I’m not superstitious. I’ll brave an elevator that stops on the 13th floor. I won’t deem the day a potential catastrophe when a black cat crosses my path. But after a round trip to São Paulo, Brazil, during a total lunar eclipse, I had to wonder. This particular eclipse also qualified as a blood moon, which is a relatively rare astrological phenomenon.
Jumpseat: Lunar Eclipse or a Guy Named Joaquin?
Key Takeaways:
- The author recounts a challenging round trip to São Paulo, Brazil, during a "blood moon" lunar eclipse, humorously attributing a series of mishaps and operational difficulties to potential "bad juju."
- The outbound flight experienced ATC communication issues resulting in an impossible holding instruction and an atypical runway change, culminating in a bird strike during the final approach.
- The return journey was marked by personal misfortunes, administrative and navigational errors, and significant turbulence due to Hurricane Joaquin, requiring careful routing through a narrow weather corridor.
- Despite the persistent and varied challenges encountered on both legs of the trip, the flight crews maintained professionalism and successfully completed their missions, including a difficult, hand-flown landing at JFK.
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