Storm Eunice (who’s named Eunice anymore?) has brought unusual and extreme winds to much of the U.K., causing power outages for tens of thousands, closing schools, and ripping a huge hole in the roof of London’s O2 center. The weather system produced a gust of 122 miles per hour on the Isle of Wight that would be the strongest ever recorded in England, if confirmed. Meteorologists say it may be the worst storm to have hit the country in 30 years.
It has also made for some pretty cool videos of planes landing at Heathrow Airport, as narrated by an excitable aviation dork.
A YouTube account called Big Jet TV was drawing as many as 200,000 viewers on Friday morning, all watching planes come in through the whipping wind as the channel’s narrator, Jerry Dyer, giddily narrated each landing. A sample of what awaits you if you click the above link:
As Dyer chronicles the airspace, a steady stream of comments appears on the right side of the page, which range from the informational (“Singapore 777 in 30 minutes”) to the confessional (“Anyone else hoping an absolute madness happens, I’m talking the plane proper bounces off the runaway”). There are many warm welcomes to newbies just learning about the existence of the channel. The Guardian reports that Dyer has been operating the account for six years, drawing a small but highly devoted following and earning enough revenue from subscribers “who pay for access to extra streams” to support himself. The paper notes that “its biggest audiences come during storms, when its cameras are set up on the perimeter of airports and broadcast for hours.”
Friday may have brought difficult and dangerous conditions to much of the U.K., but it’s Dyer’s moment in the sun — or the wind, as it were.
