The “Jet Airliner” project was taken over a period of several months between early 2009 and late 2011 at Maho Beach on the Dutch/French island of St. Maarten / St. Martin in the Caribbean Sea. Maho Beach is directly adjacent to the relatively short runway (2,300m) of the Princess Juliana International Airport. Therefore passenger jets roar as low as 4 to 7 meters above the heads of sunbathers – with approx. 250 km/h. Most aircraft movements at the Princess Juliana International Airport account for small regional and private planes – with only 5 to 12 passenger jets arriving each day, depending on season. A Jumbo Jet, the Boeing 747, arrives just twice a week, although it is not guaranteed. For this project, classic 6×6 Hasselblad wide-angle cameras were used (no autofocus, etc) – so only 1 shot per landing was possible. The situations with the people on the beach are not set up – all photographs show the actual live-action during a split second of a landing or take-off. All photographs are real – no photoshop montages here.
In 2011, the runway was already lengthened on the opposite side. To comply with ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) rules, the airport, however, also requires a “safety zone” on the Maho side, which would mean the end for probably the most spectacular beach in the world.
Jet Airline
Photographs by Josef Hoflehner and Jakob Hoflehner
Hardcover with dustjacket
30x32cm / 12×13 inches
108 pages, 86 duotone plates
ISBN 9783902600110
