Flying an aircraft is a forced-immersion experience: if you aren’t fully aware, focused, and functioning, you and the machine will become one in a crumpled ball somewhere, with or without fire involved. Landing an aircraft is the most nerve-wracking part of flying, without question: Taking off into the relative safety of the air is easy, but gently putting that same heavy frame back onto a road at speed takes finesse in the best of circumstances. Unfortunately, the best of circumstances isn’t always available, so pilots train on how to fly in absolute crap weather. Wind, rain, whatever the case, you can be assured that the guys in the cockpit know what they are doing.
The airport in this video is BHX, better known as Birmingham Airport, located in the West Midlands area of the U.K. The weather, and more specifically the winds, aren’t friendly. Strong gusty winds are a regular occurrence and the result is footage like this, where planes crab-fly in, gain and lose altitude like a roller coaster, and generally make for great business for the bars once the passengers unload from the aircraft. The last thing anyone wants to see is a sideways aircraft, yet in Birmingham it’s a regular sight. Please be sure to fasten your seat belts, this ride will make turbulence seem like child’s play.
dancing sideways, looks pretty stressful for all involved, heck it is stressful to watch
About 45 minutes from my house, experienced turbulence there in the past
What’s with the Whoop De Whoops on the runway? Are there no road graders there?
Ride that rudder pedal, Cowboy. Yeehaww!!
watching this hillarius landings from las palmas .gran canaria. Februari 10th i will land in birmingham and spend 2 days with my friends. Going back to sweden friday 13. if I am not turned in for the march meet, you know what happened . cheers bangshifters. Hans