Moonlight, sleep tight below, from a 747 pilot

"One of the joys of night flights is the spellbinding views over moonlit landscapes every now and then. No matter how many times I've been able to enjoy those scenes, moonlight over the clouds or landscapes will always fuel my soul.

"Two weeks ago I was fortunate enough to see the full moon rise over the Atlantic and slowly climb higher in the sky as I cruised east. A nearly cloudless England soon passed by, filled with glowing cities and towns containing millions of people while lunar light reflected from rivers, lakes, and rooftops. READ: Qatar Airways surges on Misson Impossible "When I look down on the world in this captivating state, I can't help but wonder who else down there is looking up at the moon at the same time. Marveling at her rays and energy, couples making love in the bright silver glow or people using it to fuel their creativity in arts and creativity.

"I've said it before and I'll probably say it a hundred times over: I wished more people could see those stratospheric views first hand. The overarching beauty from this (quite literally) higher viewpoint is putting everything else in perspective. We are so easily triggered, fighting each other for words or perceived meanings, losing track of context, backgrounds, and history. I can only hope my photos show the bigger picture and ease the tensions as much as a monthly dose of enchanting moonlight can do. "Regardless of my thousands of hours in the air, I still consider myself extremely privileged to see the world from this perspective. Especially these days, with the world of aviation facing its worst crisis ever and so many pilots wondering if they will ever fly again. And yet, here I am.

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