Many years ago it was possible for passengers travelling on long-haul flight in commercial airliners to request a visit to the flight deck and undertake a little aerial photography. In many cases such visits were allowed by captains when operational activity was at a low level. These days, such visits are more or less impossible for security reasons. nevertheless, there remain a few opportunities to visit flight decks while airborne, for example during some tourist or "flight-seeing" flights. The image opposite was taken from the flight deck of a Royal Nepal Airlines aircraft flying south of Mount Everest at 27,000 feet above sea level.

Photography is easier from cockpit windows than from passenger cabin windows because the windows are larger and the angle of view is much greater. However, the windows may be heavily tinted and suitable post-capture colour adjustments may have to be made. Cockpit windows consist of multiple layers of high-impact glass or stretched acrylic, and also have heating elements. The windows are designed to provide the flight crew with the clearest possible view, and to remain free of ice and rain.