As people throughout a swath of North America held their breath looking into the sky on April 8, 2024, two Duncan Aviation pilots embarked on a journey during the total solar eclipse, flying through the event with precision and expertise.
This particular flight was a request from a client who needed to make a business trip that day and wanted to fly through the path of totality on the way. Led by our Flight Coordinator Stacy Hilton, Corporate Jet Captain Dave Severson and Senior Captain Mark Schindler, executed the carefully planned 1 hour, 40 minute flight covering 674 nautical miles between Columbus, Ohio, and Teterboro, New Jersey.
With precise planning, the pilots ensured the timing was perfect, taking off with a normal clearance and pulling back power significantly to be able to see totality at the designated time for their location between 3:15 and 3:18 pm. Although ATC (Air Traffic Controllers) initially requested they change their route, after explaining the goal of their waypoint deviation, they were granted permission to continue.
“As the time for the eclipse approached, the passengers in the back of the aircraft pulled out their eclipse glasses,” Mark recalls.
Dave notes that the experience didn’t feel real.
“For us, the temperature dropped in the front as the sun disappeared. Flying under the shadow felt surreal, like being under an umbrella, with the clouds casting shadows below, while the rest of the sky remained lit,” Dave says.
Despite all of the excitement surrounding the eclipse, for the pilots, it was another day on the job. With the support of everyone who helped with the flight, including ATC, the pilots successfully navigated through the totality of the solar eclipse, leaving a once-in- a-lifetime experience for them and their passengers.
As for the incredible picture of the aircraft flying in the shadow of the moon, that was captured in Madison, Ohio, by Eric Nicastro of Erie, Pennsylvania.
“It was definitely a nice surprise seeing that in my frame. I had no idea it was there until I viewed the images,” Eric says. Eric then took to the internet to track down the aircraft owner, which lead him to share the image with the client and Duncan Aviation.
Thanks for sharing the unique memento, Eric!