EFLIGHT 2019-MAX
2 JULY 2019 TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE FLIGHT

Dr. Glenn Schneider
Steward Observatory and the Department of Astronomy, The University of Arizona
Phone: 520-621-5865, email: gschneider@as.arizona.edu

  An Eclipse-Observation Charter Flight into the Darkness of the Lunar Umbral Shadow
With an Astounding On-Centerline Duration of Totality of ~ 8-1/4 to 9+ minutes (!)
From the Pristine, Clear, Cloud-Free Skies ~ 37,000 ft ( ~ 11 km) above the South Pacific Ocean.



A Collaborative Undertaking and Flight Project Planned and Implemented by: Glenn Schneider (U. Arizona), Tim Todd (T.E.I. Tours & Travel), John Beattie, and LATAM Airlines

UPDATE 01 AUG 2018:  click to see Detailed Aircraft Cabin Inspection Photos and Additional Related Information

An Extraordinary Opportunity to Join Our Unique TSE 2019 Eclipse Charter Flight
Centrally Intercepting the Moon's Shadow from ~ 1100 km North of  Easter Island





TSE 2 July 2019: The "Next One"
A total solar eclipse (TSE) is one of nature's most dramatic and awesome spectacles. Some say, and many 'umbraphiles' agree, THE most spectacular event any human on (or above the) Earth can experience first-hand. But, TSEs often occur in remote locations posing logistical barriers to accessibility or high-risk of clouds obscuring the fleeting view. 

The most recent TSE, on 21 August 2017, conversely, was visible to many millions of people with its path of totality touching 14 U.S. states from Oregon to South Carolina with mostly cooperative weather and a duration of totality of up to 2m 42s for those at the point of greatest eclipse. On that day, with the passage of the Moon's umbral shadow, a new generation of eclipse-chasers was born and left asking: "what about the NEXT one?" 

The path of totality for the next TSE, on 2 July 2019, (a) begins at sunrise north-east of New Zealand, (b) traverses a vast and empty stretch across the south Pacific Ocean (there touching only the remote Oeno Island in the Pitcairn group) before, (c) reaching the mid-Ocean point of greatest eclipse with a very respectable 4m 32s of totality... but, quite literally, in the "middle of nowhere" (!); see map below. Then continuing on south-eastward, the Moon's umbral shadow (d) makes South American landfall on the Chilean coast with centerline north of La Serena. There, and (e) inland to sunset south of Buenos Aires, Argentina, totality can be seen low to the west with centerline duration comparable to that seen on the U.S. west coast during the 2017 "Great American Eclipse".


Location, Location, Location: "Up, Up, and Away..."

On terra-firma in South America, more-readily accessible west coastal viewing sites may well be thwarted by cloudy winter days, precipitation and (possibly) fog. Inland in western Argentina may be a bit better. However, accessibility to site-lines unobscured by mountains where the Sun's altitude is low, and higher cloud cover approaching sunset in eastern Argentina, may prove in the end problematic. See a climatological synopsis on statistical cloud obscuration probabilities by Jay Anderson HERE. Though clear skies may fortuitously prevail in some locations on eclipse day, ground-based observations from much of the path in South America are rather risky. Additionally, contingency mobility to try to escape uncooperative sky conditions from many locations is limited at best. 

Getting 'above it all' to observe TSE 2 July 2019 at the point of greatest eclipse from a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft that we have arranged to charter obviates all of these risk factors, and will keep partial pace with the lunar umbral shadow giving rise to a time in totality from between 8-1/4 to > 9 minutes (depending on winds aloft) from > 11 km above the Ocean below.


Path of Totality

A Rare Chance to "Fool Mother Nature"
The specifically favorable geometrical and astrodynamic circumstances of TSE 2019 at the point of greatest eclipse will enable a spectacular opportunity to "chase", and slow the passage of, the Moon's umbral shadow. By doing so, at the right time and place with a suitable high-altitude commercial jet aircraft, totality will be prolonged to between ~ 8-1/4 and 9+ minutes. Very conservatively with no wind, from an aircraft flying at 488 knots (the nominal cruise speed of a Boeing 787-9 at 37,000 ft.), totality will be stretched by the speed of the aircraft partially keeping pace with the traverse of the Moon's shadow to an astounding minimum of 8m 14s; compare to on the ground at oft-cloudy La Serena with 2m 12s. Statistically prevalent July tailwinds aloft (typically ~ 55 knots from 270°) in the Pacific Ocean region where greatest eclipse occurs, however, would yield over 9 minutes of totality! This is significantly longer than nature and celestial mechanics (without aircraft 'augmentation') can ever allow; that being ~ 7-1/2 minutes, next closely approached by the TSEs of 2168 and 2186 AD (quite a while to otherwise wait).

"Slow and Steady, Wins the Race!"

Our "EFLIGHT 2019-MAX" will intercept the lunar umbra traversing the surface of the Earth where its velocity is at a minimum -- at just over 2,000 km/hr and where, as a result, the duration of totality is naturally longest (4m 32s) anywhere along the path of totality for a stationary observer. See the graph below and compare, for example, to the umbra's speed as it crosses the Chilean west coast at ~ 10,000 km/hr where (due also to other geometrical factors) the centerline duration of totality has declined to 2m 33s.
            Umbral Velocity (km/hr) vs. UTC (HH:MM:SS)


At our mid-eclipse intercept point, at the point of greatest and maximum duration totality, our aircraft will be traveling almost identically in the direction of the Moon's shadow (see chart later on this page), with a true air speed (TAS) of ~ 904 km/hour.  So, even without a likely tailwind, the relative speed of the Moon's shadow to the aircraft will be cut almost in half (by ~ 45%) leading to a duration of totality of ~ 8-1/4 minutes (or longer with the assist of a probable tailwind).

With the singular exception of a July 11, 2010 solar eclipse flight, that we then orchestrated with similar geometrically favorable circumstances then yielding 9m 23s of totality, this will be only the second extreme-duration totality flight ever undertaken by a non-military or non-experimental aircraft. With the "similar" opportunity presented by TSE 2019, we are extremely pleased to announce that, in cooperation with LATAM Airlines providing a Boeing 787-9 aircraft for an exclusive eclipse-viewing optimized charter dubbed EFLIGHT 2019-MAX, we are now prepared to 'do it again' with the next generation of like-minded, and high-flying, umbraphiles!


EFLIGHT 2019-MAX

For Those Who Can Never Get Enough Totality and Who Wish to Obviate Concerns of Ground-Level Weather...


With EFLIGHT 2019-MAX we will be conducting an ~ 4.5 hour end-to-end duration eclipse-viewing flight departing from Mataveri International Airport on Easter Island, Chile. The eclipse flight will launch mid-morning on 2 July 2019 (see details below) to centrally rendezvous with the base of the lunar umbral shadow at the point of greatest (maximum) eclipse. Our Mid-Eclipse Intercept (MEI) point is advantageously appx. 1,100 km (600 nautical miles) nearly due north of Easter Island. There, the velocity of the Moon's shadow is at a minimum along the path of totality, enabling an optimal view of not only totality from the north-facing sun-side (left) passenger windows of our aircraft, but also an extraordinary and unparalleled view of the approach and recession of the lunar umbral shadow slicing through the sky above, and projected on the Ocean below to a far-horizon distance of ~ 370 km.

For this EFLIGHT 2019-MAX eclipse-viewing opportunity, we have arranged to charter a Boeing 787-9 "Dreamliner" aircraft from LATAM Airlines, with a baseline flight-plan optimized for an MEI rendezvous with the center of the umbral shadow at maximum eclipse 19:22:58 UTC. The aircraft will follow a pre-planned, eclipse-viewing optimized, trajectory (the "totality run"), compensating for any variations of winds aloft. At nominally 37,000 ft above sea level, the concerns of weather (and clouds) will remain below - though we may go even higher if conditions and margins permit. The high-contrast view of the corona against the umbra-darkened background sky at these altitudes, above ~ 80% of the Earth's atmosphere, is unparalleled, spectacular, and breathtakingly glorious.

There are, of course, many OTHER reasons to take to the skies to observe a TSE from such a lofty venue, including:
TOP 10 REASONS FOR A HIGH-ALTITUDE TSE 2019 ECLIPSE FLIGHT
DEPLOYMENT/RELOCATION FLEXIBILITY
To Find the BEST Spot in the Area of Operations for Observing
 CLOUD OBSCURATION AVOIDANCE
@ 37,000 ft + is Virtually Assured
TOTALITY PROLONGATION FOR MAXIMUM ECLIPSE
Aircraft Speed Extends the Duration of Totality
 SKY TRANSPARENCY
Significantly Improved -- Very Low Particulate/Aerosol  Scattering
SKY DARKNESS
Much Higher Contrast Coronal Visibility and to Larger Circumsolar Distance
 IMPROVED ASTRONOMICAL SEEING
"R_naught" Decreases with Increasing Altitude
REDUCED ATMOSPHERIC TURBIDITY
Vorticity & Sheer Decline in Power Above Lower Troposphere
 PANCHROMATIC VISIBILITY
IR and UV "Windows" Open Up or are Extended
UNPARALLELED HORIZON  REACH & OBSERVATION VISTA
Apparent horizon 377 km distant, depressed 3.4° (at 37,000 ft)
 AMAZING VIEWS OF THE UMBRA APPROACH & RECESSION
Simultaneously, in the dark sky above, and on the clouds & ocean surface  far below


And, What a View it Is!

Although with the obvious disclaimer that no photograph can even most distantly approach capturing the beauty of totality discerned by the eye from an aircraft (or elsewhere!) here are just a few from prior EFLIGHTs that do also answer the question "can I get 'good' photos through an airplane window?"  (Image stabilized or vibration reduction lenses do help in that, but even without, some results are dramatically amazing.)

TSE 2003 Coronal Detail
EFLIGHT 2003 over Antarctica in a Boeing 747-400

Thanks to David Finlay and Miloslav Druckmuller

TSE 2008 Inner (left) and Outer (right) Corona
EFLIGHT 2008 @ 83° N  Latitude in an Airbus A330-200
Left: Bill Kramer and Glenn Schneider.  Right: Glenn Schneider


TSE 2015 - Umbral Interface at the Moment of Second Contact
EFLIGHT 2015 over the Norwegian Sea in a Boeing 737-800

Glenn Schneider and Geoff Simms

OUR Baseline "Totality Run":  The Moon's Shadow Chasing Us!

Our chosen MEI point and its time-correlated UTC allows us to define an aircraft trajectory through, and flanking, totality that puts the Sun "straight out" the passenger windows, while simultaneously providing the longest possible totality for a given ground-speed. For our baseline totality run centered on our MEI point, the Sun at mid-totality will be almost due north (azimuth 359°), and thus the aircraft flying nearly due east (bearing 89°). For a conservative "no wind" condition, the Moon's shadow ('chasing' us) will overtake the aircraft at contact 2 (traveling at 2,018.7 km/hr relative to the surface of the Earth at that instant) with the precisely orchestrated timing as schematically represented in the graphic below.



How Long is Totality as Seen From the Aircraft?

Our baseline Totality Run for EFLIGHT 2019-MAX is predicated and computed very conservatively with no winds aloft with then ~ 8-1/4 minutes of totality. However, if much more statistically-likely favorable west-to-east tailwinds of ~ 55 knots prevail on eclipse day the duration of totality would increase to just over 9 minutes, and longer for stronger tailwinds aloft. Our robust intercept plan holds the MEI constant while allowing the ground speed with in situ tailwinds to increase, which will result in a longer duration of totality, though at different UTCs for contacts 2 and 3 than the "no wind" baseline. 

CO-MOVING LOCAL CIRCUMSTANCES FOR BASELINE MEI (provisional)
============================================================

MEI: 19:22:58 UTC, FL 370, TAS = 488 kts (Mach 0.84), HDG = 89.0° (no wind)
     Lunar Limb Profile Corrected Duration of Totality: 8m 14.2s

     UTC (hhmmss)   LATITUDE         LONGITUDE         ALT(d)  AZI(d)  PA(d)
C2   19h 18m 47.0s  17° 18' 42.6" S  109° 35' 01.7" W   +49.7     1.3    87.1
MID  19h 22m 58.0s  17° 18' 09.7" S  109° 00' 05.9" W   +49.7   359.5    ----
C3   19h 27m 01.2s  17° 17' 30.5" S  108° 25' 01.8" W   +49.6   357.7   268.6

In situ predictions of winds aloft on eclipse morning (and updated on our outbound cruise from Easter Island toward our totality run) will allow us to re-optimize the final totality run responsively, as we have with our prior eclipse viewing flights; Dr. Glenn Schneider has orchestrated thirteen eclipse viewing flights since 1986. Like those prior, EFLIGHT 2019-MAX planning and implementation will be benefited through the use of his well-proven EFLIGHT software for a dynamic and robust eclipse flight plan and execution.
Our LATAM Boeing 787-9 "Dreamliner" Aircraft and Operations

For EFLIGHT 2019-MAX we have arranged to charter, for our exclusive use, a Boeing 787-9 "Dreamliner" aircraft from LATAM Airlines.
LATAM, in addition to acting as an aircraft provider, will conduct and operate EFLIGHT 2019-MAX to our exacting specifications to assure optimal eclipse viewing.  To reduce the end-to-end flight time (and hence cost) of the charter we have arranged to launch EFLIGHT 2019-MAX from Mataveri International Airport on Easter Island, Chile. This is the nearest launch point to our MEI for a range-capable commercial aircraft suitable for the requirements of the flight. 

Our prior-designated EFLIGHT 2019-MAX aircraft will be delivered for our use on Easter Island with more than sufficient lead time for our in situ pre-boarding preparations from an arranged, re-timed as an early morning, scheduled flight out of Santiago, Chile. This earlier-than-normal feeder flight is not part of our charter arrangements, but we do expect many (if not all) EFLIGHT 2019-MAX charter flight participants to avail themselves of the logistical convenience of using that schedule-coordinated flight for transport to Easter Island. (Participants may, of course, avail themselves of a visit to Easter Island prior to, or we suggest after, eclipse day, as may be arranged and co-ordinated with the holder of our charter contract, T.E.I. Tours and Travel.)
Why a Boeing 787-9?
50° Solar Elevation at MEI --  No problem with the B787-9 "Dreamliner" Aircraft
It may seem counter-intuitive to use a wide-body (nine seat across in economy class) aircraft for an eclipse observation flight where only the windows on the sun-side of the aircraft can be used to view totality. The simple fact is that no other range-capable high-altitude commercial jet aircraft available for charter provides the "look-up" angle through its passenger windows needed for comfortable eclipse viewing for the EFLIGHT 2019-MAX MEI that the B787 aircraft uniquely does. It is a serendipitously fortuitous circumstance that LATAM routinely operates B787-9 aircraft in and out of Easter Island with both availability and capability for our customized charter.

To achieve an extraordinary maximum duration of > ~ 8-1/4 minutes of totality by air, this total eclipse must be observed where the altitude of the Sun will be approximately 50° above the astronomical horizon, i.e. at the point of Greatest Eclipse. Viewing the eclipse at this relatively high solar altitude, a bit more than "half way up" the sky, out the aircraft windows would be problematic for eclipse viewing with many (most) commercial jet-liners. But, uniquely not so for the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner that has exceptionally "tall" (47 x 28 cm) windows that are canted inward toward the cabin interior at the top with a slope angle of 16°. Combined, these unique window characteristics will provide exquisite views of the eclipse at a 50° solar elevation and of the shadow traversing on the Ocean or cloud-tops below. John Beattie comments, very positively, on his first-hand experience and research for viewing out the B787-9 windows.

 
Boeing 787-9 "Dreamliner" Windows
 
(Schematic of window placements relative to floor and seat backs)
 
Taller IS Better!

Some may know that the B787's windows are shadeless. The B787 windows contain an electro-chromic (EC) layer that is dimmable by those not wanting to see the outside world (definitely not eclipse chasers!) by applying a voltage to the EC layer. Fortunately, the EC layer is fully transparent (and colorless) when no voltage is actively applied. So, "turning them off" makes them transparent, not the other way around.  So, they "fail safe" as far as eclipse chasers might otherwise worry.  No voltage, no opacity, and no color change.
Cabin Configuration (and Eclipse Viewing Windows)

As currently configured, our B787-9 aircraft has 43 usable eclipse-viewing locations through the sun-side (left) aircraft windows. The business class cabin provides unhindered access to 14 individually accessible windows amongst its five widely-spaced seat-rows. In the business class cabin the inter-row seat pitch is 75 inches, with 23-inch wide seats. The economy class cabin has 29 seat rows that provide access within each seat-row to at least one window (of 40 along the fuselage).  In the main cabin, the seats are 17.3 inches wide with an inter-row seat pitch of 32 inches except rows 12-17 that have a 34.5-inch seat pitch.  110 Volt / 60 Hz AC power is provided at all  passenger seats on the Boeing 787-9 aircraft. In the main cabin, the two arm rests between adjacent seats in all sun-side rows except rows 12, (30), and 43 can lift up and tuck out of the way. Main cabin row 41 will be unused as it has no access to a window, and row 30 is potentially usable only in combination with row 31 (see HERE for more details).


The cadence (spacing) of the windows along the aircraft fuselage is not in phase with the spacing of the seat rows. So, different seat rows offer different window access and along-the-fuselage relative positioning - though all provide unencumbered window-seat viewing for one person of totality at 50° solar elevation. All usable rows have access to at least one full window. Some rows also provide partial (or full) access to a second window; i.e., instead of 1.0 window, each such row offers instead 1.2, 1.4, 1.6, 1.8, or 2.0 windows.

• For interior photographs of all of the individual seat rows and adjacent sun-side windows, with detailed information on each,
  see this SEAT ROWS PHOTOPAGE (downloadable PDF file).

  Also see this YouTube Video walkthrough of the passenger cabin showing all sun-side seat rows.

• Unannotated views of each seat row/window may be individually seen, by row number, here:
   1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 30-31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 42, 43  

• Row-by-row window accessibility specifications and other information for umbraphiles interested to book participation on EFLIGHT 2019-MAX and reserve a specific seat-row or window(s) suited to their individual needs are given in this PDF INFORMATIONAL BROCHURE FROM  T.E.I. (Allocated windows/seat-rows indicated therein may lag in real-time the most current status).

• For a better visualization of how the windows "line up" with the leading and trailing edges of the wing SEE THIS PHOTO (mirror image, but identical on the sun-side).

Only the sun-side windows of the aircraft will provide views of totality. The view out the sun-side window of both totality at solar elevation 50°, and the vast sweep of the lunar umbral shadow traversing the Pacific Ocean (limited below in some rows by the aircraft wing) and enveloping the aircraft, is readily available to a participant occupying the seat immediately adjacent to a window. The high elevation angle of the Sun during the EFLIGHT 2019-MAX totality, however, would likely preclude simultaneous viewing with a seat-mate partner in a middle seat through a single sun-side window. (This is unlike some prior eclipse flights at low(er) solar elevation where middle-seat simultaneous viewing was more readily accommodated due to the different eclipse geometry.) Flight participant row-holders may optionally elect to have a partner accompany them with an understanding of the inherent difficulties and limitations of simultaneous window-sharing on this flight. Cooperating partners in adjoining window+middle seats may time-share viewing of totality, or attempt window-sharing in seat-rows with access to more than a single window, but must be aware of the space constraints that may preclude or impede such partnered-viewing with the high solar elevation angle. The "footprint" area and space envelope of the business class window rows, with the foot rests that are located below the "x" windows, are more readily shown by example here in PHOTO1* (row #2) and PHOTO2 (row #3) than in the above linked by-row photos. {*The geometrical distortion in "PHOTO2" is due to the wide-angle lense used; for a rectilinear view of this seat-row area  see this video time index 0:10 - 0:20} More information on additional passengers accompanying eclipse seat-row holders is also given in the PDF informational brochure from T.E.I.


EFLIGHT 2019-MAX  — Baseline End-to-End Flight Plan

The EFLIGHT 2019-MAX baseline flight plan is schematically represented in the two annotated graphical map visualizations below. The first illustrates the area of operations for EFLIGHT 2019-MAX in the context of the entire path of totality, and its "triangular" flight plan of outbound leg, extended "totality run" (TR), and inbound return to Easter island. Most flight participants would fly to Easter Island on a regularly scheduled (but re-timed earlier) LATAM Santiago-Easter Island flight, which is not part  of our charter (T.E.I. Tours and Travel can help charter participants with those arrangements, as needed, as well). On the day of the eclipse flight, the daily Santiago-Easter Island flight will depart earlier than on a normal schedule to arrive on Easter Island well ahead of the time needed for the EFLIGHT 2019-MAX charter flight.

For baseline planning purposes, the details enumerated on the second chart assume a nominal true air speed of 488 knots with no wind, and a flight altitude of 37,000 ft AMSL. These and other details are still subject to change as various operational aspects of the flight are being matured with LATAM flight operations in concert with our needs and requirements. Any updates to the baseline plan will be provided to flight participants as they may change.



 

EFLIGHT 2019-MAX — Optimization and Flexibility (Margin and Contingency)

As with previous EFLIGHTs, we remain flexible to modify the flight plan in real-time, within aircraft operating parameters, in reaction to flight conditions on eclipse day to enable an eclipse-optimized "totality run". The exact duration of totality is dependent not only upon the specific geographical location (and altitude) at which our aircraft will centrally fly through the Moon's shadow, but also upon the details of its trajectory and its ground speed that are subject to variable winds. For baseline flight planning only, we (planning conservatively) assume no winds, though a statistically more-likely wind vector of 55 knots from 270° may be anticipated based upon the statistical average of historical early-July winds at mid-eclipse intercept time, location, and altitude. If so, the duration of totality would increase to 9m 03s.

DETAILS: The requisite take-off (“wheels-up” not push-back) time in UTC for the flight will be determined by LATAM given our constraints to reach the totality run start point at the requisite time with their knowledge of aircraft performance and operating constraints (e.g., departure patterns, etc.); we currently estimate 16:42 UTC. The time-critical nexus of the flight is the totality run start (TRS) at a first time-correlated totality run waypoint and a subsequent set of time-correlated set of waypoints leading to the mid-eclipse intercept (MEI) and the totality-run end (TRE). The take-off UTC required to arrive at a given TRS (baselined for MEI minus 30 minutes, = 18:52:58 UTC) or latter planned, earlier, TRS) is initially critically estimated assuming an exact (i.e., not delayed) take-off time with also a net no-wind condition during the outbound cruise. However, planning for such a “time-critical” take-off, without contingency margin for either a take-off delay or unfavorable outbound winds aloft would be ill-advised and, thus, additional contingency margin is included in the pre-TR flight plan.

With either a take-off delay OR with an unfavorable (head) wind (slowing the aircraft ground speed beyond the range that could be compensated by increasing true airspeed (TAS)), the aircraft could arrive at the TRS waypoint too late in UTC and thus miss the eclipse; i.e., with the Moon's shadow already having passed by before the aircraft reaches the path of totality. We won't let this happen! For either of these possible cases, a take-off earlier in UTC than a no-margin time-critical UTC is planned. This is then programmed into the outbound cruise phase as a “buffer” to be utilized should either case arise. How much earlier will be planned in concert with LATAM flight operations. This, in part, depends on what statistical variation in winds-aloft might be expected, but likely on the order of half an hour to 45 minutes or (TBD) longer. With a take-off time moved earlier than time-critical with no margin:

(1) In the case of a late take-off, any delay less than the margin added (by setting the planned take-off time earlier than critical), would then not put the eclipse intercept in jeopardy.
(2) In the case of unfavorable (head) winds aloft, the “extra” time allotted (to its limit) with an earlier take-off time can be used to allow the aircraft to reach the TRS waypoint at the requisite time.

Conversely, in the case of a tailwind, pushing the aircraft faster along its ground track to reach TRS too early (equally to be avoided!) either:
(1) the aircraft could simply slow down during outbound cruise to compensate, and/or
(2) deviate from a minimum distance path during outbound cruise with a longer distance to TRS to arrive at the requisite time.


The EFLIGHT 2019-MAX TEAM – Points of Contact

Dr. GLENN SCHNEIDER (Steward Observatory and the Department of Astronomy, The University of Arizona).
EFLIGHT 2019-MAX, to be launched from Easter Island, will be conducted as an eclipse-optimized "EFLIGHT" under the technical direction of Dr. Glenn Schneider (this link for eclipse context). The flight will build-upon and follow the precepts and procedures developed, tested, and validated on previous eclipse flights of his design and implementation (see table below) to provide the best views possible of the total phase of the eclipse. Dr. Schneider has observed, and arranged expeditionary travel and coordinated observational logistics for 34 total solar eclipses around the globe since 1970. He has planned or executed 13 solar eclipse observation flights since 1986 (see table below). Umbraphiles with any technical questions regarding EFLIGHT 2019-MAX, or observing the eclipse from the ground or in the air, are invited to contact Glenn at gschneider@as.arizona.edu. As usual, Dr Schneider is the "technical guy" for EFLIGHT planning, implementation, and execution. Questions regarding arrangements for flight participation, bookings, travel logistics, etc., should go to Tim Todd at T.E.I. Tours and Travel. Eclipse enthusiasts (and others!) are also invited to visit his eclipse web page where details on many of these prior flights, and information on other eclipses and related topics may be found.

PREVIOUS EFLIGHTS LED/PLANNED BY GLENN SCHNEIDER


TIM TODD (T.E.I. Tours and Travel; http://www.teiglobal.com/; tei@teiglobal.com) has had an avid interest in astronomy since age 12 when, as a schoolboy, he won second prize in a science competition. A short time later he purchased a 3-inch brass refractor telescope in an antique market. Tim saw his first Total Solar Eclipse in Siberia in 1981, and has experienced 14 others since in various locations such as Java, Bolivia, Iran, Soviet Union/Russia, Venezuela, Zambia and the USA with recent special favorites airborne over the Faroes in 2015,  and in 2016 an expedition by small boat to the remote Woleai Atoll.  His company, T.E.I. Tours & Travel, is a boutique Tour Operator specializing in  arranging customized tour services for individuals and small groups to destinations worldwide with special interest and expertise in arranging Eclipse Tours. Starting with a 1981 journey by train from Hong Kong through China and Mongolia to a location near Kemerovo, Siberia, T. E. I. has arranged airborne expeditions in the Soviet Arctic in 1990 and Faroes in 2015 and ground based eclipse travel in Indonesia, Costa Rica, Iran, Vietnam, Venezuela, Zambia and Micronesia. 

JOHN BEATTIE. What can I say about John - other than he is one of the most passionate people I have ever met when it comes to total solar eclipses (one of the others, self-admittedly, myself).  John, is "tied" with me for standing (or flying) in the Moon's umbral shadow 34 times in each of our lives-- sometimes sharing eclipse-flight venues -- though we have not always been at the same location. It was John who inspired me to "take a look" at what might be possible in detail for a TSE 2019 EFLIGHT and "MAX" -- and so I have (obsessively, so, I am sure he would say). So, if you join us for this one - thank John for both the inspiration, and the instigation, AND in contingency and logistics planning issues.  John is much more than a "stickler" for details when it comes to maximizing both the success and the quality of an eclipse viewing experience.
Wanna Join, and See ~ 8-1/4 to 9+ minutes of totality for TSE 2019?

  See the  PDF informational brochure from T.E.I. and Contact T.E.I. to find out how!


Last update: 20 Aug 2018 11:24 MST

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