Stunning images of the Himalayas in Spring have been taken by 747 pilot Christiaan van Heijst. Christiaan takes up the story; "Signs of Spring over the northern Himalayas. "For months, this landscape was a near black & white setting; granite peaks and glaciers for as far as the eye can see. Slowly but surely, snow starts melting and colours return to a world that only a few people have ever laid eyes upon. READ: FAA chief says 737 MAX certification flight could take place within weeks. "What used to be a natural boundary between cultures, continents and ideas since the beginning of mankind, was reduced into postcard sceneries overnight with the invention of the aeroplane. "Flying high above the landscape and weather, thousands of passengers are transported every day over those regions in a way that was impossible to imagine less than two generations ago. And most of those passengers today rather close the window shade and read their gossip-magazine, completely oblivious of the magical experience they are part of. "We are the first generation of human beings that can see these views and cross the world in a matter of hours. And within a few decades, we've taken it all for granted. Some even despise it, idealizing and romanticizing pre-technology eras. "When people ask me why I'm taking those photos from the air, this is my answer; documenting the beauty of the universe from an unprecedented perspective." Christiaan is one of the world’s leading aviation photographers and more of his work and more close encounter (s) can be found here.