Total Solar Eclipse of 2016 March 8-9
Eclipse Flights in Indonesia or Hawaii
The point of greatest eclipse (totality phase during 4 min 9 sec) was located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean east of Indonesia where about 10 million people lived inside the totality path. To observe the 2016 March 8-9 total solar eclipse, I proposed tours only in eastern Indonesia, in the Northern Maluku, where the ground weather prospects were the best and the duration the longest. However the local infrastructure was fairly limited. The Woleai atoll, belonging to Micronesia, was offering the longest land-based duration very close to its maximum but its airstrip was out of order so the logistics would have been far too complex. There were numerous viewing locations along the path, however paying close attention to the weather patterns and local terrain topography was mandatory unless you were on a cruise ship in the Pacific Ocean where the sky was usually clearer. Moreover the 2015-2016 El Niño episode did somewhat improve the weather prospects in Indonesia. Thanks to the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy and the various local authorities for their help.
To maximize the chances to see this eclipse, using an aircraft able to fly above the clouds can prove essential. This is why two new stratospheric eclipse flights from Indonesia are under consideration. Due to its operational capabilities, the selected aircraft will be again the Dassault Falcon 7X business jet which was previously used during the 2015 March 20 total solar eclipse. This aircraft is indeed the only one having the combination of sufficient range, cruise altitude above 48,000 feet (14,630 meters) and ability to land on a 2,000 to 3,600 feet runway (700 to 1,100 meters) while taking-off with tanks filled enough to not require any refueling.
Otherwise a few commercial flights will cross the eclipse path either over Indonesia or near Hawaii, which means being on one of those flights and on the proper side of the passenger cabin will let you have a peek at the eclipse. It’s of course difficult to guarantee anything in this case because the flight may well be late or else take a slightly different route. Having an agreement with the airline operating the flight is highly recommended. In this context contacts have already been made with several airlines such as Garuda Indonesia and Alaska Airlines. Domestic flights have been selected first, nevertheless international flights have been investigated as well.
Being inside the cockpit along the whole centerline over Indonesia at the time of the eclipse was also very instructing concerning the clouds.
38,000 feet above the Makassar Strait
Clouds over the Molucca Sea from 38,000 feet
Clouds over Borneo (Kalimantan) and Balikpapan from 38,000 feet
Clouds over Borneo (Kalimantan) from 38,000 feet
Stratospheric Falcon 7X Eclipse Flight
The chosen aerodrome to base the Falcon 7X doesn’t have any facility to say refill the tanks with jet fuel or perform any serious task on an aircraft. Which means the aircraft has to be autonomous and be able to land with well filled tanks.
Buli runway while landing
Buli runway while taking-off
Buli aerodrome apron
And now the baseline eclipse flight plans. The first option is a short flight, about 80 minutes round-trip, to get 3 minutes and 34 seconds of totality with an intercept potentially executed with a 30-degree bank angle to keep the eclipsed Sun at only 17 degrees from the windows’ vertical plane; the second is a much longer flight to western Indonesia, up to 8 hours round-trip, in order to have the eclipsed Sun at about 19 degrees. The stratospheric eclipse flight will be expensive and limited to a happy few who will for sure see the eclipse, so other cheaper options are also in the works.
Simulation of the Dassault Falcon 7X "East" eclipse flight
Use of this simulation is strictly forbidden without my written approval. All commercial uses are subject to a fee for every planned flight.
Simulation of the Dassault Falcon 7X "West" eclipse flight
Use of this simulation is strictly forbidden without my written approval. All commercial uses are subject to a fee for every planned flight.
Scheduled Eclipse Flights
I already work with Garuda Indonesia to offer the opportunity to observe the eclipse from at least one B737-800NG scheduled flight over Indonesia. The flight plan will require a slight modification that can easily be implemented to offer a view of totality for 2 minutes and 27 seconds on the left side of the aircraft with the black Sun at 38 degrees elevation or else 3 minutes and 3 seconds for passengers on the right side.
Garuda Indonesia scheduled commercial flight
Simulation of the Garuda Indonesia B737-800NG eclipse flight (reduced duration from ground observer)
Use of this simulation is strictly forbidden without my written approval. All commercial uses are subject to a fee for every planned flight.
Simulation of the Garuda Indonesia B737-800NG eclipse flight (increased duration from ground observer)
Use of this simulation is strictly forbidden without my written approval. All commercial uses are subject to a fee for every planned flight.
And Joe Rao does the same with Alaska Airlines to offer the opportunity to observe the eclipse from a B737-800 scheduled flight to Hawaii. The B737-800 flight is AS870 from Anchorage to Honolulu on March 8th (not on the 9th because we are east of the international dateline). The flight plan will not require any modification, only the departure time will need to be moved forward by about 23 minutes, to offer a view of totality for 1 minute and 59 seconds on the right side of the aircraft with the black Sun at 10 degrees of elevation.
I did look at other flights coming from/going to Asia and couldn’t find any with the proper schedule, not to mention the fact that those flight are longer and more expensive. The best ones were from Guam and Beijing. It is worth to mention that a domestic flight will be easier to manage and coordinate than an international one.
Alaska Airlines scheduled commercial flight
Simulation of the Alaska Airlines B737-800 eclipse flight
Use of this simulation is strictly forbidden without my written approval. All commercial uses are subject to a fee for every planned flight.
To intercept the totality path flights between Hawaii and the SF Bay area would require a substantial alteration of the flight path, so you shouldn’t expect the airlines to accept such a thing. Moreover, to intercept the eclipse path at a suitable location, it would lengthen the flight by up to one hour and increase the cost. The flight schedule would also need to be adjusted.
Hawaiian Airlines scheduled flight between Honolulu and San Francisco
Flights between Hawaii and Seattle do intercept the totality path, albeit not west enough. As is the intercept would be successful, but a slight alteration of the flight path towards the west would be better. However it would lengthen the flight by up to 15 minutes and slightly increase the cost. The flight schedule would also need to be adjusted.
Alaska Airlines scheduled flights between Honolulu/Lihue and Seattle
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