The lunchtime BA1445 from edinburgh to Heathrow marks my all too regular return to work. Batter down the runway, take off, look around for 20 seconds, then into the clouds. Not this week. A cracking day plus a slightly unusual route gave me ten minutes worth of football ground anoraks heaven. A take off to the east with me sat in Row 2 right hand window seat brought Tynecastle quickly into view, and about 20 seconds later, there was a hell of a view of Easter Road (and Meadowbank almost directly below me). A kind of lazy turn to the left over the Forth, and it was easy to pick out Stark's Park in the distance. Once the turn was complete, and there was East End Park in Dunfermline. Having trundled back across the Forth with a cracking view of the new Kincardine Bridge, Westfield was in the foreground, and Ochilview seemed a lot closer than I ever thought it to be. Over Cumbernauld as we started to turn, and there was Clyde's ground beneath. Next it was Parkhead that could be picked out and a moment or so later, New Douglas Park and Motherwell's ground were both easy spots. Doubtless this route is covered often enough, but its the first time I can actually recall seeing 10 Scottish league grounds in less than 10 minutes. The other thing that amazed me is just how small central Scotland really is, and how close our provincial towns are to one another. At one stage, I could see both Dunfermline and Falkirk's grounds at the same time. Boring I know, but I guess you had to be there....

As the pilot, I would assume you should be keeping your eyes on the road sky.

Slightly more boring was a beautiful day down the East Coast when I could spot the many seaside spots that were visited when I was a nipper - including my parents' last home in Filey.

Not only did you have be there but you had to have been there between 1970-2000 as well

Central London's a cracker if there's a view

I do that as well.

Always quite sad when you can pick every town out by it's football ground I thought! I got quite a good selection on the Aberdeen - Manchester recently with all the Angus grounds, Dundee, Dunfermline, Falkirk, Lanarkshire grounds etc.

Does however make you realise how small a country we live in when I can pick out Montrose and Methil / Kirkcaldy at the same time when looking out of the one window yet seems ages away on the train.

Depressing thing was that I had been in Fife on the sunday night, got a 2.5 hr train up to Aberdeen to get this flight and within 20 mins of leaving Dyce I could see the village I'd been in the night before!

and before you ask, my work had booked that flight a couple of weeks before I had decided to go down to Fife that Sunday.

How about it but continental style!? I have spotted AZ Alkmars ground when flying into Shiphol.

I saw Troon Juniors park flying into prestwick.

seen loads,especially nowadays with stadia being built on the edges of cities/towns
best ive seen was inter luanda(angola)in a helicopter,pilot must have been a football fan cause we went round it twice

Do they have a rival team called AC Luanda?

What about landing at Heathrow as episode 2?

Brentford's ground should be visible and Bedfont's ground is virtually at the end of one of the runways!

no,but your on the right track they are backed by inter

In WWII, our friends in the Luftwaffe managed to drop Stirling's only bomb - of the entire war - onto King's Park's ground. Allowing them to be wound up (with the debt), and Stirling Albion to be founded.

Excuse my ignorance, but is that not a bit of long road for a shortcut, or is there designated flying areas?

Nah, it's a typical enough route when you take off to the east from edinburgh, but the only differences were a cloudless sky, and a much broader turn over the Forth. You usually catch a glimpse of Tynecastle, and Motherwell is an easy spot through breaks in the cloud, but that's about it. The Heathrow approach offers up Wembley (but I can never spot the Emirates in the dsitance for some reason). Chelsea's ground is easy enough to see (and isn't particularly impressive). There's one ground marked "The Bees", and sometimes you catch Fulham too. Over Manchester, Old Trafford is an easy spot, but I've yet to see Man City's place. It's a bit of a trainspotters hobby, but I just always seem to end up looking ofr football grounds anytime a town is visible below. Sad. And yes, Central London on a clear day offers up a pretty amazing view.

I can say without doubt that if I'd been on that flight I'd have had the mother of all hard ons.

Nothing to do with the football right enough, flying just arouses me into a sweating beast of a rapist.

I remember flying to Florida in 1994 we flew over New York and I mind seeing the WTC and Empire State Building, and a staduim, dunno which one though.