Landing with Zero Visibility, a Foggy Day at Heathrow from Inside and Outside the Cockpit.

This week much of Northern Europe woke up under a blanket of fog that enveloped entire countries. The thick fog caused many flight cancellations and disrupted travel in many countries, the sensible people stayed in bed it seems. Those lucky enough to actually make it onto a flight Monday or Tuesday were treated to a technological roller-coaster ride as Auto-pilot brought many planes safely in with almost zero visibility.

Most pilots are more than capable of bringing a plane in safely with zero visibility, on instruments alone, but in the modern world of computerized flight this is a task generally handed to the auto-pilot. Watching a plane landing under zero visibility conditions from the cockpit is a thrilling roller-coaster ride especially when the runway remains invisible till the very last minute.

Many plane spotters also took this foggy opportunity to capture the ground view of aircraft landing at Heathrow. In the distance the roar of the jet can be heard growing louder until it appears from the thick fog only hundreds of feet overhead. Even as the day went on the fog persisted but the planes kept landing.

Presented for your viewing pleasure are the videos capturing the scary effects of fog from the inside and outside of the cockpit. Sit back relax and remember to look straight ahead during the landing, the view out the window may freak you out.


Author: Athol Courtenay

Writer, programmer, photographer and ponderer of sorts. Keeping IT interesting with a dry cool wit, this is tech but not as you know it. Technology, Science, Space, Humor, Computers, Consumer Electronics and more.