Off the Felt and Watching Planes Takeoff and Land

Earlier today, WPT Commentator Vince Van Patten (in the white t-shirt and red shorts) was out on the beach shooting a segment for the TV show when an American Airlines jet came in for a landing.

As many of you know, one of the nicknames for pocket aces is "American Airlines," and Vince almost looks like he’s after the "AA" painted on the tail of the aircraft.

Even though there are several signs warning about the dangers of standing near the runway when jets are taking off, it’s practically a tourist attraction for thrillseekers.

Some of the foolhardy souls who grabbed hold of the runway fence this afternoon include WPT reporters BJ Nemeth and Ryan Lucchesi, along with Chance Kornuth (who is in the field today) and his girlfriend Emily Tai.

The plane taking off was only a twin-engine jet, so while it was a powerful gust of wind, it wasn’t the full force that comes from a quad-engine wide-bodied plane like a Boeing 747 or an Airbus A340. Unfortunately, none of the massive planes were taking off or landing today.

WPT reporter BJ Nemeth illustrates what *not* to do when a jumbo jet is taking off.

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For those interested in watching the jumbo jets takeoff or land, we’ve compiled the data for the next three days so you can time your beach excursions.

Maho Beach, located at the base of the runway for Princess Juliana International Airport, is literally less than a five-minute walk from the tournament.

If you’d like to take a dramatic photo, your best opportunity is when the big planes land, coming in close directly over the beach. Here’s a photographic tip: Be sure to include people in your photo of the plane to provide a sense of scale.

If you’d like to experience the very powerful jet wash of a quad-engine plane while gripping a chainlink fence, you’re at least a little bit crazy. There are plenty of signs warning against it, and we’ve heard that it might even be illegal. (Though we haven’t heard of anyone ever being arrested for it.)

But if you’re old enough to play in live poker tournaments, you’re old enough to make your own decisions. Here’s the flight data on the jumbo jets for the next three days:

Thursday, November 21  (WPT Day2)
2:50 pm  –  Landing  –  Air France from Paris (Airbus A340)
5:10 pm  –  Takeoff  –  Air France to Paris (Airbus A340)

Friday, November 22  (WPT Day 3)
12:40 pm  –  Landing  –  KLM from Amsterdam (747)
1:50 pm  –  Takeoff  –  KLM to Curacau (747)
2:50 pm  –  Landing  –  Air France from Paris (Airbus A340)
5:10 pm  –  Takeoff  –  Air France to Paris (Airbus A340)

Saturday, November 23  (WPT Day 4)
2:50 pm  –  Landing  –  Air France from Paris (Airbus A340)
5:10 pm  –  Takeoff  –  Air France to Paris (Airbus A340)