T/O or Landing during Solar Eclipse

[Fly0nTheWall]

Has anyone here experienced totality before? Does it get really dark, or is it still fairly bright out? Just thinking about how strange it would be/what illusions one might experience during takeoff or landing at somewhere like CYYZ during totality. Is it a gradual change in brightness, or fairly abrupt? It'll be about 2-3min in Toronto, so it's conceivable someone may be departing/arriving at that time. The things I think about when I should be sleeping

https://images.app.goo.gl/sDVdyh4yUGA3SVWz8

[BigQ]

It's a gradual drop and return. Not sudden. Depending where you are the totality path, it will take 2-3 hours to drop to 0, 2-3 minutes of totality, and 2-3 hours to return. But you'll barely notice the first and last hour or so.

[JasonE]

Probably not a good idea to stare at it for the 2-3 hours while flying

[Fly0nTheWall]

Interesting. So when you say zero, is it like middle-of-the-night dark, or just like twilight dark?

Lol, ya probably good advice xD Would be wild to fly along/through the path of totality though.

[digits_]

I think we'll need a new column in our logbooks "Time spent during solar eclipse". For safety, TC will then require all ATPL holders to have acquired at least 2 minutes of solar eclipse time.

[PostmasterGeneral]

But do you log it as a day or night landing?!?!?!?!

[digits_]

But do you log it as a day or night landing?!?!?!?!

It should be its own category. Quite tricky to stay 'eclipse current' though to fly with pax.

[Fly0nTheWall]

But do you log it as a day or night landing?!?!?!?!

It should be its own category. Quite tricky to stay 'eclipse current' though to fly with pax.

I guess we'll have to do it in the sim

[goldeneagle]

Has anyone here experienced totality before? Does it get really dark, or is it still fairly bright out?

If you are in totality, it's just like night. Sun is gone, stars are out.

[pelmet]

Has anyone here experienced totality before? Does it get really dark, or is it still fairly bright out?

If you are in totality, it's just like night. Sun is gone, stars are out.

Not while you are flying at higher altitudes.

[Fly0nTheWall]

Has anyone here experienced totality before? Does it get really dark, or is it still fairly bright out?

If you are in totality, it's just like night. Sun is gone, stars are out.

Not while you are flying at higher altitudes.

Ah ok, interesting and interesting.

[redlaser]

There will be thousands of aircraft from all over the world landing at CYSN St.Catharines airport, So arrive early.

[Fly0nTheWall]

There will be thousands of aircraft from all over the world landing at CYSN St.Catharines airport, So arrive early.

Thousands! Woah...that's not a huge apron there either. I guess the QEW won't be the only parking lot

[goldeneagle]

Has anyone here experienced totality before? Does it get really dark, or is it still fairly bright out?

If you are in totality, it's just like night. Sun is gone, stars are out.

Not while you are flying at higher altitudes.

Really. I guess that's why back in the 70's a concorde was chartered to chase the center shadow across Africa. They were up near FL600 or thereabouts, and spent roughly 70 minutes in the area or totality as it ran across Africa.

[DanWEC]

Just don't self-report to TC you looked at the eclipse, you'll likely lose your medical.

[Inverted2]

Just don't self-report to TC you looked at the eclipse, you'll likely lose your medical.

And you’ll get it reinstated by the next eclipse.

They still think I have 2-3 drinks per week.

[Dias]

The moon is too small for totality. It looks like dawn or dusk during a full eclipse.

[goldeneagle]

The moon is too small for totality. It looks like dawn or dusk during a full eclipse.

The correction to that is 'it depends'. The earth-moon distance varies over the course of it's orbit. If moon is at it's closest to the earth at eclipse time, totality can last up to 7 minutes and it will be completely dark in the center of the totality shadow. OTOH, if moon is at it's farthest from the earth the result is an annular eclipse, doesn't fully cover the sun, and the above statement would be correct. It also depends on how close to the center of the shadow you are located.

Due to this, every event is somewhat unique, and what one experiences during one event may not be the same as the experience in another event.

I've only seen one in person myself, and it was dark as midnight during that one. We didn't chase it, just happened to be at the right place at the right time. I've got some acquaintances that are eclipse chasers, so have gone somewhere in the world for a significant number of them, and they will tell you that every eclipse experience is unique. As one put it to me, it's a great way to see some far flung places around the world, often well off the beaten track. He's been to remote islands in the south pacific, various places in Africa, some 'off the beaten track' spots in North America, Europe and Asia in the quest to chase eclipses. Says figuring out the travel arrangements for some of them is half the fun. Interesting also to note, he is not out chasing today's event, says 'nothing interesting on the path, just a tourist resort in Mexico, a bunch of backwoods towns in the US and a few cities in US and Canada, most of which we've seen before'.

[TeePeeCreeper]

The moon is too small for totality. It looks like dawn or dusk during a full eclipse.

The correction to that is 'it depends'. The earth-moon distance varies over the course of it's orbit. If moon is at it's closest to the earth at eclipse time, totality can last up to 7 minutes and it will be completely dark in the center of the totality shadow. OTOH, if moon is at it's farthest from the earth the result is an annular eclipse, doesn't fully cover the sun, and the above statement would be correct. It also depends on how close to the center of the shadow you are located.

Due to this, every event is somewhat unique, and what one experiences during one event may not be the same as the experience in another event.

I've only seen one in person myself, and it was dark as midnight during that one. We didn't chase it, just happened to be at the right place at the right time. I've got some acquaintances that are eclipse chasers, so have gone somewhere in the world for a significant number of them, and they will tell you that every eclipse experience is unique. As one put it to me, it's a great way to see some far flung places around the world, often well off the beaten track. He's been to remote islands in the south pacific, various places in Africa, some 'off the beaten track' spots in North America, Europe and Asia in the quest to chase eclipses. Says figuring out the travel arrangements for some of them is half the fun. Interesting also to note, he is not out chasing today's event, says 'nothing interesting on the path, just a tourist resort in Mexico, a bunch of backwoods towns in the US and a few cities in US and Canada, most of which we've seen before'.

Funny enough, I have a non aviation related buddy who called me earlier today excitedly telling me the Wx forecast had changed and that he had cx’ed his plans to watch it somewhere in Texas and stay in Ontario… tickets booked not in advance.. YEARS in advance.

Completely nut bars to me, but hey… who the hell am I to judge!

TPC

[Dry Guy]

Actual totality would mean you can't see your hand in front of your face. That would have an impact on aviation. What we call totality still has significant light coming around the edges of the moon regardless of its distance.

[DanWEC]

There's no definition of totality that refers to the level of light. It doesn't mean complete darkness. What we call totality is totality. It's the geometrical obscuring of the sun, and when it's totally obscured there will always be some light.

[realtor360]

I’ve witnessed totality before, and it’s quite an experience! During the eclipse, it does get really dark, but the transition is surprisingly quick, it can go from bright to dark in a matter of minutes. You’ll definitely notice the abrupt change as the moon covers the sun.

Flying during this time could be pretty surreal, especially with the sudden shift in lighting. If you’re curious about how this phenomenon looks and affects different locations, you might find some interesting insights at https://www.mklibrary.com/solar-eclipse/.