KLM Boeing B747-400 TakeOff St Maarten Cockpit view

TakeOff from St. Maarten as seen from cockpit 747.
To answer some remarks from viewers:
Why is T/O so fast and short? Well, the aircraft weighs only 260.000 kgs (max = 396.000kgs) in this T/O with only 30.000 kgs of fuel for a flight time of 1hr15min to Curacao (you can see the landing here: • KLM Boeing B747-400 La... ). With this low weight Vr is 125kts and climbout speed is 155kts(=V2 + 10kts)
Why is V1 and Vr called so close?
Because, when a/c is very light you have to increase V1 to the Vmcg(=Vmin control ground)speed. If you don't and start flying below this speed and an outboard engine fails, you are not able to control a/c. That's why in this T/O V1 is the same as Vr.
Yes, it's a 747. No, it's not fake. And to answer some more questions: This take off is part of a three stretch flight: AMS-SXM, then SXM-CUR, then CUR-AMS.

[@todd5052]

These 747-400 pilots have the best job in the world in my opinion. Thanks to all the captains and first officers who share their careers with us on KZbin.

[@feonor26]

+Edem Mapper Didn't really understand that comment. You don't have to be born into a rich family to become a pilot. My mom's cousin was a poor farmboy from rural Norway and he flew 747s for years after he had finished flying fighter planes.

[@SuredT]

No, A/T is on from beginning of T/O roll. This the moment engines go from T/O thrust to Climb thrust. It happens automatically at 1500 ft above ground.

[@SuredT]

In our company we use allways flaps 20 on the 747-400. I flew 13 years on the Classic and there we used both flapsettings, but that's in the past.

[@user-qq5td4lo9s]

are you still alive?

[@davehansen9124]

The airplane is only carrying about 1/6 of its 48,000 gallon fuel capacity for the hour and 15 minute flight to Curacao, so the takeoff run was only about 25 seconds.

[@Jerricette]

Yes the take off was a quick one! Thank you for the explanation, because I had questions about it👍

[@littlestoked]

And they put the flaps to full on takeoff, right?

[@BernardBethea6339]

Yea I was not thinking of weight and fuel but I was wondering why that big ass plane took off so damn fast

[@SuredT]

95% of the time we get vectors for an instrument approach, even when the weather is good enough for a visual, simply because it is too crowded in the air. Only at odd hours or quiet airports there is a possibility for a real visual approach.

[@electriktricks]

when I take off from this airport in a 747 I always end up in the sea at the end of the runway, lol (on FSX of course) amazing video

[@davemarine01]

those engines sound awesome after you power down after the climb out. a sweet noise i have heard often! your vids are excellent dude, thanks for sharing your passion

[@booman606]

love this video. was not aware 747 was capable of such short takeoff roll. I have heard KLM pilots are among if not the best trained pilots out there.

[@SuredT]

We always use flaps 20 for T/O

[@golfcharlie232]

It's awesome how short is the takeoff lenght!! It reachs 100 kias so quickly !!

[@Jamalje]

THanks for your kind words man It's people like you that make this world a great place!

[@tubeyou443]

You cant tell people who dont like airplanes and flying how it feels. It is truly a passion and a major addiction.

[@lineygoblue]

I just think its amazing that a plane that size and weight, can take off and land on such a short runway. At least to me, that runway seems very short. Love all these videos! Keep them coming, please!

[@Creighton-Jones]

Thanks for uploading these great videos. Almost as good as being there ! Thank you also for your descriptions of what is happening & why.

[@denmen111]

Geweldig om de start vanuit de cockpit te zien ! zelf zijn wij hier in oktober 2007 geland en natuurlijk ook weer vertrokken, om de vlucht voort te zetten naar aruba, het jammere was dat het op beide momenten donker was, nu dus toch met daglicht gezien in de video, wij hadden geen idee dat je zo laag over het strand aankwam. Top videootje

[@JoanieChachi777]

Thank you for taking tihe time to answer my question captin, love all your vids!!

[@SuredT]

When the gear is retracted, the mainwheels are being braked automatically during retraction. The nosegear has no brakes. When nosegear enters nosegear bay, the wheels are being braked by contact against rubber snubbers. That's the noise you hear.

[@divisioneight]

I just love the sound of those big GE turbofans when they're at full throttle. Lots of power there! Thanks.

[@Vas1984]

lol i like it how an experienced 747 pilot has to explain himself to people on the internet. Keep up the good vids!

[@mitchellspindell589]

One of the best cockpit videos I've ever seen. Thanks.

[@alaannoo]

i was there this summer, my god it was like paradise . Was there on cruise from NY to Bermuda, St Maarten .St , Thomas Puerto Rico and back to NY. . Greetings from COOOOOLD Norway

[@viksra]

How splendidly beautiful -- both the takeoff and the scenery.

[@jeremyajacied13]

Prachtig t/o! En een fantastisch uitzicht;)! Ik hoop dat ik over een aantal jaar hetzelfde beroep als u uitoefen! Succes verder!

[@chrisz71]

Thanks for the kind words. I had been doing some research on it and all, and really, it helped- alot! We had some turbulence on the way up, and then the flight back today was a bit bumpy- National weather service said severe turbulence, but really, it wasn't that bad. Thanks for helping!

[@SuredT]

To be honest, I have never heard of those departures, but last time I was there was in march 2007 :(

[@TheCozzie99]

@Pedrovra Thankyou so much for taking the time to explain it to me. I love my planes but am new at this so I am learning still. Thanks again!!

[@SuredT]

I have been asked to comment on the V2 discussion. V2 is the calculated speed dependent on weight of a/c at which the a/c can climb out on all engines minus one and clear the end of the runway or obstacle in the climbout path at 15 feet. V1 and Vr are calculated to obtain this V2 speed at the correct time and place on the runway to make this climbout possible. Normal climb with all engines operating is with V2+10 to 15kts.

[@galtamiranoerald]

One of the best, if not, the best videos I've ever seen from the flight deck!

[@Pilotobe]

That was the quickest 100 knots and V1/V2 call outs that I have ever seen! Great video. Thanks = )

[@johkev]

nice t/o its understandable for the speed and length of the liftoff thanks for making it!

[@ap663049]

The acceleration is amazing for a 747! Thanks for posting.

[@horizonflyer9]

NO WAY! its the best job anyone can ever ask for. flying is the ultimate freedom, and to do it as a job every day?! its a dream! yes, I'm a pilot, and I love being one every minute of my life!

[@stefanwolf1603]

This is just Fantastic. Thank you. B747-400 is my all time XXX Favorit aircraft for ever.

[@Gunfighter1b]

Just awesome, thanks for posting. I understand about weight to takeoff I used to be a fueler at KBUF and had to defuel aircraft to use a 7000 foot runway vs. an 8829 foot runway. I fueled a 737 that was on a nonstop from KBUF to LAS and due to a windstorm had to fill the center tank and the pilot came up to supervise the upload and said, "Fill the wings til they spill." That flight barely got off the ground. They unloaded cargo in fact.

[@Agui007]

Appreciate the full view from the cockpit. Beautiful.

[@crapper1]

great job smooth takeoff i looked at your landings there greasers most of the time you are one skilled pilot ill give you that

[@Jamlidd]

Great video, I will see this airport one day...I must....

[@lcf34]

Rolling take off in 747 from StMarteen must not be that common :-). Thanks for all the vids!

[@MrSteveaussie]

@SuredT you should not bother telling people about v1 vr speeds. Not one take off or landing is the same. People should just be happy you take the time to film the busiest part of your day. top marks for your efforts

[@3dsander]

V1, V2 and VR (Rotate) are calculated based on aircraft weight mainly. V1 is a decision speed (check if something goes wrong, then you can abort right away), after V1 you can't abort and you have to take off anyway. VR is a speed where the aircraft has enough lift to take off, V2 is after VR, usually at this moment the plane is at climbing phase & pilot can put the gear in up position. And finally there is Climbing speed (so that the N1/N2/Nn) engines won't be overheated (EGT). Have fun flying!

[@hotwater80]

i feel comfortable in this flight by looking how the pilot fly the airplane. good job captain. :)

[@SuredT]

Plse click on "(more)" under "About This Video". I have explained it there for everybody. Empty wt of 747 is 185.000 kgs, so you can figure the load (because fuel is also given there)

[@EverythingN]

Great take-off, mooi gedaan broertje!

[@LAactor]

"Yes, it's a 747. No, it's not fake." Haha priceless. I love it. Great work.

[@Magicpianoteacher]

what a spectacular SHORT TAKE OFF!

[@SuredT]

We have T/O wt limitation tables on board. At SXM the weight at 30 Celcius is 289.7 tons with no wind and standard QNH. What we do is increase the actual weight with a margin of 10 tons, in this(SXM) case 260+10=270 tons and enter the table. This gives an derated temp of 43C. On long runways it can even go up to 65 Celcius.

[@FerVerg]

Big shout out to SuredT for taking the time to film this beautiful clips and also explaining everything he does here on KZbin!

[@Caellest89]

@H3CL I used the video to calculate the rate of climb. At 1:04 they lift up, at 1:44 they reach 1500 feet (reducing thrust). So 1 minute (60 sec) / 40 sec = 1.5. So in a minute they climb 1.5 × 1500 = 2250 feet per minute. Since it includes a small part in which the angle is less than 15-20 degrees. I would say they climbed around 2500 feet per minute.

[@Poppinit905]

V1 Is a call out prior to the runway length and speed. And if you have a engine failure or fire, or even a serious problem with the aircraft and your under the V1 speed you reject takeoff. If your past it you continue the takeoff. VR also kown as Rotate means that the aircraft has reached takeoff speed and the pilot begins lifting the aircraft off ground. And V2 is the safety speed as the aircraft establishes positive climb rate. Again, I'm not a airline pilot.

[@chrisz71]

I'm flying tomorrow, and I'm a bit nervous. Takeoff is what really gets me nervous. It seems like we're gonna fall backwards. This video has helped me so much just to get ready for it. I can't find any other video with the quality of this one. Thanks for posting!

[@you2tooyou2too]

@McSaggler Note '100' as they approach "V1", the speed needed to rotate, and then "Rotate" refers to the pitch nose up, lifting the nose-gear from the ground & providing a high angle of attack necessary to lift the plane off the runway at that relatively low air speed.

[@SuredT]

In case of engine failure we turn right to about heading 145. If you stop the video at 1:35 you will see the direction we will fly at that heading.

[@SuredT]

@lineygoblue. Every commercial airliner is reducing power at roughly 1500ft above ground. We go from T/O thrust to Climb thrust at that altitude.

[@lineygoblue]

@SuredT Thank you for the response! These videos are fascinating. Thank you for posting them!

[@ilovemthtrains]

One of the best on KZbin! 500000000000000000 stars!

[@DjWellDressedMan]

so calm and quiet, ok takeoff... then booooom from high RPMs to V1, 18 seconds

[@SuredT]

You have quite some nerve to say that I stole your video, while it's actually the other way around. Simply look at the posting dates. More than a year apart!! And also your posting here is wrong. You should have done it under my Landing at St. Maarten and not under this Take Off. Obviously you didn't notice this little difference?? Pathetic this copying of someone's video's.

[@javacup912]

The comments about the 6 sec. time after 100 are valid, but the possibilities are real As mentioned before, a take off with a lighter load to fly somewhere to pickup more passengers, and fuel to then go to AMS. Another reason is a higher take off flap setting (20 perhaps), and no assumed temp take off. By the time the 100 kts were called, it was actually doing 104-107, and I'm guessing 4-6 kt/sec acceleration rate, it would make between 127-140 kts for takeoff which is very much doable.

[@SuredT]

V1, Vr, V2 are airspeeds, not groundspeeds, although the aircraft is on the ground. If you have zero wind, then airspeed is the same as groundspeed. If you have 30 kts headwind you rotate at same airspeed however groundspeed is much lower (30 kts). V1, Vr, V2 speeds are based on aircraft weight, so the FMS can calculate them, or the pilot looks in a graph in the flying manual to find the correct speeds

[@clintxoxox]

beautiful takeoff!wish i was a passenger--that looked really smooth

[@Lobta]

I love flying, but the takeoff still overwhelms me somewhat. Once the plane lines up for takeoff, I like to get myself prepared for the force push from the engines as the plane rumbles down the runway. So for immediate takeoffs like this, I'm like, crap...no time to prepare...hold on! Ha! But I love that moment when you leave the ground and even with the engines roaring, there's still a sense of quietness and serenity as you lift into the air. Nice vid!

[@joe3600]

Unbelievable !!!! A plane take off movie can attract more than 1 million viewers.

[@Caellest89]

@kajigeani the doors are always locked when they're closed. In the air you can't open them, because air pressure keeps them in place. If I calculated it correctly, there would be around 23,000 kg of force pressing on the whole door. Anyway I know the pressure is great and you're not able to open it. On the ground, the doors are 'armed' which means if you open it, the emergency chute deploys. On the intercom you'll always hear from the flightdeck. "Cabin crew disarm slides".

[@jetblue83]

After the co-pilot calls V1, he/she will call Vr or "rotate," marking speed at which to rotate the aircraft. This is done by pulling the flight control yoke (the "stick") towards you, resulting in the Elevators deflecting upwards, which pushes the tail of the aircraft down, which lifts the nose up. Then the aircraft starts to climb away from the runway.

[@RHCP9181]

Cleared for immediate takeoff. man u guys were light. it feels good to just climb out 3000 feet a minute! not a thing to worry about just enjoy

[@khalilovH]

the sound of the engines looks like a 747 ... it was sooooo light , that why i accelerated quickly and reached Vr quickly also ... the nose is also a 747's nose ... and this video is 100% real ... nice video

[@istvanklein]

This is a notoriously short runway wedged between the sea and high mountains. I understand that big planes operating long-haul flights from here take off with a very light fuel load and make a stop-over somewhere to top it up. Hence the rapid T/O roll.

[@richardneumann5647]

If you like to watch airplanes land and take off up close this is the place to be. The best time is between noon to about 5 P.M. as that's when most of the action happens. I've been to SXM several times and spend at least 1 day at the beach near the airport runway. They seem to come in so close it's scary but fun.

[@warnerbroRW]

@09ZombieHunter St. Maarten is a Dutch Island in the Caribbean. The airport is Princess Juliana Intl. Runway is 7,107 ft (2,180m) long.

[@javianjohnson8746]

That plane must be pretty light with not the full potential amount of passengers on board, because for a 747 that was a pretty quick takeoff roll

[@Phantom2814]

definately liking the view of the island right after take off.

[@Worrgamesguy]

V1. And it's obvious they were light so V1 was probably in the 130s or 140s, by the time they had positive rate of climb they were probably doing 170+.

[@HerpaReviews]

Impressive take off from such a short Runway. In the FSX I can get my 747 in KLM Colors off the ground just before the end of the runway. One day I want to fly for KLM either.

[@PedroEspindola]

@TheCozzie99 1st: 100 knots. It means that the engine's N1 must have reached the take off setting and that the pilot flying can stop making pressure forward on the yoke. 2nd: V1. At speeds lower than V1 the plane will not fly. The pilot must keep his hands on the throtle so he can set it to reverse in case anything happens. After V1 the captain must complete the take off and should remove his hands from there. 3rd: the pilot not flying says rotate (Vr), which means take off.

[@zachlang1982]

The runway at Princess Juliana is only 7,500 or so feet long-barely long enough for a DC-9 and they're taking off in 744. These guys have some serious courage.

[@englandish43]

@mastermuppet71 No, there is actually a specific Cruise Thrust (abbreviated "CRZ") setting the plane automatically applies when it reaches planned cruising altitude.

[@rolfen]

@McSaggler V1 is the speed at which there is no going back. Trying to abort a takeoff after V1 will result in runway overrun. Rotate means it's time to rotate the nose up, so that the aircraft goes airborne. On this runway they happen at the same time, but it's not always the case.

[@Drpepperman1885]

@McSaggler V1 is a decision speed, even if an engine fails, at that speed they can still take off. ''Rotate'' is just a shoutout to rotate, V2 is a takeoff saftey speed. and the ''steering thingy'' ;) is called a yoke.

[@ceetje13]

The 747's of KLM leavin TNMC are always light loaded, see full subscription. The runway is too short for high weight take offs so KLM flies to Curacao which has a much longer runway so they can go to holland with a full fuel tank.

[@loverbeloved]

lovely smooth take off

[@SuredT]

You should use IAS hold. With a certain CLB power you'll get a certain vertical speed, depending on the weight of the aircraft. If you use PDMG 747 and you've programmed the FMC as it should be, using VNAV will give the correct climbout speed and automatic acceleration at flap retraction altitude.

[@StimuLAZ]

@TheOwlBerlin With a high takeoff weight, and bad weather (ground turbulence or water on the wings) a higher airspeed is required. If you know the runway is short then you need maximum acceleration all the way. The takeoff you described is the way to go because you don't want to be rolling down the runway at less than full thrust. In the video the aircraft probably had a light load, the weather was good, and there was no need to waste fuel. There was lots of runway to spare at liftoff.

[@unabtanium]

BEAUTIFUL EXECUTION!! Nice view from the "dashcam" :)

[@desmond225]

Nice landing, and that looks like some heavy weather you were heading for!

[@Hidezepickle]

V1 is actually the speed at which the landing can still be aborterd, according to the lenght of the runway and the conditions the takeoff is conducted in. Rotate indeed means pulling the nose up and fly :P.

[@Caellest89]

@rhymeandreasoning maybe some words of comfort. Although rare an engine failure can happen. Luckily pilots train a lot on these scenarios. Before each take off pilots discuss briefly their departure. Also these take off are pre-determined and calculated toroughly so in case of an engine failure, the plane will always be able to stay clear from the mountains and come back for a safe landing.

[@SuredT]

@TheOwlBerlin. Absolutely no need to do that. Plenty of runway to do a smooth Take Off.

[@jpcg77]

00:42 i imagine the people at the beach having the time of their lifes!

[@SuredT]

@thestig747. Yes and also it is to clear the high terrain in case of an engine failure.

[@StratMatt777]

As indicated by the pilot's comments about how weight dictates airspeeds, likewise the performance of airliners varies greatly from an almost empty 747 @ 500,000lbs and one loaded to 875,000lbs. Every airplane has a different power-to-weight ratio. Twins, like the 757 have lots of power and can exceed 3,000fpm and probably much more when lightly loaded.

[@calling90291]

Thank you dear pilot for sharing these wonderful videos with us!

[@Tails_the_Gamer]

wow,i use the PMDG 747 in FSX. But this is Awesome! i am glad PMDG nailed the sounds and feel of the real thing in my opinion.

[@BNSFFREAK747]

Yes. This flight drops of most of it's passengers here at SMX then they flight the rest to Curacao where they load up the passengers there then fly back to Amsterdam

[@BBHemisnJets]

Light on the Fuel load-- so that was easy..! → Off to get the Real fuel load for the trip back home.! awesome !!

[@rclcryan]

@FSX737Pilot It's policy for some and comfort for others. Holding the brakes and increasing to 50-70% N1 allows for the pilot to watch the engines spool and make sure that they are approaching TO/GA power appropriately. If the aircraft is not spooling properly they can easily abort take off, reducing much discomfort to passengers and thereby reducing the risk of the RTO in general. Cheers!

[@powerstuck]

I think some people in this video forget the famous St Maarten landing clips where plane is landing over a crowded beach about 100ft above them.

[@theREALpianoman0615]

amazing i do this take off in FSX all the time but just think how awesome it would be to do that in real life

[@englandish43]

@houshidar558 I believe the climb is 250 knots up to 10K feet, then is increased to somewhere in the region of 340 kts, depending on the weight. The thrust stays at the full climb setting throughout the climb, using pitch to moderate speed. Once cruise altitude is reached the plane (on a flight like this which is lightly loaded and high altitude) will reduce thrust to maintain ~Mach .85, depending on the actual altitude. This sort of speed is quite unique to the 747, as most planes fly slower.

[@skbenergy]

@klaprat what a lot of people dont know is that the plane is taking off half empty and is going to the island of aruba or cruacao in the south, about a hour away. The flights to St Marteen are shared with aother island meaning when they get to the other islands then take on more passengers and fuel for the jorney back to Europe. Understand now?

[@golfcharlie232]

The last runway touchdown marking is 900m from threshold. VR is just before this final marking. This is about twice half short as a normal take-off for a 747-400. In some cases (high air temperature, high load and use of derate / assumed temperature) a 747 would easily need 2500m from brakes release to rotation. This definitely is a very short take-off roll.

[@Francois176]

Good thing they're at sea level. Plenty of air.