Pilot captures incredible photos of lightning mid-flight
A pilot with an eye for dramatic storm images has captured an electrifying shot of a lightning bolt illuminating the night sky above the Amazon.
Santiago Borja, who flies for a major South American airline, often witnesses amazing natural phenomena on his travels but said he had "never seen lightning like it before", the Daily Mail reported.
Fortunately Borja was off-duty when the mega-bolt struck above the Ecuadorian Amazon, meaning he could snap away to his heart's content without distractions.
The Ecuador-based pilot also captured a host of other photos of storm clouds he likened to a nuclear explosion as the Boeing 737-300ER made its way to Europe.
The thunder clouds, or cumulonimbus, are the only kind of clouds capable of producing hail, thunder and lightning.
Borja is building a reputation for his storm imagery and, last year, won third place in the National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year award for a picture of a thunderstorm brewing above the Pacific Ocean.
While many might think they'd be petrified rather than enthralled by such epic storms taking place outside the cabin windows, Borja said they are typically much further away than they appear.
"These days aircraft have advanced equipment to circle around storms this big without entering any dangerous zones," he said previously about a formidable-looking storm in Panama.
"We did not even experience any turbulence the entire flight due to this storm - it was so easy to see and avoid that we circled around it very easily."
Borja now carries his camera everywhere to ensure he has it on hand when a great photo opportunity strikes. He shares his images on his website and Instagram.
First appeared on Stuff.co.nz. Image credit: Santiago Borja / Instagram
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