10Best: Flights where you should snag a window seat

If your air travel routine is to snag an aisle seat, you may be missing incredible sights, says William Brinn, a former FAA trainer and author of No Good Deed Goes Unpunished?, a romance novel. During his years of flying, training and travel, he has seen memorable views from above. "I love looking out the window: mountain ranges, beautiful sunny days, it's more interesting than what's going on in the plane. Little kids get it more than adults do." He shares some favorite aerial views with Larry Bleiberg for USA TODAY, although routes can change due to weather or air traffic.

Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa volcanoes, Hawaii

After flying 2,000 miles across the Pacific, passengers on the way to the Big Island and Oahu can often glimpse these towering 13,000-foot volcanoes appearing on the horizon. "You can actually see you're arriving," Brinn says. "They get bigger and bigger and it's beautiful." 800-464-2924; gohawaii.com

Chicago lakefront

Brinn learned to fly in Chicago, and has long loved the sweeping city views. Planned changes for runways at Chicago's O'Hare airport will route more planes over Lake Michigan, affording stunning vistas of water and city. "Depending which way the winds are blowing, a lot of people are going to be seeing downtown Chicago, the shoreline and the parks along the lake," he says. "It's a beautiful skyline." choosechicago.com

Grand Canyon, Ariz. and Utah

Whether your route is north-south or east-west, if the flight's passing over the famed national park, it's worth getting a window seat, Brinn says. Commercial pilots can even request a canyon tour from Air Traffic Control, which permits flying at lower altitude, Brinn says. "Pilots can be accommodating if they want to give their passengers the experience. It's so colorful, and it's gigantic. You can a real feel for the size of it from high up." 928-638-7888; nps.gov/grca

Washington, D.C., monuments

Planes flying into Reagan National Airport often follow the Potomac River, giving passengers an aerial civics lesson. "You can see the White House, the Mall with the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, and Capitol all in a line," Brinn says. "And you're flying low because you're landing in the next minute or two. It's a beautiful sight." 202-789-7000; washington.org

Rocky Mountains, Colo.

If your flight is passing over Colorado from the east, make sure to look out the window, says Brinn, who once made the trip in the middle of a thunderstorm. "With lightning down below and the sun beginning to descend on the Rockies, it looked like an illustration from of a J.R.R. Tolkien book," he says. "If you've been flying over the Great Plains, what's coming up is spectacular." colorado.com

San Francisco Bay

With its location on the western side of the bay, San Francisco International Airport offers great views for nearly all passengers. Brinn particularly likes the arriving view at sunset, but says it's noteworthy any time. "The airport's right there on the water. On a good day the bay is beautiful, blue water with mountains all around it." sanfrancisco.travel

New York skyline

Planes flying in and out of New York's La Guardia's airport are sometimes routed up the center of the Hudson River, offering a beautiful view of the city's skyline and beyond. "Manhattan isn't a big island and you can see the whole thing. You can see the Verrazano Narrows Bridge and the Statue of Liberty," Brinn says. gonyc.com

Gulf of Mexico coast, Fla.

Flying west from Orlando or other Florida cities at sunset can offer a stunning view, Brinn says. "When you're going westbound at 500 mph, the sun just lingers because it doesn't go down as quickly. You can see the Gulf Coast as it winds its way from the southwest." 888-735-2872; visitflorida.com

Mount Shasta, Calif.

This 14,000-foot Northern California volcano stands out from the landscape for many flights to Portland, Ore., arriving from the south. "It kind of looks like Mount Fuji -- a pretty, majestic, almost symmetrical mountain, rising above everything else," Brinn says. "Even in the summer, it has a little bit of snow on top." visitcalifornia.com

Mount Rushmore, S.D.

Flights from Minneapolis to Salt Lake City sometimes use a flyway passing near the famed mountain sculpture, Brinn says. "If you know it's coming, you can stretch your neck and probably get to see it. Even from 35,000 feet, it's still impressive—four presidents chiseled into rock." 605-574-2523; nps.gov/moru