Leg 17 TIST - Saint Thomas (Virgin Islands) to TNCM - Philipsburgh (St- Maartens Island)
TIST - Airport Info
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ICAO code: TIST
Airport name: Cyril E. King
Location: Saint Thomas , Virgin Islands
Useful information
Airport elevation: 23'
Time zone: AT (UTC -4)
Lighted runways : Yes
Maximum runway length: 7000
Runway surface : Asphalt
Instrument approach (ILS, LOC, LDA, and SDF):
Runway 10: DME Glide Slope (3º) Localizer (110.1)
RNAV (GPS) Z RW10
Aiport NAVAIDS:
NONE
Saint Thomas Info
This spiky lizard-shaped island has a rambunctious past peppered with the exploits of men named after their facial hair. You'd think the stomping ground of Blackbeard and the mythical Bluebeard would be the last place to turn into the quintessential American beach suburb, but a fine port is a fine port whether you're unloading booty, slaves or cruise ship passengers. St Thomas is overly developed and fixated on shopping but it's also strikingly pretty, thanks to a spine of hills whose forested ridges form headlands separating bays and coves filled with turquoise-blue water. There are more than forty beaches fringing the island, and snorkelling and dive spots galore.
Charlotte Amalie (named after the wife of King Christian V in 1691), the capital of the Virgin Islands, has long been a busy port. Today you'd call the town 'lively and bustling' if you were feeling polite, 'congested and harassing' if you'd just had 40 spruikers tell you what lovely watches they have. True enough, the centre of town is swamped by cruise ship passengers and duty-free shops, but it does wear its Danish heritage with style. The neat, pastel-painted warehouses, the ochre-coloured fort and the dual Danish-English street signs combine to keep it clear that this ain't no mall. The colourful melange of tropical foliage, red-roofed houses and the rich blue bay are best seen from Blackbeard's Castle, atop Government Hill.
The town's top ranking historic attraction is Fort Christian, a modest red affair that looks barely fit to defend a string of sausages. The building dates to the 1670s when it served as a combined defence post, government house, church and community hall. When the threat of invasion dissipated, the fort became a jail and, since 1987, a museum with displays on the region's natural heritage (including medicinal plants and birdlife) and art.
Part of the island's inglorious past is still standing in Market Square at the other end of Charlotte Amalie. Today the covered plaza is the local food market but it was once the Caribbean's busiest trading post for slaves. Nearby, the Beracha V'Shalom V'Gimilath Chasidim Synagogue was built by Sephardic Jews fleeing the Spanish Inquisition; it's now the oldest continually operating synagogue under the US flag.
The island's other attractions include the Virgin Islands panorama at Drake's Seat, a high point in the centre of the island from which Sir Francis himself is said to have watched naval engagements. Any self-respecting beach connoisseur should stake out a patch of Magens Bay on the central north coast. Those craving peace and privacy are better off heading to the nearby uninhabited islets of Hassel Island (not hassling at all) and Great St James.
Mountain Top, at the peak of St Peter Mountain is higher than Drake's Seat though the surrounding forest means the view is better from lower down. Nevertheless, this is a tranquil spot in between tour buses when you can get a seat at the pleasant bar behind the carpark. Locals claim the banana daiquiri was invented here in an idle moment - boy, does this watering hole have a lot to answer for.
TNCM - Airport Info
ICAO code: TNCM
Airport name: Princess Juliana International
Location: Philipsburgh , St- Maartens Island ( Netherlands Antilles )
Useful information
Airport elevation: 13 ’
Time zone: AT (UTC -4)
Lighted runways : Yes
Maximum runway length: 7535
Runway surface : Asphalt
Instrument approach (ILS, LOC, LDA, and SDF):
VOR DME RW09
VOR RW09 (CAT AB)
VOR RW09 (CAT CD)
Aiport NAVAIDS:
NONE
Philipsburgh Info
Saint Maarten is one of the most touristed islands in the Caribbean, but despite the large resorts, casinos, fast-food chains and a sophisticated capital, it still has quiet niches to explore. There are powdery white-sand beaches, secluded coves and good diving.
The island is a prime jumping-off point for trips to its neighbours - it's cheap and easy to get to Anguilla, Saba and Sint Eustatius, some of the region's most rural and least developed destinations. And the lower-key French side of the island is a short trip from anywhere in Sint Maarten.
Despite its reputation for touristy resorts, comfortable travel on Sint Maarten is reasonably priced. You can live fairly well on US$150-200 a day, though diving the reefs and the duty-free shops will push that figure up. Moderate travelers can expect to pay around US$100-150 a day. Self catering can keep your costs closer to US$75 a day or less.
US dollars, traveler's checks and credit cards are accepted nearly everywhere.
Downloads
General Caribbean scenery - carib_nd.zip (on flightsim.com )