April solar eclipse

I'd order any viewing supplies you need right now. Shortages will get worse as the event approaches.
I've used Baader solar filter films in 2017, and I plan on using Thousand Oaks Optical filters this time, just because of the warmer color they offer. Both are ND5, they work great for cameras and human eyes. Probably will have two cameras, each with one filter type. Decide after which one I like more.
If you have any doubts about the quality of your filters, take a couple photos through them with an older camera - if they let any significant amount of IR through, the image will look all purplish through it, instead of a more neutral/yellow color as it would appear with the naked eye. Places like Agena Astro sell both types, and a 12" square sheet is $30 - you can make filters for multiple lenses and a few pairs of eclipse glasses from all that. A couple from 2017:

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JOhnH said:
We flew to Columbia SC in 2017 to see the total. Got the t-shirt.

In 1979 I was in Wisconsin installing a computer system in a hospital and got a chance to see one.
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I was in South Carolina when you were and I was in Wisconsin for the 1979 eclipse too! ( Not working on a computer though.)

I promise I’m not following you around.
 
RyanB said:
If you’re going to be that close, you need to be *in* the path of totality.
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That's what I thought - initially. But I found that there can be some compelling reasons to be off the center of totality, including seeing "Bailey's Beads" and "shadow bands" which I linked earlier, and I learned that the difference in exposure time is not linear between the center line and the edge of totalities.
 
Here is an interesting math problem that I'll let someone else figure out:

How fast would your airplane have to be to follow the eclipse path and remain in totality from Texas to Maine?
 
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Silvaire said:
Here is an interesting math problem that I'll let someone else figure out:

How fast would your airplane have to be to follow the eclipse path and remain in totality from Texas to Maine?
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IIR, about 1500-2500 miles an hour (it’s not a constant speed). I figured it out once during the last eclipse and I now don’t recall the exact numbers but…. It’s fast enough that if you fly our bug smashers along in the same direction as the eclipse to get more eclipse time, you only gain a few seconds.
 
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Silvaire said:
How fast would your airplane have to be to follow the eclipse path and remain in totality from Texas to Maine?
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From Eagle Pass, TX to Burlington, VT is 1600nm.

"Peak totality" is at 1:29 CDT in Eagle Pass and about an hour later at 3:28 EDT in Burlington.

So, about 1600 knots. (Not accounting for any changes in speed of the shadow.)
 
From casual observation and without doing any actual calculations I figured that the Earth's rotation gives you some advantage but it gets less as you increase in latitude so, as noted, it wouldn't be a constant speed.
 
G
Silvaire said:
Here is an interesting math problem that I'll let someone else figure out:

How fast would your airplane have to be to follow the eclipse path and remain in totality from Texas to Maine?
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Google sez about 1100 mph. So if you have an SR-71 or an F-22 you are GTG.
 
Silvaire said:
Interesting, this just popped up on youtube. In 1973 scientists used a modified Concorde to chase an eclipse and stayed in the totality shadow for 74 minutes

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That airframe, prototype 001, F-WTSS, is still in once piece at the Musée de l'air et de l'espace at Le Bourget airport in Paris.

I wonder if the NSF has the $$$ to get it airworthy again. :D
 
A little bit of last minute advice for anyone who drives to see the eclipse and gets caught in a massive traffic snarl afterwards:
If you are using Google Maps it may announce that it has found a faster route.
What it won't tell you is that it is 250 miles longer and there are no gas stations on the way.

oh, and also that it just suggested the same route to two thousand other people.
 
A lot of airports are closing in the Central Texas area. Check NOTAMs. But honestly, not worth the trip here if the forecast is correct.
 

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Silvaire said:
A little bit of last minute advice for anyone who drives to see the eclipse and gets caught in a massive traffic snarl afterwards:
If you are using Google Maps it may announce that it has found a faster route.
What it won't tell you is that it is 250 miles longer and there are no gas stations on the way.

oh, and also that it just suggested the same route to two thousand other people.
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In 2017 we found some success staying off the interstates and state highways in favor of country roads. We were able to go about 50 and could see the traffic at a standstill on the interstate. I remember seeing I-57 moving at about 40mph late that night after we'd been home for hours, and we live more than a hundred miles north of the zone of totality. I'm concerned that travel will be worse this time because it seems to be generating more "buzz", and it looks like our part of the country is one of the few that's likely to be clear enough skies for viewing.
 
I saw the one in 2017 while getting a cake shake from Portillo's. I was much more excited about the cake shake.
 
Come and watch it at KMVN. So far, we have 55 reservations for people camping on the field. I think we'll get a good view out here.
 
Ed Haywood said:
Looking like a real mess from a flying perspective. Not a VFR day along most of the path.
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one of the students called me saying he was going to do a solo x country flight tomorrow afternoon. This guy worries me flying solo so I had a talk with his cfi. that x country flight is now canceled. ha
 
ahmad said:
Come and watch it at KMVN. So far, we have 55 reservations for people camping on the field. I think we'll get a good view out here.
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It was one of my alternates to the alternate. But the weather that way isn't looking too great. Considering Vermont or Maine right now.
 
AV8R_87 said:
It was one of my alternates to the alternate. But the weather that way isn't looking too great. Considering Vermont or Maine right now.
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yep. forecast is calling for 50% sky cover here. The airport now has 80 camper reservations. hoping we get to see the eclipse.
 
I saw the one in 2017 in Idaho, and it was fantastic. Decided not to travel for this one because it comes too close to another big international trip. Besides, I thought the weather odds weren't too good.
 
I've been struggling to make a plan all afternoon. The problem is the different forecast models disagree. I think I've decided I don't want to fly. My airport manager friend down at Benton says he's gotten 70 calls from 13 states. That's a tiny 4000' strip with parking for maybe 10 planes, and that's just the people who actually called, not just planning to show up. They aren't having any events either. It's going to be nuts.

I think I'm going to wake up early and make the call whether I'm driving east or south. I can be in the zone of totality in about an hour either way. My plan A is Olney.
 
We're in Vermont, right in the path of totality and it's supposed to be clear here tomorrow, with a possibility of thin cirrus clouds at 30,000 feet, but they assure us that won't matter much.

Still, I'm not taking any chances . . .

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Jim K said:
I've been struggling to make a plan all afternoon. The problem is the different forecast models disagree. I think I've decided I don't want to fly. My airport manager friend down at Benton says he's gotten 70 calls from 13 states. That's a tiny 4000' strip with parking for maybe 10 planes, and that's just the people who actually called, not just planning to show up. They aren't having any events either. It's going to be nuts.

I think I'm going to wake up early and make the call whether I'm driving east or south. I can be in the zone of totality in about an hour either way. My plan A is Olney.
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Benton H96? That's in my backyard and I bought my C150 from someone there. At KMVN we have confirmed reservations for 80 planes. Right now there are only 3 at the field so I guess everyone will be flying in tomorrow morning. I'm flying with my cfi at 7 am sharp then spending the rest of the day in my hanger watching what unfolds. Really hoping the weather cooperates.
 
dbahn said:
We're in Vermont, right in the path of totality and it's supposed to be clear here tomorrow, with a possibility of thin cirrus clouds at 30,000 feet, but they assure us that won't matter much.

Still, I'm not taking any chances . . .

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I saw the 2017 eclipse from some random airport in Nebraska. There was a high cirrus overcast. Very thin. Didn't put much of a damper on the experience, we could still see it and the various effects.
 
Was thinking of a flight to KSIV, but NOTAMS look like purposeful discouragement? No fuel 4/6-4/8, and only 1 month of taxiway & apron construction and construction adjacent to runway. What kind of construction only takes a month?

I’ll call in the morning and see what they say.

Figured a “sleepy” rural airport would be fine, but I guess I’m not the only clever pilot, ha!
 
ahmad said:
Benton H96? That's in my backyard and I bought my C150 from someone there. At KMVN we have confirmed reservations for 80 planes. Right now there are only 3 at the field so I guess everyone will be flying in tomorrow morning. I'm flying with my cfi at 7 am sharp then spending the rest of the day in my hanger watching what unfolds. Really hoping the weather cooperates.
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Yep. We'll have to have another poa get together at one of their Saturday fly ins again this summer.
 
A bunch of airports in the path don't seem to take this seriously or care about it. Some (as mentioned above) seem to actively discourage people from flying in. Quite a few have no NOTAMs published, but they might tell you not to show up without a reservation IF you call the airport manager number and if they bother to answer. Some made no attempt to park additional aircraft on the grass or in other non-standard areas (not sure if liability is their concern, maybe some of the resident airport managers can chime in).
With the changing weather there was no way to properly plan and call ahead (my first and second destinations are no-go based on current forecast), and every place I attempted to call that shows promising weather is booked or not answering. Only two (of the many) have NOTAMs mentioning what's happening. It's not like this happens every year and people have a good understanding of how these things work.
So I changed my plans - flying to an airport not far outside the path of totality, renting a car and driving to a viable spot. Should also allow me to relocate if some last-minute weather shows up. We'll see how that works out.
 
It’s going to be a zoo flying home tomorrow. I’m leaving right after the eclipse. I wonder if I’ll get an EDCT time…
 
I flew to Montreal. It's in the path of totality and supposed to be sunny until right around 2PM and then some high cirrus clouds, covering 30ish% of the sky. When I arrived here today, I expected a full ramp. Instead, we were the only plane on the ramp late this afternoon. Crew car was also still available which they said we can keep until tomorrow afternoon so no Uber or taxi needed. Nice, pet friendly hotel for under $120 per night! Seems like Canadians (with the exception of me I guess) care much less about the eclipse than you guys south of the border.
 
Booked a last minute spot at KLWV (Lawrenceville-Vincennes Airport in Illinois), 130nm E of St Louis. Fly there tomorrow morning.
Wx looks good 'nuff for me around eclipse time, especially since I won't be staring at the sun anywho. Just there to see what night-time feels like during the day.
Only hope it's not too much of a PITA to get out if a lot of planes do actually show up to their party :) . We'll see.
 
ArrowFlyer86 said:
Booked a last minute spot at KLWV (Lawrenceville-Vincennes Airport in Illinois), 130nm E of St Louis. Fly there tomorrow morning.
Wx looks good 'nuff for me around eclipse time, especially since I won't be staring at the sun anywho. Just there to see what night-time feels like during the day.
Only hope it's not too much of a PITA to get out if a lot of planes do actually show up to their party :) . We'll see.
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65 nm from me at mvn. i would have liked to meet you. from what I hear every airport around S IL is going to be a zoo. I am lucky I live 3 miles from the field.
 
Pretty much sums up my attitude. It's cool, but I'm not gonna go out of my way for it. I don't really get the hoopla
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Something’s not working right. Can’t see the sun thru these glasses. They say for direct observation of the sun.

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Sitting in Lincoln City, IN. Minutes away from totality. Sky clear.
 
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