posted 11-03-2013 07:34 AM               

Unlike most eclipse flights, this one has no margin for error, and we must intercept the right spot at the right moment, flying perpendicular to the shadow as it begins its race across the ocean at nearly 4 km/s. If successful, it would be a first.

As seen from 42,000 feet over the Central Atlantic, some 600 miles southeast of the island of Bermuda, the sun puts on a near instantaneous show of totality. Our plane, intercepting in a manner never done before, was about one second off for central totality. Some telephoto shots suffered from turbulence.

See more photos of the eclipse at Ben's website: LaunchPhotography.com.

posted 11-04-2013 05:56 AM               

Unlike most eclipse flights, this one has no margin for error, and we must intercept the right spot at the right moment, flying perpendicular to the shadow as it begins its race across the ocean at nearly 4 km/s. If successful, it would be a first.

Not only was the eclipse short, but the low altitude (some would call it elevation) of the sun meant that the ground track of the sub-airplane point was miles from the ground track for central path of the moon's shadow. They did it all without the benefit of GPS! And with technology that existed 27 years prior to the current eclipse. I found a summary of this mission, linked below:

A Geometrically Remarkable Eclipse

Schneider's flight occurred at 44,000 ft, 2,000 higher than yesterday's flight.