We Love the Window Seat!

A supercell thunderstorm near the Kansas/Oklahoma border on Apr. 14, 2012. (weather.com contributor joerocks)

Look, we understand airline travel can be a hassle. Crowded airports, security checkpoints, squeezing your carry-on luggage into the overhead bin. Those who travel extensively for business may opt for an aisle seat, pound out some work on the flight, then head to their meeting or hotel.

If you're a weather geek, there is no other option than the window seat. No headphones or in-flight movies –an incredible view out the small window and your smartphone camera is all you need.

We salute our with a collection of the most spectacular weather phenomena and land features taken from a airplane's window seat or cockpit. From supercell thunderstorms to strange clouds, spectacular sunrises, even the northern lights, it's all in here.

In the first series of photos above, you'll see a collection of thunderstorms, rain shafts, even a waterspout and night lightning!

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The Journey Is Always Worth the Window Seat

Everyone fights for the aisle and window seats. While aisle seats offer a little extra leg room and easy access to the aircraft's facilities, the window seat has a gem of its own to offer: surreal views of the journey and destinations.

From the turquoise waters of the Caribbean to the brilliant night lights of Paris, the world is a canvas of spectacular views and breathtaking landscapes.

The photos above show why the journey is just as beautiful as the destination.

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Fascinating Clouds

Surface winds moving around the terrain surrounding Monterey, Calif. produced this low-level cloud swirl, or eddy. (weather.com contributor aviatr)

Sometimes, even more benign clouds can look spectacular from the air.

Above, we have a short collection of some interesting clouds, ranging from fair-weather cumulus dotted over the ocean to clouds resembling giant rolling pins in the sky.

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Sunrises/Sunsets

On a recent flight from Indiana to Oklahoma, I shot this picture from the cockpit. Sunrise with full moon and orange light shining through some cumulus clouds reflecting on some more distant stratus clouds. (weather.com contributor KenPilot)

We've all seen picturesque sunsets out our front window, or while recharging our batteries on a memorable vacation.

Whether it's seeing an explosion of colors off a distant cloud, or seeing the sun emerge above a cloud deck, in my view, nothing beats a sunrise or sunset from the air.

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Fire and Ice

Photo of Black Forest wildfire northeast of Colorado Springs, Colo. taken from a Jun. 20, 2013 flight from Oakland, Calif. to Baltimore. (weather.com contributor wh9592a)

Sometimes, a spectacular view from the window seat isn't about the clouds.

If your flight is after a snowstorm, you may be treated to a landscape whitened by snow, instead of winter's familiar brown.

In the warmer months, particularly in the West, your flight may be within sight of a large wildfire.

Over more northern latitudes, you may be lucky enough to view the northern lights on your red-eye flight. If you hear of a solar storm, peak out the window during your red-eye flight to see if you're treated to an amazing show.

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Other Weather Phenomena

A rainbow is captured in this photo during descent west of Albuquerque, N.M. on Aug. 16, 2011. (weather.com contributor Don Clapp)

If you're lucky, perhaps you've seen a rainbow from the air. We have some amazing examples above.

Some other interesting features in the photos above include river flooding, a rarely-opened spillway, a cold front, and a well-defined haze layer.

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Geographic Features

View of Alaskan glaciers in 2011. (weather.com contributor Tricia Amthauer)

Let's end with an amazing photo finish of beaches, a bridge, an oil spill, fall foliage, a volcano, a meteor crater, a famous dam, glaciers, and one of the world's highest mountain peaks poking through a cloud deck, all from the comfort of your flight.

We'd love to see your amazing photos and video! Become a weather.com contributor by , or post them to . You can also see the latest photos and video at .

MORE ON WEATHER.COM: Planes in Front of the Sun and Moon

A Boeing 777 aircraft is seen passing the sun in this undated photo. (Sebastien Lebrigand)