29 November 2014

AIRCRAFT STORIES - Now that's flying blind! Terrifying footage shows pilots approaching airport in fog so thick they can't see the runway until moments before landing




Now that's flying blind! Terrifying footage shows pilots approaching airport in fog so thick they can't see the runway until moments before landing


  • The video was shot using a camera places in the cockpit
  • Terrifying footage shows plane landing at Dublin Airport in thick fog
  • Runway comes into view just moments before plane touches down 

Frequent flyers are more aware than most about some of the hairy situations pilots encounter on the job.

But landing an airplane at 150 mph in thick fog might not be something they'd choose to experience after seeing this video.

Wispy clouds and bright skies hide the thick grey cloud that lies beneath as the plane begins its descent to southern Ireland's busiest airport.


It's not for the faint-hearted, but the video uploaded to Youtube certainly gives some insight into what pilots experience on foggy days.

'I'm sure it's down there' reads one of the captions in the video, a reference to the runway that can't be seen as the plane prepares to land.

As the countdown begins and the pilot calls the number of feet from the ground, the airstrip is still completely hidden.

The runway seems to appear out of nowhere as the pilots land in Ireland in thick fog
The runway seems to appear out of nowhere as the pilots land in Ireland in thick fog

The video, shot from the cockpit of a plane, reveals how pilots have to rely on their equipment in times of poor visibility
The video, shot from the cockpit of a plane, reveals how pilots have to rely on their equipment in times of poor visibility


Finally, just 100 feet above land, the lights of the landing strip hove into view.

The video, which has hundreds of thousands of views, is captioned: 'It was a foggy morning in Dublin. The fog was forecast to clear before we arrived but it never did. So, we carried out an automatic landing. This video shows a cockpit view.'

It should certainly give viewers a new appreciation for a pilot's skill, and the technology that keeps millions of travellers safe in the skies in bad weather conditions.

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-2851968/Now-s-flying-blind-Terrifying-footage-shows-pilots-approaching-Dublin-airport-fog-t-runway-moments-landing.html#ixzz3KOnO67ld 


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