Millions of people are totally horrified of flying in airplanes. Even though it's the safest form of travel, there's just something horrifying about being 30,000 feet in the sky speeding at hundreds of miles per hour!
While there's usually never a reason to be that afraid while in an airplane, the most dangerous moments on any flight are right after takeoff or right before landing.
These are the moments that a pilot really shows off their talent. Just like when Captain Sully's plane got hit by a flock of geese moments after takeoff; his quick thinking and calm demeanor ended up saving everyone on his plane by landing in the Hudson river!
At Birmingham Airport, the airplane this pilot was flying worked perfectly fine, but sometimes outside factors can really mess with a situation. The pilot had to fight against horrible crosswinds while attempting a landing.
A crosswind is when the wind is blowing at a perpendicular angle to the runway. This forces the pilot to essentially push his plane against the wind at a rather scary angle while keeping everything steady. At the last second, the pilot has to straighten out the plane, otherwise they risks the wings hitting the ground.
To make matters worse, this particular airport is quite hilly, which can mess with the pilot's depth perception. And since the airport is at a higher altitude, the windy conditions are often very bad.
Though it must have been scary for the passengers inside, this pilot managed to land his huge plane after an initial failed attempt. But if at first you don't succeed, try try again!
Please SHARE this intense video if you think pilots need to be paid more for their talents!
