ByTed Thornhill, Mailonline Travel Editor. Published:07:20 EDT, 9 July 2024Updated:08:03 EDT, 9 July 2024. . 14. Viewcomments. . Forget bird'seye views try these planely incredible jumbojet flight deck views instead. They were taken byDutch747400 captain Christiaan Van Heijst, who has rightly earned a reputation for breathtaking cockpit images. His aerial pictures have landed him multiple awards and 147,000 Instagram followers. Christiaan said: 'With my first job as a pilot in 2004, I was flying turboprops around Africa andAfghanistan, and I was acutely aware that I was seeing things and sights that were unique, so I had a strong motivation to document them all. 'I started taking pictures with a simple camera and as my flying career progressed, so did my photography.'. Scroll down for Christiaan's latest scintillating shots, taken above locations that include Manhattan,Dubai,Chinaand the remote Sable Island. Contrails above the clouds: A stunning image of an aircraft hurtling past below Christiaan's 747. A mesmerising image of Cape Verde  an African island country in the Atlantic Ocean. Hue goes there: A jawdropping picture of an aurora. Christiaan said that capturing auroras through the cockpit took a lot of 'trial and error'. Christiaan has completed over 10,000 flying hours on various airplane types. Above  the mountains of Armenia. Manhattan looks like a toy town in this incredible shot taken from the skies above it. Christiaan reveals that he's flown roughly 8.6million kilometres, or 5.4 million miles  'give or take a few'. Way to glow: The heavenly image above shows moonlight over the Pacific Ocean. Peaky blinder: The Himalayas look like a painting in this hypnotic picture. Here, the vast Gobi Desert stretches out beneath Christiaan's jumbo jet. A striking mountain range in China. Christiaan estimates that he has flown 17 times the distance from the Earth to the Moon. Christiaan said: 'With my first job as a pilot in 2004, I was flying turboprops around Africa and Afghanistan and I was acutely aware that I was seeing things and sights that are unique, so I had strong motivation to document it all.' Pictured right  Dubai's two Palm islands. Pictures like this have helped to earn Christiaan 147,000 Instagram followers. Christiaan here captures his 'office'  the cockpit of a Boeing 747400. California's Mission Pacific Hotel is named America's best. Wild moment man uses funnel to pour margarita down woman's butt. Cessna aircraft comes within inches of crashing into Colorado cliff. Caitlin Clark and Julie Vanloo get into brief skirmish on the court. Crayons and marshmallows melt in Las Vegas heat wave. Guess the ICONIC image from NASA's Hubble Telescope in 15 seconds. Soccer official Chiqui Tapia has personal sweatwiper at Copa America. Incredible baby ducks dive from bird box within 24 hours of hatching. Nicki MIRAGE! Rapper caught lip syncing in 'disgraceful' Dublin concert. England and Netherlands fans gather in Dortmund ahead of semifinal. Fastmoving stars around intermediatemass black hole in Caldwell 80. This arresting picture captures Canada's Sable Island, where around 350 shipwrecks lie. Colour us impressed: An astonishing aurora captured by Christiaan over Germany. For more incredible photography and videos, see Christaan's Instagram:jpcvanheijst. Published by Associated Newspapers Ltd. Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday  Metro Media Group
Dutch pilot Christiaan Van Heijst captures breathtaking views from the cockpit of a Boeing 747, earning awards and a large Instagram following. His images showcase stunning locations like Manhattan, Dubai, and China. With over 10,000 flying hours, he has photographed everything from auroras to mountain ranges, estimating to have flown a distance equivalent to 17 times from Earth to the Moon.