Office with a view: Pilots share images from flight deck on instagram
Their desk view is better than yours
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Taking a picture of the view is one of the perks of grabbing the coveted window seat when flying.
But two UK pilots have shown that the most spectacular sights are reserved for the people in control of the plane.
Captain Paul Fox has been flying with Monarch for 12 years; he says on his website that he started taking pictures to share the views after passengers were banned from visiting the front of the plane.
He writes: “One of the great joys of the job used to be allowing people into the cockpit during the flight to see the incredible views.
“Sadly, those days are long gone and although I encourage people to visit the flight deck after their flight, it's not the same experience.”
The Manchester-based pilot sells his images at his site Flying Foxoir and describes his job as a boyhood dream come true.
Ashish Raval, a senior first officer who has been flying with Monarch for 18 months, is based at London Gatwick and has more than 10,000 followers on his account.
Speaking to The Independent he said: “The view from my 'desk' is amazing so I wanted to share some of the breath-taking views I am lucky enough to see on a daily basis.
“People love taking pictures from their window seat but the views I get from the cockpit are just incredible and I really wanted to share my favourites.”
He says his favourite view when flying is over the Alps. Speaking to the Daily Mail, Raval said: “They leave me speechless. They make for some of the best views I have ever seen from the flight deck.
“Whether it be the Austrian, Swiss, Italian or French Alps, they all make for incredible scenes. Flying into Venice, the descent allows you to get a slightly closer and better view of the Alps.”
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments