A pilot wanted to make his passengers’ flight more enjoyable, so he turned his plane 360 degrees before completing his flight, allowing them to see a unique view of the Northern Lights.
The EasyJet plane was heading from Iceland to Britain on Monday as its captain deliberately circled over the North Sea to allow passengers on either side of the plane to enjoy the rare sight.
The company and the pilot were highly praised by the passengers, most of whom took pictures of the distinctive aurora lights.
Aurora Borealis is a rare and beautiful phenomenon
Aurora Borealis is a rare and beautiful phenomenon
One passenger wrote on Twitter: “Many thanks to the EasyJet pilot from Reykjavik to Manchester, who turned 360 degrees mid-flight to make sure all passengers could see the amazing Northern Lights.”
An EasyJet spokesperson told Sky News: “We are delighted that the captain of our flight from Reykjavik to Manchester was able to perform a controlled maneuver to allow passengers to witness a stunning display of one of nature’s greatest spectacles: the Northern Lights.”
“Our crew will always do their best for our customers, and we are delighted to be able to share this special view of the Northern Lights with them,” the spokesperson continued.
In the UK, usually only Scotland and parts of northern England are lucky enough to see the Northern Lights, but it has been visible from parts of southern England in recent days.
How does the aurora borealis occur?
• The aurora borealis is caused by the collision of charged particles coming from the sun with atoms and molecules in the atmosphere.
• Luminous waves appear due to lines of force in the Earth’s magnetic field.
• Different colors are made up of different gases. Green comes from oxygen, while purple, blue or pink comes from nitrogen.
• The lower part of the aurora borealis is usually about 130 km from the Earth’s surface, but the upper part may be hundreds of km high.