Anti Skid On:
The AF 747 at St Maarten/St Martin is indeed pretty much on the glideslope. The runway is not overlong and the tarmac begins just the other side of the road.
Because of the bloody great hill in the middle of the island, it was usually more advantageous to take-off away from it with a tailwind and I have crossed the very same beach on take-off at a very similar height.
On one occasion two young ladies chose to ignore the warning signs and were walking right across the centreline as I rotated. I have often wondered if their bikini tops survived!