A pilot for EasyJet did a stomach-churning 360-degree turn in the air to give passengers a great view of the aurora borealis, and the results are beautiful!
When the Northern Lights put on a rare show, the flight was going from Reykjavik, Iceland, to Manchester.
Adam Groves, a passenger, said that the view was “incredible” and that it was the best part of an amazing four-day trip to Iceland’s capital, where he also proposed to his long-term partner, Jasmine.
Groves and his fiancée were sitting on the right side of the plane. If the pilot hadn’t turned the plane around, they wouldn’t have been able to see the beautiful lights.
Funny thing is, Groves and his fiancee went to Iceland just to see the Northern Lights for themselves, but they didn’t.
We were hoping to see them while we were out there but we didn’t get the chance. We took off and halfway into the flight the pilot turned all the lights off and the view could be seen out the left window. But we were sitting on the right-hand side and after a few minutes the pilot switched back and did a 360 loop around for everyone to see,
he said.
Even EasyJet said that the 360-degree turn wasn’t a big deal because they always “go above and beyond” for their customers. They said:
We are pleased that the captain was able to perform a controlled maneuver in order to allow passengers to witness an amazing display from the air of one of nature’s greatest sights. Our crew will always go above and beyond for our customers and we’re delighted to have been able to share this special view with them.
Rarely do the lights show up in the UK, as they usually do in places like Scandinavia and North America that are closer to the Arctic. Northern Ireland, South Wales, and Norfolk, on the other hand, had the experience of a lifetime when the lights danced in the sky.
The Met Office in the UK says that seeing the aurora borealis depends on the weather at the time.
The best conditions to view the lights are when the sky is dark and clear of any clouds […] Ideally, the lights will be best viewed away from any light pollution, in remote areas, facing the northern horizon – north-facing coasts produce some of the best viewing locations,
they revealed, adding that:
The northern lights are most active during the Equinox and Solstice in March/April and September/October.
This week, a Met Office representative said that the cloudy weather makes it likely that Brits won’t get to see the spectacular light show again for a while.
Over the last few nights, the northern lights have been a spectacular event over parts of the UK, even including spots in southern England. The levels of solar activity are now reducing and this combined with increasingly cloudy skies mean that the chances of a sighting are now severely limited.
Did you ever get a chance to see the Northern Lights? Or is it still something you want to do? Share your thoughts in the comments!
