The UK and Ireland experienced a turbulent weather episode at the close of Christmas, courtesy of Storm Gerrit, which made its presence felt with gale force winds and subsequent flooding. The aviation sector bore the brunt of the storm, leading to widespread flight cancellations and delays. Major airports, including Heathrow, Manchester, and Glasgow, witnessed significant disruptions, with British Airways cancelling 13 flights due to adverse weather conditions. In Ireland, Dublin Airport managed to escape the worst, but Cork experienced diversions to Dublin and Shannon.
As the storm battered the region, flights that did manage to take off faced challenging landings. One such incident was captured on video, showcasing an American Airlines Boeing 777 attempting a particularly precarious landing at Heathrow on December 27. Arriving from Los Angeles, the aircraft was visibly wobbling from side to side, momentarily tilting to the left before appearing to bounce or “bunny hop” on the runway. The landing, deemed “insane,” was documented by Jerry Dyer, the owner of Big Jet TV, known for livestreaming flights worldwide, especially during stormy weather.
Dyer, who finds fascination in the “battle” between nature and aviation during storms, highlighted the excitement of watching aircraft navigate challenging conditions. Reflecting on his preference for stormy weather streams, he emphasized the captivating interplay of “forces of nature against an alloy tub with wings.” He gained notable attention during Storm Eunice in 2022, where livestreamed flights struggled to land at Heathrow amidst 122-mile-per-hour winds, capturing the nation’s interest.
On Wednesday, Britain and Ireland encountered over 200 severe wind gust reports, with a potential tornado sighting in Greater Manchester. The European Storm Forecast Experiment (ESTOFEX) maintained a level 2 out of 3 threat for a severe storm in far southeastern Ireland and west-central UK until early Thursday. Despite the challenging conditions, Dyer’s livestream of American Airlines Flight AA134, which departed from Los Angeles on December 26, recorded a one-minute delayed touchdown at 11:41 a.m. on December 27. The flight subsequently departed for Dallas approximately two hours later, with a different crew, ultimately landing ahead of schedule.
While the storm’s impact was evident in the turbulent landings and disruptions across the aviation sector, the video captured by Jerry Dyer offered a firsthand glimpse into the skill and precision required by pilots to navigate adverse weather conditions successfully. As the storm subsided, airports and airlines worked to resume normal operations, emphasizing the resilience and adaptability of the aviation industry in the face of challenging weather events.