The United Kingdom is being battered by storms and gale-force winds Friday, and one die-hard plane enthusiast found himself become an overnight sensation because of it.
The YouTube channel “BIG JET TV” has been livestreaming planes landing at Britain’s Heathrow International Airport for the last seven hours (at the time of writing). An unknown man, who is now an internet darling, is watching pilots show off their immense skill to land jets through incredible cross winds, cheering them on all the way.
Over 100,000 people are currently watching, at times this swelled to almost 300,000 viewers. Everyone has fallen in love with the play-by-play announcing, complete with phrases like “GET IN THERE!” and “WELL DONE LADS!”
It’s the kind of relentless positivity we need right now. Landing jets through incredible winds is difficult in the first place, but with the unpredictability of Eunice, the storm currently blowing roofs off U.K buildings, it’s so much worse.
The channel isn’t just delightful and fascinating, but informative too. Our play-by-play announcer clearly LOVES planes and knows a ton about them. He’s on the ground discussing fuel weight, landing gear drag, and how headwinds make it tough for pilots. Celebrating something seemingly mundane like this is just a great way we can appreciate the work lives of others.
Godspeed, you wonderful chap. Keep following your airplane dreams and becoming the best spectator sport of an otherwise dreary Friday morning.