25: London to
Naples (LGW-NAP)
Chosen by Senior First Officer Helen Parker
'The lovely thing about this flight is that you quickly get to the southern corner of France, where you see sunlit views of the Alps. On your left-hand side is Geneva and further down on your left is Mont Blanc. You then cross into Italy and the land drops steeply away and there's the Po valley stretched out in front. Down Italy's western coast there are views of Genoa, La Spezia, Pisa and Rome. Usually when you're flying into Naples, the approach starts with a right-hand turn then a descent past the volcano Vesuvius. If you approach from the west you get views over the island of Ischia. Closer to the airport you catch sight of cruise ships in the harbour.'
24: The Bahamas to Grand Cayman Island (NAS-GCM)
Chosen by Senior First Officer
Mark Parbhoo
'Island hopping — what could be better?
You take off from Nassau in the Bahamas and cross the ocean over an archipelago. The different depths of the water and the varying levels of sunlight means the sea takes on a variety of shades, varying from deep turquoise to light blue. It's very pretty flying through puffy white clouds, looking down and seeing the sandbar emerge from the ocean. Arriving at Grand Cayman on a beautiful sunny day, you are struck by the contrast of the blue of the sea and the white of the fine sandy beaches. From a pilot's point of view this flight is interesting because you really get to go back to basics. The landing requires a visual approach, something you do more often on a light
aircraft than a big jet.'
23: London to
Dubrovnik (LGW-DBV)
Chosen by Senior First Officer Graham Haydon
'After leaving Gatwick, it's quite wonderful when you pass over the Swiss Alps, Geneva, Turin, Milan and the Italian Lakes. But this flight really starts to get interesting when you reach the Dalmatian coast and the Adriatic. In front of you are lots of little islands dotted in a turquoise sea and you can spot large yachts sailing below. I often look down and wish I was on one of them. You then fly over Split, which is very picturesque, and take in the scenery of the Dalmatia Mountains, before landing in Dubrovnik.'
22: London to Calgary (LHR-YYC)
Chosen by Captain Steve Allright
'The pleasure of flying over the UK is often underestimated. The scenery is stunning and the familiarity of the landscape makes it enjoyable. Growing up you learn where landmarks are on the map and you're able to spot them easily from above. On this route you see the Welsh hills and the coast of Ireland. Heading north, if the weather is clear, you get views of Iceland and Greenland's snowfields. You then reach Canada's Labrador coast with its huge cliffs. In the last hour of the flight you can look out at the Rockies and, if you're lucky, just make out the Grand Canyon of the Fraser.'
21: London to
Seattle (LHR-Sea)
Chosen by Senior First Officer
MatThew Simmonds
'I often fly through the Northern Lights over Greenland and Iceland. The aurora borealis is normally green, but it can be a whole array of different colours. It isn't dangerous to fly through it. Descending southwards from Greenland you pass over Mount St Helens. Landing at Port of Seattle Sea-Tac Airport is particularly interesting as you can see floatplanes gliding across nearby Lake Union.'
Interviews: Ianthe Butt. Missed any previous instalments? Catch up on entries 30-26, 20-16, 15-11, 10-6 and 5-1 which include trips to Hong Kong, Milan, Nairobi and Mexico City.
Plan your Perfect Day in London at facebook.com/BritishAirways.
