concorde was generally known for its remarkable speed of 2,179 km/h, even faster than the present F-35 jet fighter (1976 km/h).
Concorde was unique in many ways. There were more astronauts than Concorde’s pilots. It only takes three hours to cross the Atlantic. The supersonic jet still holds the record of being the only commercial supersonic aircraft.
Another fact that made Concorde very famous among the airlines was the Anti-Concorde Project. Countries like Ireland, Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Canada and West Germany banned commercial supersonic jet from operating in their airspace, restricting their route and making it even more famous.
The Concorde was discontinued after a crash in Gonesse on July 25, 2000. The investigation later discovered that a metal strip on the runway struck a fuel tank underside of the wing. 114 individuals lost their lives in the fatal crash, 109 passengers and four on ground.
The commercial jet was discontinued due to its high fair and complex maintenance. Still, many aviation enthusiasts miss the marvellous piece of engineering which provided supersonic flight experience to many passengers.
