I've been a Commercial Pilot since 1980 and a cinematographer since 1987. These two skills bring higher production value to projects that could not have normally afforded aerial shots. The opening sequence of Panic in Detroit is a very striking scene that immediately sets the tone of the story. Standing in the Shadows of Motown and Ocean of Pearls used some aerial establishing shots to make scene transitions more dramatic.
Shots from an airplane are generally wider than those from a helicopter. A plane can not fly as low or slow as a helicopter so there are no "low and close" shots. Wide establishing and air-to-air shots are ideal from a plane.