Many people dream of the perfect proposal and spend months planning out every last detail in order to create a magical memory they will never forget. It’s rarely smooth sailing to achieve a dreamy proposal without encountering any bumps in the road along the way - and for one man from Cheshire it was no different.
Adam Groves planned a trip all the way to Reykjavik in Iceland to pop the big question to his girlfriend. The 27-year-old recruitment company owner from Lymm carefully crafted a plan to propose to his partner Jasmine Mapp under the iconic Northern Lights.
While these plans were foiled by cloudy weather, meaning the couple didn’t get to catch a glimpse of the scenic sky on their holiday, Adam still successfully proposed to Jasmine on a cliff on the Icelandic coast.
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But the couple weren't left disappointed as they got to see the Northern Lights for the first time in the most unusual of places - on their flight home to Manchester Airport.
“We were out there for four nights in Iceland, but we didn’t get a chance to see the Northern Lights due to clouds,” Adam said.
“It was special – I went (to Iceland) with the intention of proposing to my girlfriend under the Northern Lights, so seeing it on our flight home was a great surprise."
The pilot on the easyJet flight U21806 from Reykjavik to Manchester on Monday evening announced that he would turn the plane 360 degrees to allow all passengers to see the Northern Lights – which have been visible across much of the UK this week.
“On our flight home, the pilot told us that if we are able to see the lights he’ll do a turn to allow us to see it,” Mr Groves said.
“Around half an hour into our flight, the pilot dimmed the lights and we saw the (northern) lights. At first, only the passengers on the left-hand side of the plane could see them, but we were sat on the opposite side.
“The pilot turned the plane around so that passengers sitting on the right could see them too.”
Mr Groves took pictures of the flickering lights from the passenger window, capturing part of the plane’s wing and the green hues of the northern lights.
The controlled detour to the west of the Faroe Islands took just less than 10 minutes and occurred shortly after 8.30pm, while the Airbus A320 was flying at an altitude of 37,000ft (11,000m) and at a little under 500mph, according to flight tracking website Flightradar24.com.
A spokesperson from easyJet told PA: “We are pleased that the captain on our flight from Reykjavik to Manchester yesterday evening was able to perform a controlled manoeuvre in order to allow passengers to witness an amazing display from the air of one of nature’s greatest sights, the aurora borealis.
“Our crew will always go above and beyond for our customers and we’re delighted to have been able to share this special view of the northern lights with them.”
Photographs of the Northern Lights taken by the easyJet passengers have been shared widely on social media, showing hues of green and pink lighting up the night sky.
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