Location, Location, Location (it's all about the weather - and getting ABOVE it!)

Look, Ma! – NO SEATS!

All seats on the left (sun-facing) side of our aircraft will be REMOVED from the airplane before the flight, giving full, unimpeded, access to the eclipse-viewing windows, plenty of floor space for observers, and easy viewing of totality with the Sun appx 46 degrees above the horizon.

CLICK HERE for details on the metrology and placement of the windows.

The Sky Above, The Earth Below – Totality from 39, 000 feet

EFLIGHT 2010 will provide a spectacular opportunity for viewing both the total phase of the eclipse itself, and the onrush and recession of the Moon's shadow from a vista with a reach of nearly 400 km to the horizon.  To provide optimal viewing of both the sweep of the umbral shadow over the Earth and of totality itself, our baseline flight plan is (conceptually) divided five segments as depicted on the map above: the outbound and inbound "cruise" segments of the flight to and from Papeete  (purple segments), viewing of the approach and recession of the Moon's shadow (green segments; SV = Shadow Viewing), and viewing of totality (in yellow, extended appx 2 minutes shown in red segments before and after second and third contacts, respectively; TR = Totality Run).  See below for more detail (numbering corresponds to blue map above).

(1) Our EFLIGHT 2010 participants board the aircraft for departure from F'aaa airport in Papeete at approximately 15:45 UT (5:45 AM local time) to later rendezvous with the moon's umbral shadow appx 2500 km east of Tahiti. 

(1-2) During the later part of the outbound cruise, first contact and the partial eclipse ingress phase can be viewed out the aircraft left side windows.

(2) After traveling eastward from Tahiti for approximately three hours, at appx. 15 minutes before second contact, the aircraft will execute a left hand turn a few minutes before the Moon's shadow begins to appear over the appx 388 km distant horizon (points SV1 for the umbra and aircraft positions as shown in the illustration below). 

(2-3) The projection of the "shadow ellipse" on ground will have its major (longer) axis pointed toward the Sun and it's minor (smaller) axis essentially toward the aircraft. As the aircraft flys toward centerline over the next appx 13 minutes, the approaching shadow in the sky above, and projected on the Ocean (or clouds) below, will be viewed directly out the main cabin left-side (eclipse viewing) windows.


(3) At approximately 3-1/2 minutes before second contact, the aircraft will execute a 90-degree right hand turn (SV2 – TR1) to put the Sun, at the completion of this appx 1.4 minute maneuver (see detailed chronology below), straight out the eclipse-viewing windows, and the approaching shadow edge (with its closest point about 55 km from the aircraft) will be seen "to the left" soon to envelope the aircraft from "behind".

(3-6) Our aircraft will then be on an optimum trajectory for viewing totality,

(3-4) and for approximately a minute and a half before "second contact", the last stages of the ingress phase of the partial eclipse leading up the start of totality will be viewed straight out the left side windows.

(4) At second contact (19:15:14 UT) the leading edge of the umbra will overtake the aircraft and a glorious diamond ring effect (see middle picture above from EFLIGHT 2008) will be prolonged by the aircraft's speed relative to the Moon's shadow.  

(4-5) The aircraft will fly through the Moon's umbral shadow for approximately 9-1/2 minutes, with the aircraft on centerline and located centrally in the Moon's shadow at 19:20 UT when it will be most deeply immersed in the lunar umbra giving spectacularly high contrast views of the solar corona from approximately 39,000 feet. 

(5) Third contact and TSE 2010 is over with a parting  diamond ring, and a total solar eclipse and observation flight for the record books with approximately 9-1/2 minutes of totality observed!

(5-6) The thin sliver of the returning solar crescent waxes and is viewed for the next appx. minute and a half.

(6) As the Moon's shadow heads eastwards, the aircraft will then execute another 90-degree right had turn (TR2 – SV3),

(6-7) to give us another spectacular  view for the next appx. 10 minutes as the receding shadow whisk its way toward southern South America before returning to space. 

(7) We then execute a final right hand turn (at SV4) to begin our approximately three hour westward return flight back to Papeete, to join those in Tahiti who had witnesses only a 99% partial eclipse (8).

Graphical Simulation of the "Totality Run" (click to view)

Click on the above picture for a second-by-second graphical simulation of the umbral centerline and aircraft tracks during  minute "Totality Run (6 Mb Quicktime file).