Pilot Christiaan van Heijst and friend Daan Krans capture images of spectacular weather from the airplane cockpit, from thunderstorms and lightning streaks to the Northern Lights. This photo captures a stunning view of a heavy thunderstorm in July as van Heijst flew over Toronto on a trip from Chicago to Amsterdam. (Christiaan van Heijst and Daan Krans/Caters News)

Seated in a cockpit at an altitude of about 35,000 feet, pilots enjoy the best view, whether it's from above the clouds, oceans, cities and landscapes.

Pilot Christiaan van Heijst, from the Netherlands, and his friend Daan Krans, recently proved that pilots really do have the best vantage point in the house with photographs of spectacular weather and natural phenomena, from lightning streaking across the sky like cracks on a windshield to the colorful Northern Lights sweeping across the atmosphere.

While on flights over India, China and Canada, van Heijst, who runs the company with Krans,takes photos from the cockpit when his co-pilots are flying, and when thunderstorms are not so severe as to greatly affect the flying.

(MORE: )

"Ever since I started my first job as a pilot, I felt the need to capture the atmosphere of the unique views that I had from the cockpit," said van Heijst, who began learning how to fly when he 14. "I feel very privileged that I can somehow translate these views with my camera into something that can be shared, viewed and appreciated by anyone."

One of the most memorable views van Heijst and Krans have captured was that of the spectacular light show that is the aurora borealis. "When viewing a big storm of Northern Lights or an active thunderstorm I feel very small and insignificant, compared to the raw energy, beauty and size that plays out in front of me," said van Heijst. "The Northern Lights, with its massive strings of colored light, starting high above the airplane and extending 310 miles into space, each dancing, vibrating and so fast and furious, is almost impossible to photograph properly."

View the slideshow above to see some of the breathtaking views captured from the cockpit.

MORE ON WEATHER.COM: Incredible Drone Photos Capture the Beauty of Western Australia

Shark Bay, Western Australia. (Salty Wings)