I'm not sure I'd go as far as spectacular but I thought it did bring a sense of beauty to aviating in a pure sense. The point about it, for me, is that you don't get that view when you are piloting yourself as your view is so restricted. The only time I have had that sort of view is seeing other aircraft on the Atlantic tracks. Naturally if one was experienced in AAR (Beags
) then I understand why it would seem passé.
Ernest Gann described something similar in "Fate is the Hunter" when he described a Captain looking at a sunset as someone might regard a favourite oil painting.
BBK