When does London look like Mars?
For 747 pilot Christiaan van Heijst it is when you’ré cruising over the magnificent city at 41,000ft and a high thin stratus layer blurs the ‘million of lights below into an orange glow and the moon is rising.
Suddenly the scene below resembles the Martain landscape and the moon, our sun rising over the alien world.
Christiaan says, just for a moment, he feels like a space-ship commander about to land on the distant planet.
Christian describes the moment;
“The display next to my right knee steadily counts down to the three-minute retro-burn. The start of our historic descent to the surface of the red son of Juno.
The rising sun is blinding and I’m about to close the window shutters until my eye catches something small, almost insignificant. That bright white speck over the horizon. Planet Earth. Home. The location of every single person, animal and thought that ever existed. Earth was shrinking in our windows since we left months ago, photographed by pretty much all of us here on board as we flew further out into the deep. The first manned expedition to the surface of Mars. Pioneers in a new chapter of mankind.
“I can hardly believe I’m really here, behind the controls of Starship Caelus. Contrary to flying the 747, guidance computers are doing all of the work now. I’m just here to monitor and take over controls in case of trouble. Or -heaven forbid- initiate the abort sequence for an inglorious return to Earth. Practised a thousand times in the simulator, but how embarrassing would that be. Christiaan ‘at least he tried’ van Heijst. I don’t think so.
PHOTO: Flip the photo 90 degrees, and tilt, and you are in space!!
“An estimated 2 billion people are glued to their screens on Earth to follow up real-time on our progress with a 3-minute 26-second signal delay. No pressure on my shoulders…
Check, check, all systems nominal: we’re GO for the powered braking manoeuvre. The point of no return.
“The only indication that the burn has started is a slight tremor in my seat: the vacuum of space deafens the hellfire unleashed by the six Raptor engine bells.
“Minutes later, the nose gradually swings around into the aerodynamic braking attitude. Olympus Mons should be visible shortly, our landing spot in the plains of Arcadia Planitia just beyond.
Ionized gas gives a faint blue glow around my windows as we plunge through the thin Martian atmosphere with incredible speed. My hands tightly on the buffeting controls and a heightened sense of intuition. It’s all or nothing now.
“In fifteen minutes I’ll either go down in history as the first to land on Mars or be known as that guy who screwed up his landing in front of a worldwide audience. Either way a monumental event.”
Back to reality and Christiaan and his fellow pilot prepare for another safe landing in their down-to-earth 747-400F.
Christiaan is one of the world’s leading aviation photographers and more of his work and more close encounter (s) from his 747 can be found here.
You can follow Christiaan on Instagram here: @jpcvanheijst
Camera Settings: Nikon D200, 10.5mm fisheye, 1/350s, f/10, ISO250. Single exposure.
