The (total) solar eclipse of 2017 was one of those memorable life experiences one remembers forever. A total solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, completely blocking the face of the Sun. The sky darkens as if it were dawn or dusk. A couple of girlfriends and I flew from Denver, CO to Alliance, NE for it. I landed the Cessna 172 we were in, parked it on the side of a (fairly full) taxiway, and watched it right by the airplane. It was wicked! In a short time, we went from a calm day to a light windy day and from day light to an eerie dusk and... back. But we were not the only ones who thought it was bizarre and cool at the same time. The airport beacon turned on during totality. And, did you know that, when a solar eclipse reaches totality, nocturnal wildlife sometimes wakes up thinking that it’s nighttime, and non-nocturnal wildlife think it’s time to sleep? (Apologies for the poor quality of some of the pictures. The quality of phone photography in 2017 was not that of 2023! Plus, we were more focused on enjoying it than photographing it) Guess who else was there? John and Martha King, ladies and gentlemen! When I learned that two more eclipses were going through the U.S., I immediately made plans to view and experience both of them. There was an annular solar eclipse on October 14, 2023 and there will be another total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024. We watched the annular eclipse, also referred to as “ring of fire,” from Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque since the dates matched. Two for one! Double the coolness factor although, unfortunately, we didn’t watch the eclipse from a balloon but from the grounds! The annular eclipse lasted a lot longer than the total; it was really cool to watch the slow movement of the Moon across the Sun and the perfect ring at the top of the eclipse. I can’t choose one eclipse over the other, to be honest; they are both very cool, very different, and equally impressive. The 2024 total eclipse, like the one I witnessed in 2017, will cross the U.S. from Texas to Maine, passing over Mexico and Canada as well. Have YOU made plans yet? The next total solar eclipse that will be able to be seen from the contiguous U.S. won’t be until August 23, 2044 so time to plan for the 2024 one! Will it be going over you or will you have to fly somewhere to see it? We’ll be watching it from our cabin in Leakey, TX (49R is the airport identifier). Maybe we’ll see you there! Remember to use special eye protection (eclipse glasses or a specialized solar filter) to see eclipses. However, with the total eclipse, the protection can be removed during the peak of it. Can’t view it in person? Live coverage is often available on NASA TV and the agency’s website. FMI, visit https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/eclipses
Plan ahead! Fly safe, fly often!
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BLOGS ON THIS PAGE- Solar Eclipses: See Them, Experience Them!
- Cool Things to See from the Air - Airport Lodging - Aviation Survival and Egress Training: Training I Hope I Never Need to Use but Glad I Experienced - NASA's Physiological Training - Other Interesting Blogs - Relationship between Holidays and Flying - Helicopter Add-On: Transition Training From Fixed-Wing to Rotary-Wing - Flying to National Parks - Aviation Vocabulary and Phrases in Spanish - Friendly Airports and Helipads in the Central Southwest Region - What to Do with Your Pilot Certificate AuthorYasmina Platt. Archives
October 2023
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