I can tell you from experience that the viewfinder or even the LCD are
of not much use in the cockpit. I typically hold the camera too close
to my face to use the LCD. I don't look through the viewfinder as
that's also quite impractical. I just "point and shoot", typically
tring to take seveal shots while moving the camera a bit between shots.

THat's the cool thing about digital. No worries about wasted shots -
unless the composition goes away. I've learned how to hold it and be
reasonably sure of the approximate outcome.

My current camera is an Olympus 5060WZ (Wide Zoom: 28mm). The one I
used for that cover shot was a Nikon CoolPix. I had to generally hold
the Nikon alongside my head to het the wide angle shots. THe Olympus
works better due to the 28mm wide angle, byt I also still try to hold
it as far to the rear as possible.

The 23mm on that Kodak, and the MUCH smaller size would IMO provide
even more "usable" shots. If it had been available when I was shopping
a bit over a year ago, I would have seriously considered it. Just slip
it into a shirt pocket and it's always availavble. The Olympus is
relatively small, but not nearly as convenient. I have to be careful
about storage and keeping it secure while flying.

-Tom