my first day In Iceland last August was clear and sunny, every tourist’s dream. And it turned out to be a great day to do a tourist activity I hadn’t initially signed up for: flying over the Reykjanes Peninsula by helicopter to get a top-down view of an active volcanic eruption, specifically Sundhnúksgígar.
Ryan Connolly Hidden IcelandA travel company that helped me organize my trip suggested the helicopter trip at the last minute because a volcano on the southwestern tip of the island had recently activated. Not wanting to miss the opportunity, I paid for the helicopter tour from my phone at 1:00 PM after arriving in Iceland that morning at 6:15. After a short nap at the hotel, I drove two hours to the meeting point, which is 10 minutes outside the city of Reykjavík, for a 7pm flight that afternoon.
The helicopter could seat six people in total, including the pilot, with little room for maneuver. Based on my height and weight and that of my traveling companions, I was strategically placed in the right rear of the helicopter. The cabin had floor-to-ceiling glass windows so we could take in the full view of the landscape. We all put on headphones equipped with microphones, the only way to communicate with each other over the noise of the helicopter blades.
Within minutes of taking off, the pilot described the views below, which at first included the city, but soon became a vast, empty, black land. As the helicopter descended to the right, the erupting volcano came into view with magma rising and sparking red and orange, a stark contrast to the black earth. We could see magma ooze down the side, becoming thinner and fainter as it moved away from the slope. The pilot circled the volcano several times so passengers on the left and right could get a good look before flying to a nearby dormant volcano and explaining its history.
Safety regulations
Jón Grétar Sigurðsson, owner of AtlantaflugThe helicopter tour company I used explains that planning these flights has become standard since flares have become more common. “We fly in accordance with aviation regulations. Normally, when an eruption begins, the area is closed to everyone. But now the Icelandic government has established certain flight routes that we follow and certain procedures, (including) distances of how close we can get and at what altitude we must stay.”
When I arrived that night, the flight ahead of me was delayed. So, I waited in the office with the other guests where we chatted, had coffee, and watched a live stream of the volcano.
In general, there are two main reasons why a flight may be delayed or cancelled. “Sometimes the area is closed to all operations because the government is taking some measures,” says Sigurðsson. “Something that can happen without warning. Weather can also be a factor, especially in winter. “If there is a delay on one or two first flights, we normally pick it up on the third flight to get back into contract.”
How they monitor volcanic activity
According to Sigurðsson, the Icelandic government is attentive to volcanic activity and constantly monitors it. “It’s like a patient under constant care in the hospital,” he says. “I would say they are measuring very thoroughly and looking at the ground elevation in millimeters. In the graph we see when the eruption started and then the ground sinks again. As the eruption continues and begins to rise again, we know that magma is accumulating in the same chamber. “This morning I was showing the pilot that there is a definite increase in the elevation of the area, and it is a duplicate of what happened last time.”
Volcanic eruptions occur regularly in Iceland and Sigurðsson says they can be expected for the next 30 to 100 years.
My helicopter ride that August night lasted about 40 minutes, and the six of us circled the volcano from left to right and back again. The smoke billowed out but was headed in the opposite direction to our flight pattern, giving us a clear view of the volcano. As the pilot took us to the airport, I could see the ground becoming populated again before we descended toward land. A soft landing allowed me to land and that night I headed to my hotel happy to have been in the right place at the right time.
Note: Since this article was written, there has been another eruption in a similar location. According to Connolly of Hidden Iceland, it is still “business as usual for international flights, main roads, local infrastructure and travel to anywhere other than the eruption site, which includes Grindavík and the Blue Lagoon.” At the moment, the only safe way to see the volcano is by helicopter.