An Airbus A330 that appears to be hovering over Toulouse was filmed by a motorist yesterday, Thursday, September 5, 2024. We explain why there is no reason to panic.
An Airbus A330 that appears to be hovering in the air was seen in Toulouse by several witnesses yesterday, Thursday, September 5. The scene was filmed by a driver driving on the ring road. In the video, the 180-tonne jet plane near Toulouse-Blagnac airport appears stationary above buildings in the Faourette district. He still can't believe it: “I've done a lot of research and it's impossible.”
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Indeed, unlike a helicopter, an airliner cannot hover or hover in aeronautical jargon. As soon as it reaches too low a speed or a certain angle of attack, the aircraft loses lift and stalls. That is not the case here.
Parallax effect
It is actually an optical phenomenon that gives the illusion, and only the illusion, that the plane is stationary. Known as parallax, it occurs when the observer changes his position on the object he perceives. In our case, that's exactly what happened… The plane was actually filmed from a moving car. So this is just a matter of perception. There is no need to report the event to the CNES Study and Information Group on Unidentified Aerospace Phenomena (Geipan).