I flew to Perth and back twice in November, once for work and once for a wedding. It’s not a long-haul flight by any means, but five and a half hours still drags, especially when there is no in-flight entertainment available (and on that issue, are you serious?? Come on Qantas and Virgin, get your act together!).
I always choose a window seat if I can. I also drink lots of water to avoid dehydration, which doesn’t exactly endear me to my seat-mates, but the ability to gaze out at the sky and world below has always been my favourite part of flying.
The air “up here”, inside the plane, is frequently odorous, dries the eyes, and is either too hot or too cold. It is to be endured. Fortunately, the other air up here (outside the plane) can be sublime. I love taking off from the airport on a cold, grey day, to be buffeted by the wind, before bursting through the cloud layer to the brilliant sunshine above. I love it when it rains and condensation pearls on the windows. It’s just as exciting to identify familiar landmarks as it is to fly above isolated coastlines. Up here, sunsets and sunrises are more intense, expansive, and long-lasting.
A good sky-scape outside my window fills me with anticipation for where I am going, or warms my belly with memories recently made. It makes me forget about my discomfort, the crappy food, the dragging hours, the light-headedness from a little too much wine. For a little while I’m just an atom in the sky, suspended in-between even as I’m hurtling towards a destination. It’s nice.
Chez Moi 
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Love your gorgeous shots “on the fly.” I always get a seat on the aisle because men my age just can’t hold it in vey well and being up at 30.000 feet seems to make that worse. I had forgotten that flying can be beautiful. Thanks for your lovely post. Next time I get on a plane, (tomorrow, as it happens), I’ll try to look out the window and see the beauty in the skies.
Thank you for your lovely comment John, I’m glad you enjoyed the photographs. I hope that you get great weather for your flight today and that the view is spectacular! Have a wonderful Christmas and best wishes for 2015 🙂
I know the feeling. And even if you fly at night and there’s no sun, you can still watch all the city- and streetlights instead. =)
It’s also great at night when there’s a moon and you’re high up. Moonlight can be so eerie. I haven’t managed to capture any good night photos from my window seat though.
It’s weird that there is no IFE on such long flights. Anyway, you had more time to enjoy the beautiful sky like this. Thanks for the amazing pictures! 🙂
I don’t understand it either. On one flight the plane had the seat- back holders for iPads but you couldn’t even pay extra to use one. They just weren’t available. Thanks for your comment Moritz!
Unbelievable. Some airlines are just not able to make passengers happy…
I love flying in the window seat looking down on the planet and thinking.
AV
Exactly AV, all that space and time can generate a different perspective. Window-seat dreaming…
I do the same in the bus or train. I much prefer them as a means of transport. Gives you time to see things closer.
AV