Aurora display from a pilot’s view

According to Isna, the photos recorded during an intense geomagnetic storm of G4 level show one of the strongest storms in recent years. “Daisy Dobrijevic” reporter of “Space” agency wrote:

I’ve been lucky enough to witness incredible aurora displays over the years and receive stunning photos from readers and photographers; But I can say that the new set of photos captured by pilot Matt Melnyk are the best I’ve seen so far.

During the recent geomagnetic storms that jolted the Earth’s magnetic field on the nights of January 18 and 19, auroras were seen well beyond their normal range, and sky watchers around the world released vivid images of the sky’s rich green, red and purple scenes. But Melnik had the best seat in the world. He was in the cockpit of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

Melnik said:

The show started as soon as we got above the clouds and continued intermittently throughout the flight from Calgary to London. It was undoubtedly a historic night.

From the altitude of aircraft such as the Melnik plane, which is above the clouds and away from the light pollution of cities, the auroras can appear brighter, clearer and wider than from the ground. The auroras seem to fill the whole sky, covering the scene with vivid curtains of color that dance with the fluctuations of the Earth’s magnetic field.

Melnick added:

It was the most incredible aurora display I’ve seen in my 20 years of flying. I will remember this flight for days to come.

Melnyk captured these stunning photos with a Canon R6 ii camera and a Sigma 14mm F1.8 lens. Melnick added:

I usually shoot from inside the plane at night with a 20mm F1.4 lens; But I decided to use an “extra wide” lens for this flight because I knew I would probably need an extra wide lens to capture the large auroras.

Melnik is no stranger to being accompanied by auroras during his flights across Europe. He recently published another set of photos taken during a severe G4 geomagnetic storm in November 2025. Although those photos were stunning; But this new collection surpasses them.