This Instagram-famous pilot's photos of thunderstorms, blinding sunrises, and the Northern Lights show what it's like to work from the cockpit at 37,000 feet

34-year-old Christiaan van Heijst, Dutch senior first officer and cargo pilot, flies the Boeing 747-8 and -400 Freighter - and he's racked up 8,000 hours of flying time.

Van Heijst is also a travel blogger and photographer. He takes photos of the incredible views he enjoys from the cockpit via his Instagram account, then writes about them on his blog.

From blinding sunrises to the Northern Lights - or navigating his way through a violent front of thunderstorms - scroll down to see some of the insane things he has experienced from 37,000 feet in the air.