Is this the ultimate pilot selfie – complete with stars?

Award-winning Boeing 747 pilot Christiaan van Heijst has taken the ultimate selfie from the cockpit of his 747. Christiaan explains how he took the selfie picture: “In an attempt to capture the enormous expanse of the night sky from the cockpit from a better angle, I accidentally made a very rare 'selfie' in the process through the reflection in the window. “For this shot, I placed my camera with the trusted fisheye lens on its back with the lens facing up against the curved windshield, hopefully, able to capture most of the sky above and ahead of us. “What resulted was a pretty sharp 15-second exposure of the stars and a slightly blurred image of me gazing at the bright Moon.” Christiaan van Heijst, is a world-renowned 747 pilot with a major cargo airline and his brilliant photos have captivated millions giving perspectives on our planet, its near neighbors and mother nature. SEE more of Christiaan's photos here.  Christiaan’s love affair with aviation started at a very young age. He explains: “Since my first flights as a passenger at a young age, I have been captivated by seeing the world from above. Flying gliders at the age of 14, I quickly shifted my attention to motorized flying and obtained my flying license at the age of 18, weeks before my driver's license.” “After having studied aeronautical engineering, I decided to pursue my dreams of becoming a pilot and was hired on the Fokker 50 Turboprop by a company called Denimair aged 20.” “Under leasing contracts, I flew the Fokker 50 for numerous airlines and private/military contractors, including local operations in Africa and Afghanistan between 2004 and 2006.” “Having appreciated incredible adventures in those years, I was hired on the 737NG to fly across Europe for a Dutch charter company in 2006, but the taste of adventure was still in my veins. At the age of 27, I was lucky to be hired by a major European cargo company on as a First Officer on the 747-400 and -8, being the youngest Dutch pilot to fly the 747 ‘Dash-Eight’ around the world in 2011.” “Today, with over half of my flying hours on the 747, I still feel extremely privileged to fly for a living and see the entire world from my cockpit.” “Ever since my first flights I have felt the urge to capture the views I’m presented with. Perspectives that are unique and change constantly, never to be seen again. I sensed it was simply my duty to capture the world from above.” “With the emergence of social media, my name and photography began to grow into what it is today.” “In 2015 my first book ‘Cargopilot’ has been published and this triggered a whole new endeavor that leads to a rewarding creative career next to flying. “I have found that writing and photography is a powerful combination to convey emotions and I look forward to developing both of these creative expressions further in the years to come.” More of Christiaan’s work can be found here.