August 21st Total Eclipse Flying

[bpw823]

As many already know, the central US is going to experience a total solar eclipse on Monday, August 21st. It usually becomes very dark and eerie and possibly dark enough for LEDs to be visible.

I figured it'd be a neat and unique opportunity for a FT episode shot of flying during the event, and perhaps even "night flying" during the day.

The best locations for this would likely be a few hours south of FT HQ but it's such a rare and spectacular opportunity.

 

[LitterBug]

Not heading south even though path will be going almost directly over my sisters place north of Nashville. Going to hit the local flying field and set up several time lapse cams around the area. May try to put one up on my Dad's ham tower as well....

Cheers!
LitterBug

 

[BridgeInspector]

I am in Knoxville, TN and it just misses me. So I contacted an AMA flying field just 30 minute drive south of me in the "totality" zone and asked If I could visit their field. They said yes!

I plan on day camping at the site, getting there early with the RV (8am ish) as traffic is forecasted to be crazy around here. We will fly airplanes, throw Frisbees, and cook out while we wait for the sky to darken. We will also play around with a telescope with a sun filter and mobile phone mount.

I don't plan on flying during the actual totality (~2min around 2:30pm), I don't want to miss any of it. If they happened more regularly I might consider flying. Also the wife said no!p) The only exception is for the Mavic Pro that I will park 400' overhead filming down at us a few minutes before and after, to maybe catch the darkness come and go.

The real trick of the day would be to try and get my wife on the buddy box.

 

[French]

The only exception is for the Mavic Pro that I will park 400' overhead filming down at us a few minutes before and after, to maybe catch the darkness come and go.

AWESOME!!!

 

[BridgeInspector]

 

[AkimboGlueGuns]

I'll get a magnitude of about .87 in ND, but I've currently got nothing that I can fly. Good news is that there's a pretty tall observation tower that I can watch from.

 

[BridgeInspector]

 

[French]

BUMP!

 

[LitterBug]

Developing film now..... Still have time lapse running at field tooo....

Most uneventful in Columbus due to cloud cover.... no cool shadows etc.... Hoping footage is worth watching.....

 

[French]

My crappy cell phone photo


Not my amazing photo of the ISS

From Destin @ Smarter Every Day and Trevor Mahlmann

 

[BridgeInspector]

https://www.instagram.com/p/BYE7WZ7B1bd/

 

[PsyBorg]

I flew from the time it started at the west coast to the time it passed the east coast and all it looked like here was less then a normal cloud passing by the sun.

Looks like it got pretty dark where Aaron was though. Nice video. That mavic is so stable I did not see ANY lateral movement at all. Winds must have been dead calm there.

 

[LitterBug]

Really nothing to see from any of my footage... Was just too overcast. The best of the bad during the peak:




Cheers!
LitterBug

 

[Strix]

I drove to St. Joseph, Missouri to experience totality.

The weather almost ruined it completely, but we managed to get peeks of the sun here and there.

I didn't take any pictures of the eclipse, but my nearly blind best friend managed to get this one during totality.



I'm already looking forward to 2024. I have family in Ohio in the path for that one.

 

[YooperJon]

The next solar eclipse that we'll be able to see close to home will be April 8th 2024...only seven years away. Totality will occur in Akron and Cleveland. It will be 0.9999 in Canton (not quite total). It will probably be total as far south as Green Township.

 

[BridgeInspector]

Video of Totality at RC airfield.

 

[BridgeInspector]

....
Looks like it got pretty dark where Aaron was though. Nice video. That mavic is so stable I did not see ANY lateral movement at all. Winds must have been dead calm there.

It was crazy how stable the video turned out. The wind was very minor and was completely still during the total eclipse.