Take a closer Look
It is this time of the year again!
Quoting a famous movie, they say, "same procedure as every year!"
Welcome to a look behind the scenes of my latest photo calendar, which is now available to pre-order.
For many of us, flying has become ordinary. Fortunately, it still inspires many of us and creates lots of emotions. May it be the excitement to travel to a far distant place, or the joy to soar above the clouds and watch the world pass by underneath, or last but not least, the thrill it creates if the airways are a bit bumpier than expected. What does flying mean to you?
My daily life in the flight deck takes me above the clouds and across the globe. One of my constant travel companions is my camera. I have carefully curated some of my favorite views and would like to share the most extraordinary and awe-inspiring moments in this calendar with you. I am glad to have you join me on the flight deck or the airport's tarmac and experience the beauty of flight from a pilot's perspective. For more insights into my daily adventures above the clouds, make sure to follow my Instagram account «@sky_trotter» and read my blog.
I want to take this opportunity to thank all involved in making this project possible. A special appreciation goes out to my fellow pilots, internal departments for their support and permission to use the images. All pictures were taken during the non-sterile phase, on the ground, or as an observer in the third seat.
I am honored that my creative work was selected as a winner at the International Photography Awards 2018.
Because we care
I am very proud to inform you that you support a cause for good by purchasing this photo calendar. For every copy sold, I donate CHF 5.- to the children's foundation of the SWISS employees (Stiftung Kinderhilfe des SWISS Personals). Visit their website for further information. Thank you very much for your support.
This project is produced entirely in Switzerland and promotes an effort for the global climate issue. All arising CO2 emissions are compensated by donations towards projects of MyClimate, making this project carbon neutral. From wood processing to the finished print, the production takes place per FSC-standards. Therefore, the used paper originates from environmentally-friendly and socially acceptable managed forests.
Let's take a closer look.
Read the picture description down below. These are the pictures of my 2020 photo calendar with some very different insights into my daily life as an airline pilot. Head over to my shop to get your copy today. Click here to get to the store>
Cover
Good Morning, ZRH
A serene morning welcomes us home, and the glowing lights of runway 14 guide us towards our landing at Zurich Airport. Most of the arriving flights are touching down on the 3300-meter-long runway, making it the gateway to Switzerland and the homebase to the 5’700 crew members at SWISS.
January
Alpine Wingmen
The Lauberhorn Ski Race is the longest downhill run of the World Cup circuit and Switzerland's biggest annual winter sports event. As an established attraction, the Swiss Air Force’s aerobatic demonstration team Patrouille Suisse performs its spectacular display together with an airliner in front of the breathtaking alpine scenery of the famous Bernese Alps.
February
Automatic Landing
Most of the time, pilots fly the landing manually, except in low-visibility conditions, as seen here aboard this Airbus A220, seconds from touchdown at Munich Airport. The pilots are fully focused on monitoring the autopilot, and the aircraft systems, as the airplane is about to perform an automatic landing in as little as 200m visibility.
March
Picturesque Spring
Spring is in full bloom as this Airbus A340 soars over the colorful fields at Zurich Airport. In a few moments, a smooth touchdown will draw an end to an almost twelve-hour long journey home from Shanghai, China. Its cargo holds are full of urgently needed medical supplies to help battle the pandemic in Switzerland.
April
Challenging Weather
A passing cold front causes challenging conditions with moderate precipitation mixed with gusty westerly winds. It requires landings on runway 28, the shortest one at Zurich Airport. The crew of this Boeing 777 inbound from São Paulo, Brazil, is about to crown the long flight with a great landing after flying through the night and across the South Atlantic Ocean.
May
A Misty Morning
With the Alps as a backdrop, flying into Zurich Airport offers breathtaking views, especially when approaching from the north. We are nicely established on approach to runway 14 during the golden hour on one of the first summer days. The dissipating morning mist creates a mystical scene as it gets illuminated by the warm sunrays.
June
In just over one hour, this early morning departure will take 170 passengers to London Heathrow. The Airbus A320neo is new to the fleet and one of the most efficient airliners on the market. Thanks to improved aerodynamics and a new engine technology, it is much quieter than comparable aircraft of the previous generation and emits about 15% less CO2.
July
Mother Earth’s Light Show
We pass through the belt of convective weather over the Indian subcontinent en route to Bangkok. While circumnavigating the thunderstorm cells, we get to admire an impressive show of St. Elmo's fire. While looking spectacular, it is no hazard at all. It is caused by the clouds electrically charging the atmosphere and becomes visible as a luminous electrical discharge once the electrical charge becomes sufficiently intense.
August
Tropical Sunset
After an 11-hour long-haul flight halfway around the globe, this B777 is about to touchdown on runway 24R at Los Angeles Intl. Airport. A tropical scene with palm trees swaying in the warm sea breeze and a colorful sunset welcome LX40 to California and the third-largest airport in the world.
September
Sunset with a View
The state-of-the-art flight cockpit of our Airbus A220 offers us an excellent situational overview. We are preparing our approach to Geneva Airport after a short flight from Frankfurt, Germany. The arrival route to the second largest airport in Switzerland offers scenic views over Lake Geneva and the French Alps, the background in a colorful evening mood.
October
Colorful Rush Hour
Busy moments at Zurich Airport as the morning rush hour is in full swing in typical grey fall weather. The colorful Indian summer creates a vibrant background for this Airbus 330 arriving from Tel Aviv, Israel, and the two Airbus A220 following closely behind. They have just landed from their short-haul flights from Belgrade, Serbia, and Berlin, Germany, respectively.
November
Otherworldly scenery
We are soaring high above a world so far from ours: The unique landscape of Afghanistan. The beauty of this harsh and hostile corner of the world is hard to comprehend. Deep canyons cut into the snow-capped Hindu Kush mountain range that rises into an almost endless cobalt-blue sky. The breathtaking scene gets interrupted only by the infrequent passing of other airplanes.
December
The Magic of the Arctic
Bright Aurora Borealis are dancing in the blistering cold Arctic night sky above us. We have dimmed the lights on the flight deck to fully enjoy the otherworldly spectacle as we are gliding into a new day somewhere over the frozen Saint Lawrence River in Eastern Canada. Only occasional radio chatter fill the otherwise quiet airwaves as we prepare for the crossing of the North Atlantic Ocean.
Get your copy today
Did you enjoy these impressions from my daily life as an airline pilot? Head over to my shop to get your copy today.
Kommentar schreiben
Andreas Agazzi (Dienstag, 22 Dezember 2020 22:23)
Very nice diversity, great quality, inspiring and relaxing! Great job, keep going! Best wishes, Andy
Thomas (Mittwoch, 23 Dezember 2020 13:36)
Thomas