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-   -   The I've Seen it From the Air thread (https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/travelbuzz/1292797-ive-seen-air-thread.html)

chicago_guy Dec 24, 2011 10:23 pm

Try this app to help locate your position
 
There is a pretty good app called window seat that can help you track your flight in almost real time. You set it right before take off and it uses the flight plan on file to help you identify your position in flight without a gps. It is pretty good and accurate if you start it at the right time and the captain doesn't stray off flight plan too much. It's also fun because it is basically like a flight map similar to the ones on international flights.

It could definitely help you narrow down your location when you see things of interest.

I have it for iPhone and iPad, not sure what other PDAs support it.

tenacioustins Dec 25, 2011 2:38 pm


Originally Posted by chicago_guy (Post 17688111)
There is a pretty good app called window seat that can help you track your flight in almost real time. You set it right before take off and it uses the flight plan on file to help you identify your position in flight without a gps. It is pretty good and accurate if you start it at the right time and the captain doesn't stray off flight plan too much. It's also fun because it is basically like a flight map similar to the ones on international flights.

It could definitely help you narrow down your location when you see things of interest.

I have it for iPhone and iPad, not sure what other PDAs support it.

I bow to you!! This is awesome!

CMK10 Dec 28, 2011 3:11 pm

I was treated to seeing the Aurora Borealis on a PHX-ATL flight back in October (on my birthday no less!). The Captain came on the P/A to inform us in his entire career he'd never seen it so far south.

pinniped Dec 28, 2011 3:27 pm

I've flown out of SEA probably 50 times. Once, on a UA 777 a few years back, we flew so close to the summit of Mt. Rainier that it almost felt like you could reach out and touch it. The pilot announced it in advance and I happened to have the perfect window seat for it that day. If there had been climbers on the summit, I imagine they would have been freaked out by our presence.

I've flown that direction on takeoff quite a few other times and always look - in fact, after that I always made sure I had an "A" seat out of Seattle. But we never got that close again... Seeing Rainier from a distance on either approach or departure isn't that odd: it was just that one flight that one day that was unusual.

Others:
- Grand Canyon a bunch of times
- Giza pyramids
- Lots of other airplanes in holding patterns seemingly right on top of us - common at LHR
- A few times, a plane cruising the opposite direction as us - always fun to see
- Hurricane Dennis from a few years back...we were flying in perfectly clear weather but you could see the storm in the distance, perhaps 40 or 50 miles away
- Lots of big thunderstorms in the summer in the Midwest. Always fun to see, as long as there's a way to get around them.
- Vegas at night. Can't miss it...
- A few nighttime baseball/football games. Obviously this isn't too rare out of LGA, but I've also seen a night game at Wrigley from the air before.

Catusa Dec 28, 2011 7:18 pm

Alot of times flying into my home airport we see the most beautiful site, the Swiss and French Alps.

trsny Dec 28, 2011 8:22 pm

Grand Canyon
Greenland
Wind farm in the waters off Britain

I think the prettiest flight was SOF-LHR. We flew over mountain ranges in the Balkans, then got a clear view of Venice, and then flew over the alps. It was one of those flights where looking out the window was interesting the entire flight.

I have a question. Flying MAD-JFK a few times, I've always noticed, shortly after leaving Madrid, that we fly over an area with a huge crucifix below. Does anyone know what that might be?

morphius909 Dec 28, 2011 10:33 pm

Flying into Santiago (SCL) is awesome as you end up flying into the airport surrounded by the Andes!

Sierra Kilo Dec 29, 2011 9:24 am

My two biggest airborne out-the-window memories: The Aurora Borealis during a particularly active period on a flight between ANC-SEA, coming in over the Great Wall of China on daytime approach to Beijing (most of my previous arrivals there had been in the dark). Totally awesome experiences.

Wilbur Dec 29, 2011 9:55 am


Originally Posted by trsny (Post 17707299)
I have a question. Flying MAD-JFK a few times, I've always noticed, shortly after leaving Madrid, that we fly over an area with a huge crucifix below. Does anyone know what that might be?

Valley of the Fallen near Escorial would be my guess.

An eerie and impressive memorial built by Franco.

trsny Dec 29, 2011 1:05 pm


Originally Posted by Wilbur (Post 17710071)
Valley of the Fallen near Escorial would be my guess.

An eerie and impressive memorial built by Franco.

Just did an image search and yes, that's it! Thanks so much. :)

wolfie_cr Dec 29, 2011 2:10 pm


Originally Posted by Cloudship (Post 17671769)
Those lights actually were missle silos! Apparently there are a whole bunch of them up in that corner of the state. Kinda creepy now that I figured out what they are.

makes since, there is one of those that you can visit , actually two, one in AZ one in SD

I've been to both, as a visitor to the US the most interesting places to visit (outside of big cities of course) are the Great Plains

vandiemen Dec 30, 2011 7:38 am

A lot of people have seen it, but I love flying over Europe, seeing the patachwork of farms and small, but clearly defined, villages, connected by fragile-looking roads. And the deep green of the forests....:)
Also, the Himalayas, as of yesterday

Mr. Vker Dec 30, 2011 4:16 pm

Mt. Fuji

KIX

North Pole

gradybush Dec 30, 2011 6:53 pm


Originally Posted by chgoeditor (Post 17655055)
One thing I've always wanted to see, but never have, are 4th of July fireworks from the air. This year I flew on the 4th, but it was a daytime flight from DUB to ORD, so no fireworks in sight.

I saw the fireworks this time on July 4 - all over the US , flying from DEN to ATL - they look amazing from the top - it is the perspective we usually never get ,unless you are in the air.

gradybush Dec 30, 2011 7:14 pm

Flew over the amazing city of Paris on the flight CDG - BKK - was incredible to check out the layout of the city - and identify the major streets and monuments - it just might be one of the most beautiful cities to look at, from the air.


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