If you have a fear of flying, then there are usually three things about aviation that worry you the most: the take-off, turbulence, and the landing. For me, it has to be the landing that's the scariest thing about the whole ordeal. I hate the sudden bump as the plane hits the runway and screeches to a slow stop. I can't help but imagine that we might be going too fast, or that one of the wheels might burst into flame, and all sorts of other irrational thoughts. I know it's stupid to be scared of this stuff, but I just can't help it.
So if you have a fear of flying then you might want to look away, because the following footage, while incredible, will probably deeply disturb you. A video has emerged on social media, which shows a plane being forced to land on the runway sideways, due to the strong, gale-force winds caused by Storm Callum, which is battering parts of the British coast this week. The footage in question was filmed at the runway on Bristol airport by a plane enthusiast, who later uploaded it to social media.
Posting the footage on his YouTube channel, UK-based MrAviationGuy captioned the video: "Strong winds blowing directly across the runway at Bristol Airport on the 12th October 2018 due to Storm Callum caused this TUI Airways Boeing 757-200 aircraft to come in nearly sideways."
He added: "Aircraft need to compensate for the crosswind otherwise they will be blown off course, they do this by pointing their nose into the direction the wind is coming from, demonstrated perfectly by this crew. It is always fascinating to watch planes landing in strong crosswinds; the power of mother nature vs the skill and professionalism of the brilliant airline pilots."
The plane-spotter who filmed the dramatic scene later told local news agency Bristol Live that: "I have seen a few crosswind landings, including some pretty hairy ones like in my recent Storm Callum videos. I find it thrilling watching aircraft landing in such strong winds, it was a really difficult day for all the crew that day as the winds were directly across the runway and were gusting up to 46 knots."
They added: "I love seeing how each aircraft handles the wind. It is always a little tense watching the planes come in when the wind is as strong and gusty as it was on the 12th, but I don’t fear any crashing. It is important to remember the crew have spent plenty of time training for these scenarios and are experienced in making decisions with regards to aborting the landing or continuing."
Storm Callum has caused significant flooding in parts of South England and Wales, and has disrupted travel all over the UK. British citizens have been advised to avoid a long commute unless totally necessary.
