Tips for flying through the Annular Eclipse

dfw11411

dfw11411

Pre-takeoff checklist
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dfw11411
I’m planning to take the family up this Saturday and fly through the path of the eclipse. We’ve purchased protective eyewear and I’ll clean the windows! Unfortunately, I don’t own a convertible Cherokee which leads to my question. How to give my pax the best viewing experience?

I’m thinking of climbing to 12,000 and flying a slalom course with 45 degree turns to give them the best views upward from both sides. Thoughts?
 
Make sure the clouds will be low enough that you can get above them that day?
Be prepared for a few moments of night flight (lighting mainly)
I never try to look at the eclipses; it's too much risk for me. I'll watch the fantastic photography later. There are too many variables with eye protection ie bogus welder's googles, Chinese-made protective lenses that are not up to spec.
It says here fly perpendicular to the path (but only one side will see it) then probably need to turn 180 so the other side can see it.
Good luck.

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If it turns out to be clear weather, would there be any advantage to viewing it from the air vs. from the ground?
 
I wonder, would it be illegal for a student or ultralight pilot to be airborne during the eclipse. :D
 
Palmpilot said:
If it turns out to be clear weather, would there be any advantage to viewing it from the air vs. from the ground?
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In some parts of the country, the eclipse happens in the morning when the sun is low on the horizon. If there are obstructions to the east, I could see an advantage to viewing it from the air. Of course, you could just drive to the top of the mountain that's obscuring too.
 
dfw11411 said:
…45 degree turns…
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I would not do steep turns with pax.

Having said that, you’re j.o.b. is PIC; safety goggles or not, I would not expect you to be staring at the sun during this event. Have you considered isolating pax comms so as not to be distracted?
 
Palmpilot said:
If it turns out to be clear weather, would there be any advantage to viewing it from the air vs. from the ground?
Click to expand...
I would say "no", especially for the pilot, who will have other obligations and won't be able to focus his attention on the event.

However, that's a big "if". I've flown lots of days where there was a scattered/broken/OVC layer from 2000-3000' that would be tough to see through on the ground, but perfectly clear above. Carrying pax to altitudes with clear skies vs. trapped under the clouds could make a big difference in their experience.
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
Make sure the clouds will be low enough that you can get above them that day?
Be prepared for a few moments of night flight (lighting mainly)
I never try to look at the eclipses; it's too much risk for me. I'll watch the fantastic photography later. There are too many variables with eye protection ie bogus welder's googles, Chinese-made protective lenses that are not up to spec.
It says here fly perpendicular to the path (but only one side will see it) then probably need to turn 180 so the other side can see it.
Good luck.

News Room - ALPA

The Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA) is the largest airline pilot union in the world and represents more than 78,000 pilots at 41 U.S. and Canadian airlines. Founded in 1931, the Association is chartered by the AFL-CIO and the Canadian Labour Congress. Known internationally as...
www.alpa.org
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It won't last long. If the weather is clear, see it from the ground. Also, pin-hole camera type viewers are cheap, easily made, and their design means you don't look at the sun.
www.jpl.nasa.gov

How to Make a Pinhole Camera

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the leading center for robotic exploration of the solar system.
www.jpl.nasa.gov www.jpl.nasa.gov
www.timeanddate.com

DIY Pinhole Projector to Safely Watch a Solar Eclipse

Instructions on how to DIY a pinhole projector using cardboard and household items, to safely see a solar eclipse.
www.timeanddate.com www.timeanddate.com
 
I went to the total eclipse in 2017 and outside of looking at the sun through filters you wouldn't know an eclipse was occurring until the moment of totality. Even when the sun is 98% covered it's still a very bright day. But when the totality happened it got dark, street lights came on and dogs started barking. It lasted for about two minutes and the 500 mile trip back home took 14 hours
 
You can't fly "through" an annular eclipse despite the name "annular." And if you could, the FAA would frown on someone flying through an annulus just as they frown on flying under bridges.
:)
 
Silvaire said:
I went to the total eclipse in 2017 and outside of looking at the sun through filters you wouldn't know an eclipse was occurring until the moment of totality. Even when the sun is 98% covered it's still a very bright day. But when the totality happened it got dark, street lights came on and dogs started barking. It lasted for about two minutes and the 500 mile trip back home took 14 hours
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Disagree. Before and after totality there was an eerie light coloration. Almost a greenish tint to everything.
 
Thanks for all the advice. I've decided to stay on the ground and view it through my NASA certified eyewear. For us in San Antonio, it's clear blue skies and it peaks at noon. Thanks again!
 
midcap said:
That would have been a good opportunity to log night flight time
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Sure just like logging it while in the clouds. :rolleyes:

14CFR 1.1
Night means the time between the end of evening civil twilight and the beginning of morning civil twilight, as published in the Air Almanac, converted to local time.
 
EdFred said:
Disagree. Before and after totality there was an eerie light coloration. Almost a greenish tint to everything.
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Maybe depends on location and time of day it happens. I was in Oregon so about 10 am. There was a period of semi-twilight before and after but not much different than a summer sunset in Alaska that can last for an hour or more and it happened in the last percentile of coverage.
 
Silvaire said:
Maybe depends on location and time of day it happens. I was in Oregon so about 10 am. There was a period of semi-twilight before and after but not much different than a summer sunset in Alaska that can last for an hour or more.
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Might be. This was in St Genevieve, MO. Sun was almost directly overhead. Seemed to started when the edge of the moon was about at the center of the sun, lasted about 45 minutes each side of totality. Visually it was like you had a slight buzz going on, everything seemed like it was blurry even though it wasn't, and a slightly green tint to everything. Like you were looking through some sort of filter. Hard to adequately describe.
 
Domenick said:
You can't fly "through" an annular eclipse despite the name "annular." And if you could, the FAA would frown on someone flying through an annulus just as they frown on flying under bridges.
:)
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I was thinking that you would hit the moon if you tried it. ;)
 
If you intend to fly "in" the eclipse, keep your head on a swivel for traffic!! A friend of mine flew in the August 2017 total eclipse, over a remote area of north-central Oregon, and it was a madhouse of traffic.
 
Pilawt said:
If you intend to fly "in" the eclipse, keep your head on a swivel for traffic!! A friend of mine flew in the August 2017 total eclipse, over a remote area of north-central Oregon, and it was a madhouse of traffic.
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Yeah. That’s how it works. You think you the only guy that’s been there…
 
DMD3. said:
I wonder, would it be illegal for a student or ultralight pilot to be airborne during the eclipse. :D
Click to expand...
It's an annular eclipse so there will not be much difference vs broad daylight. it's not at all like a total eclipse in that regard
 
Pilawt said:
If you intend to fly "in" the eclipse, keep your head on a swivel for traffic!! A friend of mine flew in the August 2017 total eclipse, over a remote area of north-central Oregon, and it was a madhouse of traffic.
Click to expand...
I was scheduled to rent a plane that day as it passed through Ky if I remember right to see it from the plane. I cancelled a couple days prior because of the traffic that was predicted. I remember it being a good move from what I read online afterwards.
 
It’s going to be extremely anticlimactic from the air.
 
It’s going to be extremely anticlimactic from the air.
 
After scrapping our flight plan, the weather forecast changed on Wednesday from clear to include possible clouds. About an hour before the eclipse we were overcast and I was not happy. But it cleared from the west and the sun was fully visible about 10 minutes before peak. We had a great view as the ring of fire made its appearance.
 
It did get darker and cooler in Kerrville, Texas. I was too busy working at my parents' house to enjoy it. I did like the cooler temps.
 
In 2017 it got pretty dark.
IMG_2890.jpeg
 
I did this today over Albuquerque. My nephew enjoyed the trip and got to see "bites" appearing in the "cookie" along with the ring of fire. The sun was directly ahead of us at 35 degrees above the horizon where he could look up, but I could look straight ahead.

I was talking to Center and monitoring guard. There was a lot of air-to-air chatter on guard about how to best view the eclipse. I did hear a tip about the passengers taking photos through the window sunscreen for better clarity.
 
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