Billions of lights, billions of people from a 747 cockpit

Boeing 747 pilot Christiaan van Heijst has taken a stunning image of billions of lights over India. Christiaan takes up the story. "Billions of lights, billions of people, thirty-thousand feet up in the sky. The vast subcontinent of India is gliding by our 747 during a clear summer night. Delhi control, reading you five by five, roger roger. "The world has become a small place ever since I started flying long haul on the 747. Four hours to Tel Aviv, ten to Shanghai, seven to New York. Give or take. “Just one more Houston and Wuhan this month and I'm off.” this may sound ridiculous to some, but for a long-haul pilot, it's just another trip around the block. Distant mountain ranges have become an accustomed sight, approach procedures for postcard airports as familiar as navigating the parking lot of my local supermarket. "In a way, it's nice getting to see and know the entire planet from above. On the other hand, the mystery is gone. What used to be an exotic and far distant land on the globe in my childhood bedroom, turned into just another destination or airway on my schedule. Yeah, Kinshasa Control has some issues during the night on HF, try the secondary frequency in a few minutes, that one usually works. Fukuoka Control will give us the higher altitude, just wait until we cross the oceanic boundary. "Or the faint glow of Ireland on the midnight Atlantic horizon, a promise of the European continent closeby; time to get some weather reports from Liege and Amsterdam. "It's as if I'm driving some long-distant roads by car, getting to know each and every pothole, turn and sign along the way. Comfortable routine and experience, but at the price of losing its magic and sense of adventure." Christiaan is one of the world’s leading aviation photographers and more of his work and more close encounter (s) can be found here.