Flights bypass clouds for eclipse

But make sure you’re on correct side of the plane

Travelers flying on April 8 may have a chance to see the total solar eclipse from the sky.

Delta Air Lines is running two special flights to chase the path of totality, but many carriers, including Southwest and United, are advertising the regularly scheduled itineraries they have with the best chance of seeing the daytime darkness.

According to Stephen Lawrence, a professor of physics and astronomy at Hofstra University, seeing the eclipse from a plane comes with some extra benefits but also a few challenges.

Much of the path of totality in the U.S. has a 60%-80% chance of cloud cover on the ground, with Texas being the most likely location for clear skies. On a plane, Lawrence said, “You can generally fly high enough to be above the clouds, so you’re guaranteed to see the eclipse.”

But, he warned, just being on the plane isn’t always enough.

“You have to be on the correct side of the plane,” Lawrence said. “People on the right side of the plane, the southfacing side of the plane, will be able to see it,” but those on the north side won’t.

If you’re flying in an easterly direction, you’ll want to be on the right-hand side when facing forward or the lefthand side if your flight path is heading westerly.

Lawrence said eastbound flights have an added bonus for eclipse viewing, too. “You’re slowing the shadow down by half. Instead of a 4 1⁄2-minute eclipse, you might get a six-minute region of totality,” he said, explaining that because planes cruise at around 500 mph and the shadow of the eclipse moves at about 1,000 mph, chasing it across the sky means you can see it for longer than you’d be able to as a stationary observer on the ground.

He added the higher vantage point from a flight means travelers will have a better view of the shadow approaching than those on the ground.

Whether you’re watching from the ground or the sky, Lawrence said it’s important to take appropriate precautions.

“The most important thing, of course, is eye safety. It is safe to look at the eclipse with the naked eye but only during the few minutes of totality,” he said.

GETTY IMAGES “You can generally fly high enough to be above the clouds, so you’re guaranteed to see the eclipse,” said Stephen Lawrence, a professor of physics and astronomy at Hofstra University.