Eclipse viewing at 30k feet: Delta to offer path-of-totality flight

Re:Eclipse viewing at 30k feet: Delta to offer path-of-total... by jsjohnst on Thursday February 22, 2024 @09:55AM (#39467979)

Lots of scenarios where the pilot isn’t allowed to diverge from a flight path without getting into how freak events happen with the weather all the time.

Cirrocumulus clouds are common on that flight path and can extend up to FL450. Is it rare that they are that high, for sure, but can it happen, definitely.

Cirrostratus clouds are also a possibility and they often extend up to FL400. Whenever the sky has a soft white haze, these are a common cause.

Will either of those guaranteed ruin an eclipse, probably not. But still saying guaranteed no cloud cover obstructing the view is very much inaccurate imho.

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Re:Eclipse viewing at 30k feet: Delta to offer path-of-total... by sumeruchat on Thursday February 22, 2024 @11:09AM (#39469163)

Yeah when normal people talk (not pilots) an event with >99 percent probability should be deemed a certainty. As a pilot however i agree with you that you absolutely cannot make any assumptions about cloud cover

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Re:Eclipse viewing at 30k feet: Delta to offer path-of-total... by jsjohnst on Thursday February 22, 2024 @01:38PM (#39471207)

Depends on how you define normal people. If you are someone who is ponying up $25k+ for this flight on secondary markets you also should know that the chance is non-zero, albeit close.

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Re:Eclipse viewing at 30k feet: Delta to offer path-of-total... by sumeruchat on Thursday February 22, 2024 @09:13PM (#39476105)

Yeah thats fair also.

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