A total solar eclipse is seen from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Monday in Indianapolis, Indiana. [Courtesy: NASA/Joel Kowsky]
Key Takeaways:
April 8 likely set a record for general aviation activity, with thousands of pilots taking to the skies to view the solar eclipse, creating distinct clusters of aircraft along the path of totality as shown by Flightradar24.
One pilot, David Nelson, described his unique experience of observing the moon cover most of the sun from 41,000 feet during a business flight, noting the dimming daylight and changes in cloud appearance despite not witnessing totality.
NASA also utilized high-altitude WB-57 aircraft for scientific experiments during the eclipse, flying above most of the atmosphere to capture clearer images and extend observation time by matching the eclipse's speed.
April 8 may go down in aviation history as the busiest day for GA, as thousands of pilots took to the air to watch the solar eclipse.
According to Flightradar24, a distinct line of aircraft clustered along the path of totality. The aircraft were shown as gold icons, and the clusters on that day were reminiscent of goldfish swarming for food.
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Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.
