Pilot captures view of landspout tornado from up in the clouds, Oklahoma video shows

A glider pilot captured a uniquely intimidating view of a tornado Sunday in Oklahoma.

David Evans was flying his glider near the town of Tuttle when he spotted the spinning formation, outlets report, but instead of getting clear, he flew in closer.

Since gliders rely on wind resistance to stay aloft, unlike airplanes, Evans was trying to use the tornado to give himself a boost, his wife said in a Twitter post sharing the video.

“He was out looking for lift for gliding, and found it,” she said.

The funnel formation wasn’t a tornado in the traditional sense, according to local meteorologists, but a landspout, which is essentially a waterspout on the ground.

While the twister looked ominous from up in the sky, it was less impressive on ground level, producing “ground circulation similar in strength to a strong dust devil,” meteorologist Michael Armstrong said in a Facebook post, along with video of the event shared by a homeowner. “She said her horses and her property are just fine thankfully!”

This story was originally published June 15, 2021 at 8:59 AM with the headline "Pilot captures view of landspout tornado from up in the clouds, Oklahoma video shows."