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Top Ten Scenic Routes from the Sky

by Neil Woodburn (RSS feed) on Aug 7th 2006 at 2:35PM

I'm not a window guy. At 6'4" I find it horribly uncomfortable to cram myself into the window seat. When I do get stuck there, however, I spend most of the flight with my face pressed against the window like a ten-year old on his first flight.

Naturally some flights are better than others for sightseeing. The Telegraph (UK) interviewed ten pilots to find out which routes were their favorites for exceptional views from high altitudes. The pilots were also asked (less interestingly) to name their favorite hotels and restaurants they frequent after arriving at the destination.

Naturally, the results covered the globe. One of the most fascinating was the journey from London to South Africa where window sitters can marvel over the Nice Riviera, Atlas Mountains, oil refinery fires in Nigeria, and sand dunes in Namibia.

New Delhi to Bagdogra also sounds appealing; the route passes through the Himalayas and offers passengers on the left side of the plane a view of Mt. Everest.

I'd like to add my own favorite to the list as well: Los Angeles to Seattle. This route passes over Yosemite Valley and a handful of volcanoes in the state of Oregon.

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)

A.P. Thorington Aug 7th 2006 5:19PM

The most scenic route from the sky that I have been priviledged to fly was from Dallas to San Francisco. On that particular day, I was able to see the entire scene all the way - deserts - and directly over the Grand Canyon.
This was unbelievablely beautiful.

Steamer Aug 7th 2006 6:33PM

I suppose they asked UK pilots. So results are interesting exceptionally for UK

Jocelyn Aug 7th 2006 7:55PM

Two outstanding fly overs:
1. Tel Aviv, Israel over the Negev Desert (sculpted sand towers, Dead Sea, etc.) down to Egypt. WOW.
2. Flying in to Costa Rica, the miles of green, undulating hills and rich flora was magical.

Armando Broncas Aug 7th 2006 9:10PM

Sao Paulo to Rio - Take off from the relatively downtown Congonas (sp?) reveals the almost surreal sprawl of Sao
Paulo. The descent into Rio is nothing short of spectacular, flying over Cristo and Sugarloaf before landing at Santos Dumont, Rio's downtown airport.

GOL flies this route, so its cheap to boot!

jon Aug 8th 2006 3:11AM

Jo'burg to Windhoek (Namibia) - watching the green hills of S.Africa slowly change to scrubby desert over the Kalahari is really cool.

One flight from Bahrain to London - I've done this route a few times and usually it's nothing special, (over Egypyt and across the med) but this time we went north across Saudi, Syria, Lebanon, over Cyprus and Romania...really awesome views.

gabi Aug 8th 2006 5:35AM

Fly over the Netherlands is also a good experience. The Netherlands is a tiny country and you can see all the cities and channels. It's fabulous look at the big harbour of Rotterdam.
Land in Paris-Charles de Gaulle is also good, with a good view of the Champs Eliseès and the Tour Eiffel.

peace. ZuHause.

Winsome Aug 8th 2006 9:51AM

ON a flight to Israel - from N.Y. - London - Paris - Tel aviv - more beautiful sights than could be imagined including - The White Cliffs of Dover, the Swiss Alps - to the hills of Jerico.

Marcelo Freitas Aug 9th 2006 9:11AM

Sao Paulo to Rio is one of the greatest. It takes less than one hour and after a few minutes from take off one can see the coast line untill the landing. But before the landing, the approach can be over the Rio-Niteroi Bridge, which crosses the Guanabara Bay, or between some rocky mountains. Not to mention the Christ and the Sugar Loaf. By the way, when you take off on your way back to Sao Paulo, the plane has the Sugar loaf right ahead, so a sharp turn to the left is necessary, which leaves a magnificent view to those sitting by the right windows.

jae davis Aug 12th 2006 8:16PM

Flying into Will Rogers Airport in OKC, OK in the spring looks like giants patch work quilt. I fully expected to see one rise up from a nap!

Kit Wheatley Aug 12th 2006 8:24PM

In Septembe 06 we flew from Oslo, Norway to Newark and had clear weather the entire way. Farmland, snowy mountains, glaciers, icebergs, lakes. Iceland, Greenland and Labrador were visible forever. Once we entered North America you could see the colors of autum inching their way into New England. We flew down the ridge of the Green Mountains of Vermont (right over our house) and down the Hudson River - all with perfect visibility.

Jaci McKim Aug 12th 2006 8:27PM

TODAY'S GEOGRAPHY LESSON: Just for the record, 4 out of 5 of those beautiful big volcanos you're seeing 'in the state of Oregon' happen to be in Washington. (Mount Hood is in Oregon; Mount/s St. Helens, Adams, Rainier and Baker are in Washington.) Just an FYI from an old Washington girl who now lives in Oregon.

P.S. But you're right -- it IS a beautiful flight on a clear day.

Mike O'D Aug 12th 2006 8:40PM

Beleive it or not, one of my most senic flights is one of the shortest ive ever had also. from Jacksonville to Ft. Laud/Hollywood Fla.
flying over the St johns river basin then over Floridas First Coast/historic ST Augustine right over the launch pads and runway at cape kennedy(where the shuttle had just lauched/landed several days previously), and then along the coastline and port of everglades..i was suprised when we went pretty far inland over the everglades and did a 180 to come back to airport instead of going straight in(must of been a lil traffic that day), but it was well worth it for the views-all of that from a lil over an hour flight...

Jason Aug 12th 2006 8:47PM

The best flight I ever took was in July of 2006 when I flew from La Paz, Bolivia to Miami. Flying over the Andes Mountains as the sun was going up was breathtaking. That day we also flew over the Amazon basin where I could see the Amazon River and the rain forest. I also saw the beaches of Jamaica and Venezula. The water of the gulf was a saphire blue it was awesome!

valski Aug 12th 2006 8:52PM

Flying into Schiphol, over Greenland at dawn, is breath taking.

Chuck Aug 12th 2006 8:54PM

Commercial flights are usually too high up for good views, although passing over the rockies has always been breathtaking for me.

But there is nothing like paying a fare for a single engine plane ride over Nevada's Lake Mead, the Hoover Dam, and the Grand Canyon. From the best of natural and man made sights, it does not get much better than that.

Try it sometime

Diane Aug 12th 2006 9:02PM

I think the most beautiful sight I saw flying was flying over Manhatan on a clear beutiful day. I was flying from Daytona to Hartford. When the pilot came over the loud speaker and pointed out New York city below us it was breathtaking. This was soon after 9/11 and the cabin went quiet in thought and prayer.

Marguerite Lindsey Aug 12th 2006 9:03PM

Boston or Kennedy to Toronto on a clear day provides a wonderful view of Niagara Falls. ButmMy own personal favorite remains the view of Victoria Falls when flying from Zambia to Zimbabwe. At dawn, no less. Stunning.

Barry Aug 12th 2006 9:06PM

One of the most beautiful flights I've taken is also one of the shortest from Lima Ohio to Lafayette Ohio flying over Hawg creek watching all the neat things floating by it was breathtaking.

Brian Aug 12th 2006 9:16PM

In 1995 on a flight from Paris to San Francisco
I flew over Greenland and saw magnificent glaciers. Aw inspiring chunks of ice breaking away into an incredible blue ocean. In retrospect an extinction of sorts was taking place.
I have also flown over the deserts of Mexico seeing lonely dirt roads disappearing into the vast emptiness.
I always have my camera ready!