Anyone flying to an airport in the 100% eclipse zone?

Kiddo's Driver

Pattern Altitude
Joined
Oct 5, 2013
Messages
1,526
Location
Somewhere in the Southeast
Display Name

Display name:
Jim
I'm in the 98% zone. I am working on taking my kids out of school and flying them to KSRB Upper Cumberland Regional Airport near Sparta, TN. (North central Tennessee.) Nice long runway (6,700 ft) with few obstructions, cheap 100LL, and a great reputation. It is also inconvenient to major population centers so it shouldn't be too crowded.

Flight plan Eclipse.jpg Path of Eclipse.jpg
 
Call first and find out how busy they might be. We were headed to Alliance, NE until we found that over 200 planes were coming and no temp tower. Too much of a zoo for me
 
I just spoke with the fellow at Union, SC (35A) and they sound pretty friendly,no extra charges to land and it is a bit out of the way and a smaller field, doesn't sound too busy. If the weather supports it will go there I suppose. 332 nm from my home base.
 
KSRB's facebook page says they are taking reservations for parking. $25 for Singles. Food & drinks will be for sale. You can also buy a T-shirt & glasses for $20.
 
Call first and find out how busy they might be. We were headed to Alliance, NE until we found that over 200 planes were coming and no temp tower. Too much of a zoo for me

I was going to say the same thing. The reports I'm hearing indicate that many of the airports along the route are going to be packed with people. Plan ahead!
 
Might be easier to fly somewhere close, then rent a car.

Flightaware could be interesting to monitor.
 
Why fly and land? Isn't anyone planning on being airborne? Millions can get the terrestrial experience, while only a few can get the aerial one.

It'd make logistics a lot easier, too. Find an airport 50-100 miles outside of totality and position yourself there. Takeoff, fly down and enjoy.

You need not be night current since the sun will still be above the horizon (and far from 1 hour past sunset).
 
Why fly and land? Isn't anyone planning on being airborne? Millions can get the terrestrial experience, while only a few can get the aerial one.

It'd make logistics a lot easier, too. Find an airport 50-100 miles outside of totality and position yourself there. Takeoff, fly down and enjoy.

You need not be night current since the sun will still be above the horizon (and far from 1 hour past sunset).
It would certainly make for some interesting photos!
Imagine a shot from 5-8K feet looking down on the shadow on the ground as it approaches.
 
I plan on taking it in from KMDH near Carbondale, IL. The location with the longest duration of totality will have 2:40. We will have 2:38, so I'm liking it!

Why fly and land? Isn't anyone planning on being airborne? Millions can get the terrestrial experience, while only a few can get the aerial one.

For me, it's because I want to do photography and hang out with the other watchers. That's always been a blast when I've done it in the past (during partial eclipses). But if it's a partly cloudy sky with a risk of a cloud obscuring the eclipse, you can bet that I'll be in the air.
 
Would be fun to get in a jet, probably need something supersonic, and follow the moon's shadow across the US. Dust off an SR-71 anyone?
 
Would be fun to get in a jet, probably need something supersonic, and follow the moon's shadow across the US. Dust off an SR-71 anyone?

Depending on where you are in the path, the speed is between 1500 and 2400 MPH. So, yeah, you need something *fast*!
 
I went ahead and reserved a parking place for the day at KSRB, Upper Cumberland Regional Airport, near Sparta, TN. The airport is 2 miles to the north of the centerline of the path. $25.
He said he had 35 spots left.
 
Last edited:
Why fly and land? Isn't anyone planning on being airborne? Millions can get the terrestrial experience, while only a few can get the aerial one.

It'd make logistics a lot easier, too. Find an airport 50-100 miles outside of totality and position yourself there. Takeoff, fly down and enjoy.

You need not be night current since the sun will still be above the horizon (and far from 1 hour past sunset).

This is exactly what I'm doing. Going to watch the eclipse airborne over northwestern Oregon while enroute from Seattle to the Bay Area.
 
The FBO at the Madras, Oregon airport was charging $200 for landing, watching the eclipse and leaving. They sold out. Weather permitting we'll launch from OLM in the morning, fly down, watch the eclipse from the air and head home. Stop for gas somewhere (The Dalles?) on the way home.

Weather not permitting, we'll drive down to our daughter's house in Vancouver, WA and watch it from there. Won't be 100%, but it will be close.
 
I'll be doing the same, for work. Will be doing a tech stop at Klamath Falls (most likely), then flying along on the eclipse center line. We'll be in the flight levels in a Lear doing some photo and video.
 
I called KCPR and was basically told "they're full".

Will there be STMP programs? Will the airfield be NOTAMed closed for those without reservations? Sounds like it's going to be crazy.
 
I called KCPR and was basically told "they're full".

Will there be STMP programs? Will the airfield be NOTAMed closed for those without reservations? Sounds like it's going to be crazy.
KAIA will be notam'd closed, I was told weeks ago ( colorado,pilots assoc is bringing 50 airplanes, this has been planned since late last year)
http://www.heartlandaviationinc.com/Events.html
 
Last edited:
I'm going to drive to one, 7S9. I have a hangar there. Just got an email saying they are denying requests to land for other than based aircraft. They've been getting swamped with phone calls from people wanting to fly in that day and fly in earlier and camp out on the airport and drive in early and camp out. They are going to put up traffic cones restricting access to one lane only and even based owners are being restricted to one vehicle.
 
I just spoke with the fellow at Union, SC (35A) and they sound pretty friendly,no extra charges to land and it is a bit out of the way and a smaller field, doesn't sound too busy. If the weather supports it will go there I suppose. 332 nm from my home base.
I stopped at Union County on my way to OH last month and had to stay the night to avoid weather. They helped me tie down, find a hotel and provided a courtesy car. Very friendly and helpful. On the down side, they don't have an unattended FBO open, you get a porta-potty a soda machine and a small porch thats barely big enough to keep you dry in a squall (direct experience on that one). A quick phone call and the manager was there in less than 10 minutes to help me out.
 
we are all assuming that it will be cloudless clear day. What if there is a 500 ft OC with 2 mile vis that day ?
Any back u plan? That's why I'm thinking about watching it while in air which gives me option of climbing on the top if needed.
 
we are all assuming that it will be cloudless clear day. What if there is a 500 ft OC with 2 mile vis that day ?
Any back u plan? That's why I'm thinking about watching it while in air which gives me option of climbing on the top if needed.
Isn't it going to be hard to fly in the dark and watch an eclipse?
 
Why fly and land? Isn't anyone planning on being airborne? Millions can get the terrestrial experience, while only a few can get the aerial one.

It'd make logistics a lot easier, too. Find an airport 50-100 miles outside of totality and position yourself there. Takeoff, fly down and enjoy.

You need not be night current since the sun will still be above the horizon (and far from 1 hour past sunset).

Even better, take off in the dark and fly west, slowly, and stay eclipsed til you go bingo fuel.
 
Even better, take off in the dark and fly west, slowly, and stay eclipsed til you go bingo fuel.
Who has a plane that does 1400 mph?
 
Also, you'd have to fly east, not west.
Hmm. You can fly westbound at the earth's rotation speed, about 900 knots at the equator, less as you move toward the poles, and the sun don't move. But the moon, which is what this is all about isn't going to cooperate with you getting an eclipse that's going to last any longer
 
we are all assuming that it will be cloudless clear day. What if there is a 500 ft OC with 2 mile vis that day ?
Any back u plan? That's why I'm thinking about watching it while in air which gives me option of climbing on the top if needed.
No we aren't, that's why I'm not finalizing plans until the last few days, and yes, I have several. I've also considered what you're talking about and it's definitely a possibility, though at this time of the year, in most places a 500 OVC ceiling with CAVU above at that time of the day (I'm in the eastern half of the country) is pretty unlikely.
 
Hmm. You can fly westbound at the earth's rotation speed, about 900 knots at the equator, less as you move toward the poles, and the sun don't move. But the moon, which is what this is all about isn't going to cooperate with you getting an eclipse that's going to last any longer
The Moon's shadow moves from west to east and is considerably faster than the Earth's rotation speed. But you aren't going to add more than a scant few seconds to totality by flying along the shadow in a spam can.
 
Last edited:
The Moon's shadow moves from west to east and is considerably faster than the Earth's rotation speed. But you aren't going to add more than a scant few minutes to totality by flying along the shadow in a spam can.
Yeah. I wonder how much more time you could get with something cabable of Mach whatever. Fast enough to match the earth's rotation. Do that and the sun never moves. You can keep it close to highnoon or midnight, for a long time. But to "freeze" the eclipse is another matter. The Moon makes the eclipse. It and the sun ain't movin at the same speed. Theres gotta be some angle and speed to fly to get the longest possible view. Maybe some Math Whizes can plot it out for us.
 
Last edited:
Yeah. I wonder how much more time you could get with something cabable of Mach whatever. Fast enough to match the earth's rotation. Do that and the sun never moves. You can keep it highnoon or midnight, what ever you want until you run out of gas. But to "freeze" the eclipse is another matter. The Moon makes the eclipse. It and the sun ain't movin at the same speed. Theres gotta be some angle and speed to fly to get the longest possible view. Maybe some Math Whizes can plot it out for us.
1400 wasn't a made up number. If you did (roughly) 1400 mph and started in the north west when the eclipse began you could experience totality for the entire eclipse.
 
Well if it moves at 1400, then flying at 140 will extend it 10%, which is 15 seconds out of 2 1/2 minutes. If you're flying you gotta fly somewhere, might as well fly east and get another 15 seconds or so. Although.... I guess it depends on what direction you can see the eclipse best from the cockpit... Its gonna get dark!
 
Well if it moves at 1400, then flying at 140 will extend it 10%, which is 15 seconds out of 2 1/2 minutes. If you're flying you gotta fly somewhere, might as well fly east and get another 15 seconds or so. Although.... I guess it depends on what direction you can see the eclipse best from the cockpit... Its gonna get dark!
Yep, 10-15 seconds is what I calculated a while back. Less if you're in the PNW where the shadow is moving faster. Your best bet is in the east, KY-TN or thereabouts. Not sure what I was thinking when I wrote minutes up above there; it's corrected now.
 
I went ahead and reserved a parking place for the day at KSRB, Upper Cumberland Regional Airport, near Sparta, TN. The airport is 2 miles to the north of the centerline of the path. $25.
He said he had 35 spots left.
Sparta is on my list, as well as Gallitan and Springfield.
 
Back
Top