Jumbo jet pilot shares incredible pictures that he’s taken from the cockpit

For many people, the idea of getting a shot of a grand vista means climbing up a mouldy old mountain or driving up to the nearest lookout and enjoying an overpriced coffee with an overpriced bucket of chips. And yeah, those views are pretty frigging good, but they’re not exactly ‘view-from-the-cockpit-of-a-747-good’. And look, we get it, if you’re the kind of person who puts photos of their food on Facebook, those views might be impressive, but if you really want to see what a good view looks like, talk to the pilot who’s the star of today’s story…

Credit: Christiaan van Heijst/caters

Credit: Christiaan van Heijst/caters

Credit: Christiaan van Heijst/caters

Christiaan van Heijst, whose name reminds me of the time Father O’Leary stole a Ford Transit, is a f**ken lucky bloke. Not only does he fly airplanes for a living, but he’s also the kinda guy who likes to take photographs of grand views. And, we have to say that, er, yeah, it’s a good combo.

Credit: Christiaan van Heijst/caters

Credit: Christiaan van Heijst/caters

With a stunning collection of photos taken from 30,000 feet in the air – and above – he’s always happy to share the goods and show us exactly what he’s photographing in his cockpit (snigger).

Christiaan says, “It is sometimes hard to describe to people what’s so special about flying at night when you see the stars, Northern Lights and dim glow of the atmosphere around. Or what it feels like to see the cities, countries, oceans and continents glide by below your wings as if we’re detached from the planet.”

Credit: Christiaan van Heijst/caters

Credit: Christiaan van Heijst/caters

And you can imagine exactly how tricky that is. Fortunately, with photos, he can cram a thousand words into one awesome-as-f**k image.

Credit: Christiaan van Heijst/caters

Credit: Christiaan van Heijst/caters

Credit: Christiaan van Heijst/caters

‘I think every photo tells its own story and together, like pieces of a bigger puzzle, they show a much broader picture that tells what it is like to fly across the globe at night.” He reckons. “This selection of photos show a series of long exposure photos from the cockpit and airplane cabin to illustrate the possibilities of long exposure photography in the air. The urge to capture those beautiful views started when I had my first job as an airline pilot. The mesmerising views at night of the cockpit and all its little lights, the cities that pass by, the countless stars, the Milky Way, shooting stars and sometimes even the Northern Lights was something that just had to be captured by camera.’

Credit: Christiaan van Heijst/caters

Credit: Christiaan van Heijst/caters

Final thought: Looking at these great views really makes you reconsider your career options doesn’t it? Fortunately, with great blokes like van Heijst taking these photos, we don’t have to put in the hours and hours of hard work. Good shit.

Just in case you missed it, here’s one of Ozzy’s latest commentary videos…Ozzy Man Reviews: Mega Cat Compilation

H/T: Daily Mail.