Videos of planes struggling to land during storm go viral
As Storm Eunice slammed into the UK and Ireland on Friday morning, a YouTube channel called Big Jet TV became an unexpected hit, welcoming hundreds of thousands of viewers as it livestreamed from Heathrow Airport.
The channel has built up a sizeable following over the last six years, recording aircraft movements at major airports. Big Jet TV often gets its best ratings during storms when landing commercial aircraft can get tricky.
On Friday, as Storm Eunice battered the south of England and Ireland, the channel garnered around 200,000 viewers as it broadcast planes landing from outside Heathrow, Europe’s busiest airport.
From some footage, it was clear that planes were struggling to land at the west London airport.
Pilots have been struggling to land at Heathrow Airport due to strong winds from Storm Eunice. Video courtesy of @BigJetTVLIVE who have a live stream from the airport since this morning, showing planes landing. @HeathrowAirport#stormeunice#Heathrowpic.twitter.com/8cdkv1oMN0
— London Live (@LondonLive) February 18, 2022
Big Jet TV’s appeal is partially due to its founder and host, Jerry Dyer, who frequently praises the pilots and ground teams for their hard work and getting the planes to land safely in difficult conditions.
“I think this guy’s gonna struggle. He’s all over the place. Here we go, here we go. Easy, easy. He’s down!” Dyer said as an Air Algiers flight wobbled its way onto the Heathrow runway.
Many airports across the UK canceled flights on Friday, as wind speeds of 122mph (196kph) were reported along the south coast.
