We want to preface this week’s writeup by saying that we love London. We adore it. We really do.

When British Airways restored the nonstop flight from Pittsburgh to London in 2019, we couldn’t wait to see all the things we’d missed during the two-decade hiatus: the Eye, the O2, the Tate Modern, the “Gherkin” and the Shard, among many other attractions.

But our nonstop service to London Heathrow is about so much more than the capital of the United Kingdom.

Heathrow offers nonstop flights to more than 200 cities around the globe, including Pittsburgh. Want to go on safari? Nairobi, Kenya, is one connection away. Care to go shopping in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, which has three of the 10 largest shopping malls on Earth? Heathrow can get you there.

Maybe you want to see the Bronze Age ruins of the palace of Knossos, in Heraklion, Greece; or the impossibly blue skies and waters of the Maldives. Change planes at Heathrow and you’re there.

So whenever we spot one of BA’s aircraft coming into PIT, as Jack Oliver (@513aviation) did recently, we dream of all the places we could go when it departs a couple hours later.

Austin Hull’s (@pit.photographer) photo of an American Airlines A319 on approach is actually a pretty good representation of that feeling: the bright possibilities offered by air travel.

Thanks, Jack and Austin!

Our readers continue to pass along shots of unique aircraft, international airports, historical events, gorgeous views and even family vacation photos for this feature. We love them! Keep them coming—you can  click here for submission guidelines.

An American Airlines A319 arrives at PIT during an evening sunset. (Photo submitted by Austin Hull)