Even if you’ve managed to avoid, economy, premium economy, business class and found your way to first class- there’s still one seat that’s got you beat. You see, the view out of the side windows of any airplane hardly rival the views out the front, and there are only three seats in the house that offer those views. Sadly, you cant buy them. You can however catch a rare glimpse into life up front, thanks to a few pilots who also happen to be social media stars.

Suneil Banerjee aka The787DreamLife…

Instagram handle: the787dreamlife

Putting “dream life” in your Instagram handle creates some lofty content needs, but Suneil over delivers. If you enjoy priceless views of the clouds, sunrise, sunset or just some amazing cockpit views, Suneil is your guy. As ridiculously frequent traveler, he’s also got some amazing glimpses of cities we now want to visit. Just look at some of these…

 

As most people are heading home from work, we’re just getting started… Evening departure out of London Heathrow, turning towards the setting sun as our working ‘day’ begins. The random nature of the lifestyle (it’s more than just a job!) means that you never have a set routine. For evening departures like this one, I’ll get up early, hit the gym and have a busy morning. Come mid afternoon, I’ll be ready for a few hours sleep before heading to the airport. It’s all about sleep management… and a good set of blackout curtains!

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Sunset over the Andes Mountains. Looking across the border into Argentina, the setting sun behind us giving a stunning illumination of the mountains as we start our 14hr flight back to London.

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My favourite seat on the 787… 2A Enclosed enough to give you your own privacy yet open enough to allow you to engage with the crew, this is little space is your haven to build a nest for 12hrs at 37,000ft. Either chill out with a film and a glass of something tasty or recline the seat flat, add a crisp white duvet and sleep the hours away. Tag who you’d like to fly sat here with!

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Scott Bateman MBE aka Jumbo747Pilot

Twitter Handle: Jumbo747Pilot

Scott Bateman is a master of many trades, as a 747 Captain and Head of Constabulary for Wiltshire Police. One slightly less publicized talent is his lens skills. Scott captures unbelievable Northern Lights photos from the flight deck, offers rare glimpses into the cockpit and is just about always happy to answer flying questions.

Joanna Riggs aka LadySpeedbird

Instagram handle: PilotJoanna Twitter handle: LadySpeedbird

Joanna Riggs pulled off the ultimate #avgeek dream, turning from cabin crew to A380 pilot, and her social accounts are proof that if you do what you love- it’s hard not to be happy. Thanks to her candid snaps, we get to live the dream too. You can follow along on her epic journeys as she hits all destinations served by the A380- like gorgeous night skies into Los Angeles or iconic shots near the North Pole, and of course the geeky cockpit stuff we all crave.

 

#Flying an approach over #London is amazing! The views are always stunning #A380 #pilot @british_airways

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Taken on my walk around yesterday in #sanfrancisco , using as my profile pic for my new Insta account #A380 #Airbus #rollsroyce #girlswhofly

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Chris Holden aka That787Pilot

Twitter handle: That787Pilot

Chris Holden is a senior pilot with an amazing passion for his job. Not only is he in charge of training standards for other pilots- he’s always up for a little flying discussion on Twitter. But that’s far from the end. Flying daily to some of the coolest destinations around the world, Chris documents the view from the best seat on any airplane with amazing videos, insights and photos.

 

James Parry aka Cl10uds

Instagram handle: Cl10uds

James Parry has got some serious photo skills. The young pilot has become a near instant-Instagram star with his captivating sunset views, gorgeous aircraft angle shots and unique insights into the magical world of cockpit life. If you need travel inspiration, look no further.

 

Throwback to an early Summer’s evening turnaround in Limoges, France. Unusually long at 2 hours, a rare chance to crack the window, recline the seat and chill in the cockpit… I know you all think we do that anyway! The only commercial traffic at the airport for the time we were there, we filled the apron, even in our dinky @british_airways @airbus A319!

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It’s true… We have the best views at the front, both in the air and on the ground! Got lucky at the M1 holding point for 26L at @gatwickairport capturing this @flyrwandair A330 about to cross the threshold. Golden hour golden for more than one reason, great lighting AND the final sector of our day, the @british_airways BA2778 LGW-JER for a nightstop!

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Climbing out of Catania, Sicily on the LIBRO6A departure from Runway 08 offers a stunning view of the all-eclipsing Mount Etna.

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Dave Wallsworth aka CaptainDave

Twitter Handle: DaveWallsworth

Captain Dave is a legend of the skies, and amongst his peers. While we’ve highlighted some of the best photos from the sky, Dave Wallsworth is the king of cockpit time lapse. You’ll find interesting route insights, conversations and videos that make you want to book the nearest plane ticket immediately.

 

If you’re now officially an #avgeek junkie. There are a few more pilots we love to follow: Kate Bees, Ben Whitworth, LadySpeedbird, Mark Mannering-Smith, Graham Sturgeon.

Who’s got your favorite account?

Gilbert Ott

Gilbert Ott is an ever curious traveler and one of the world's leading travel experts. His adventures take him all over the globe, often spanning over 200,000 miles a year and his travel exploits are regularly...

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