Best place to sit on #1721 for the Eclipse?

[SWloove]

I’m taking flight #1721 on Monday from ATX to IND. What’s the best place on the plane to photograph the eclipse?

 

[DancingDavidE]

Here are the local times for totality in case it helps:

According toEclipse2024.org, the unincorporated village of Eidson Road, near the U.S.-Mexico border will be the f...

• Dallas, Texas around 1:40 p.m. (CDT)
• Idabel, Oklahoma around 1:45 p.m. (CDT)
• Little Rock, Arkansas around 1:51 p.m. (CDT)
• Poplar Bluff, Missouri around 1:56 p.m. (CDT)
• Carbondale, Illinois at 1:59 p.m. (CDT)
• Paducah, Kentucky around 2 p.m. (CDT)
• Evansville, Indiana at 2:02 p.m. (CDT)
• Cleveland, Ohio at 3:13 p.m. (EDT)
• Erie, Pennsylvania at 3:16 p.m. (EDT)
• Buffalo, New York at 3:18 p.m. (EDT)
• Burlington, Vermont at 3:26 p.m. (EDT)
• Lancaster, New Hampshire at 3:27 p.m. (EDT)
• Caribou, Maine at 3:32 p.m. (EDT)

  Solar noon for Chicago is around 1 p.m. CDT  and the path of totality would be around 2 p.m. so the sun should be just slightly setting.

  I'd say left-side window seat and decide if you want the wing in the photo or not. The sun will be high above and slightly behind based on the path angle in the graphic so maybe right behind the wing gives the most angle to work with.

  But then the pilot could straighten out briefly to give everyone a broadside view for a few minutes in which case in front of the wing might be better for a clear shot.

  Dunno - glad to hear you got on this flight, let us know what you end up with and please post a photo!

  I guess I didn't win the sweepstakes for a seat on the flight, that would have been awesome.

[dfwskier]

Did you mean to say right side window seat?? the plane will be headed east so the sun should be to the right of the plane.

Have fun with the experience. In 1997 I was on a 747 to Taipei and we got to watch comet Hle Bopp from 40,000 feet. It was fun

[DancingDavidE]

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@dfwskier wrote:

Did you mean to say right side window seat?? the plane will be headed east so the sun should be to the right of the plane.

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That's what I'm trying to figure out - how far into setting does it need to be before it would be visible on the left hand side?

If it was solar noon it would be to the right hand side. 

The flight path diagram shows the airplane going southwest to northeast as well, so if the sun was only slightly setting it would be behind the plane.

Hopefully the pilot has leeway to swerve to the left and right so both sides get a view.

[dfwskier]

Be careful with your phone/camera. The sun will fry your photo sensor. During totality you'll be fine. Any other time your camera will need the same type of protection the naked eye will need.

[bec102896]

I hope the clouds hold off in Austin so you can see it the weather is looking iffy but maybe from 30K feet you can get a nice view. 

if you get any photos from the flight can you share them here? I was going to be on an eclipse flight from DAL but life caused a change of plans unfortunately so I’ll have to hope for clouds to go away and look from the ground 

[DancingDavidE]

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@bec102896 wrote:

I hope the clouds hold off in Austin so you can see it the weather is looking iffy but maybe from 30K feet you can get a nice view. 

if you get any photos from the flight can you share them here? I was going to be on an eclipse flight from DAL but life caused a change of plans unfortunately so I’ll have to hope for clouds to go away and look from the ground 

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I think the angle is going to be really high, it will depend on the pilot to bank the plane and or turn the direction to get a better look as the sun may be behind the plane if it were on a direct line from AUS to PIT.

[DancingDavidE]

How did it go @SWloove ?

[ZevSupport]

Would love to see pics!!

[dfwskier]

and the answer (from a post on a different blog) appears to have been right side:

"Flew from MCI to ATL today and had a great view on the right side of the plane."