What's the most amazing thing you've seen from a plane
Apr 13, 2015, 6:21 pm
#76
Join Date: Feb 2008
Programs: UA AA MR HH B6
Posts: 1,419
Landing in Mexico City, especially at night, is wonderful. Much cooler than even NYC.
I recall seeing Philadelphia Airport clearly flying DEN-LGA. That was cool. Also being able to recognize golf courses I played from the plane is cool.
I recall seeing Philadelphia Airport clearly flying DEN-LGA. That was cool. Also being able to recognize golf courses I played from the plane is cool.
May 12, 2015, 12:02 pm
#78
In Memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Durham, NC (RDU/GSO/CLT)
Programs: AA EXP/MM, DL GM, UA Platinum, HH DIA, Hyatt Explorist, IHG Platinum, Marriott Titanium, Hertz PC
Posts: 33,857
The tallest buildings in Downtown Chicago through cloud cover seen from an AA E75
May 12, 2015, 12:24 pm
#79
Join Date: May 2006
Location: SAN
Programs: Lots of faux metal
Posts: 6,424
I've had a few:
1) Greenland during a LHR-LAX flight. The captain said it was rarely that clear.
2) flying around a hurricane in the Caribbean on a MIA-LIR flight. It was clear and sunny on our path, but the swirling clouds filled the sky to the east.
3) fireworks on New Years Eve over the US. If you fly east to west you get quite a few as the sun goes down.
4) Banking over the pyramids of Giza to line up for landing at CAI.
1) Greenland during a LHR-LAX flight. The captain said it was rarely that clear.
2) flying around a hurricane in the Caribbean on a MIA-LIR flight. It was clear and sunny on our path, but the swirling clouds filled the sky to the east.
3) fireworks on New Years Eve over the US. If you fly east to west you get quite a few as the sun goes down.
4) Banking over the pyramids of Giza to line up for landing at CAI.
May 12, 2015, 12:51 pm
#80
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: SEA
Programs: Million Miles achieved | 2017 Delta Platinum, United NADA, Global Entry, PreCheck, NEXUS
Posts: 1,295
Flying the northern route to Asia flying over glaciers on a cloudless, sunny day.
Landing at the old Hong Kong Kai Tak Airport in the upper deck of a 747. As you land the plane descends into a glidepath with high rise apartments on both sides. Seeing people walking around I their apartments.
+3 to landing at Laguardia on a beautiful fall day.
Landing at the old Hong Kong Kai Tak Airport in the upper deck of a 747. As you land the plane descends into a glidepath with high rise apartments on both sides. Seeing people walking around I their apartments.
+3 to landing at Laguardia on a beautiful fall day.
May 12, 2015, 1:27 pm
#81
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: NAP
Programs: LH, BA, TK
Posts: 2,409
I was impressed by the size of Sao Paulo.
Huge to say the least. Stuck my nose to the window for a good 20 min on takeoff from GRU bound to IGU.
Just having a connection without visiting the city made it more amazing.
Huge to say the least. Stuck my nose to the window for a good 20 min on takeoff from GRU bound to IGU.
Just having a connection without visiting the city made it more amazing.
May 12, 2015, 1:43 pm
#83
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: DAY/CMH
Programs: UA MileagePlus
Posts: 2,474
But what really struck me was the size of the urban agglomeration, which went on and on as we followed a slow arc up and down. I live in the eastern periphery of the Dayton metropolitan area, in a place which would look to most Americans as pretty open country. Seen at night from above, it was plain that I'm a more urban person than I had thought.
May 13, 2015, 2:31 am
#85
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: NAP
Programs: LH, BA, TK
Posts: 2,409
That reminds me of a similar sight that impressed me. It was a night flight from CVG (Cincinnati) to DAY (Dayton International). Cincinnati's main airport is in Kentucky, across the Ohio river and southwest of Cincinnati. Dayton International is north of Dayton. The flight followed a line just northwest of most of the urban area. I hadn't realized till that night that the Dayton and Cincinnati municipal areas had pretty nearly merged. This was at least ten years ago. Their's very little visible open space between them nowadays.
Guess this can be true for many sister cities in US. Not to mention LAX alone.
But hey, you folks have scheduled flights for a 60 miles hops?
May 13, 2015, 3:43 am
#86
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: London & Sonoma CA
Programs: UA 1K, MM *G for life, BAEC Gold
Posts: 10,225
Flying BA from JNB to CPT some tears ago on a nearly empty 747, the pilot did a 360 around the Kimberley diamond mine which was an extraordinary hole in a vast nothingness.
Other notable sights include Kilimanjaro, the Icelandic unpronouceable volcano from the North as it was still spewing out smoke and I would concur about Greenland.
On a personal level, I usually see my house landing at LHR if I'm on the right, and likewise in SFO if I'm on the left.
Other notable sights include Kilimanjaro, the Icelandic unpronouceable volcano from the North as it was still spewing out smoke and I would concur about Greenland.
On a personal level, I usually see my house landing at LHR if I'm on the right, and likewise in SFO if I'm on the left.
May 13, 2015, 7:53 am
#87
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: DAY/CMH
Programs: UA MileagePlus
Posts: 2,474
Yup. I don't know if it still holds, but when I took that flight, DAY-CVG-LAX return was $400 cheaper than CVG-LAX. As a captive Delta hub, CVG was the most expensive airport to fly from in the country.
May 13, 2015, 9:08 am
#88
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: YYC/MNL
Programs: Marriott Bonvoy SE
Posts: 520
I was on a flight from HKG->SEA and I was waiting for the washroom.
This really cute girl waited for the other one beside it. We exchanged hellos while I stretched. She then out-stretched me by doing the splits right there and then.
In yoga pants.
Best flight ever.
This really cute girl waited for the other one beside it. We exchanged hellos while I stretched. She then out-stretched me by doing the splits right there and then.
In yoga pants.
Best flight ever.
May 13, 2015, 11:17 am
#89
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: 45° North
Programs: DL DM MM, HH Diamond
Posts: 10,196
A few that I can recall.
- Aurora on DTW-LHR one July.
- Landing in PPT and a sweeping turn around the island of Moorea on a clear morning.
- Baghdad in 2006.
- A Cessna 172 tour of Whakaari, New Zealand and a whale breaching below.
- The Spirit of Delta farewell tour from LAX - an hour long flight around Catalina at 10,000ft.
May 13, 2015, 1:54 pm
#90
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: NY
Programs: AA, Hilton
Posts: 1,576