Watch: Drone crashes into an erupting Iceland volcano while filming

The eruption of Iceland’s Fagradalsfjall volcano attracted thousands of spectators this spring. Naturally, there were many photographers and filmmakers among them, so we’ve seen some epic footage and photos of the event. But Joey Helms’ aerial video is probably the closest we’ll ever see an active volcano. Joey flew his drone so close to the volcano that he literally crashed it into the exploding lava.

The volcano erupted on 19 March 2021. It was the first time in 800 years, so it’s no wonder it attracted so many people. Joey crashed a brand new DJI FPV drone right into lava exploding out of Fagradalsfjall. “FPV drones are notorious for crashing, it is part of the hobby,” he explains. “So in an effort to get a unique vantage point and perspective into the crater we flew this remarkably capable drone as close to the lava river and caldera as possible.”

The drone flew into the exploding lava during what turned out to be its last flight. “At least the goggles record a great 1080p image allowing us to actually capture the last seconds the drone saw,” Joey concludes.

Guys like Bjorn Steinbekk took some aerial videos as well. His drone had much better luck than Joey’s, but hey – I think it was worth the sacrifice. I doubt it’s possible to get any closer to an active volcano than this!

via CNN Travel