Flying during a Solar Eclipse

On Thursday, July 6, 2017 at 8:16:07 PM UTC-4, Cookie wrote:
Gliders come down and land during a solar eclipse...no lift at all the rest of the day!

Here in the NE US we'll only get a partial eclipse. The sun will be about 1/4 or more covered for about an hour, peaking at about 60% covered. What should we expect for soaring conditions? Will thermals totally quit? How is it different, in terms of solar heating of the ground, from the patches of high clouds that often plague our soaring?

No problem according to the FAA when asked. Direct from two different FSDO offices:

1)Wyoming Aviation Safety Inspector: " Regarding your inquiry, there are no additional restrictions that the Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs) impose upon flight during a solar eclipse. VFR flight is authorized and you must adhere to the restrictions as indicated in FAR 91.155. If you have any further questions, ...."

2)Nebraska FAA Principal Inspector: "A flight conducted during a total solar eclipse in visual meteorological conditions would not require IFR instrumentation/IFR airman certification, nor would it constitute a night flight."


If it turns out to be a clear day but illegal to fly, I invite y'all to come to KSPA's D-Hangar. It has so many holes in the roof acting as pin hole cameras, we should be able to follow an image of the eclipse on the hangar-floor without messing up ones eyes. ;-)

Uli
'AS'

Enjoy.....or not.......
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lcOxhH8N3Bo

All of you guys have way too much time on your hands . . .
ROY

On Friday, August 18, 2017 at 4:50:05 PM UTC-4, Duster wrote:
No problem according to the FAA when asked. Direct from two different FSDO offices:

1)Wyoming Aviation Safety Inspector: " Regarding your inquiry, there are no additional restrictions that the Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs) impose upon flight during a solar eclipse. VFR flight is authorized and you must adhere to the restrictions as indicated in FAR 91.155. If you have any further questions, ...."

2)Nebraska FAA Principal Inspector: "A flight conducted during a total solar eclipse in visual meteorological conditions would not require IFR instrumentation/IFR airman certification, nor would it constitute a night flight.."


Well - now we know! Thanks for checking with the FAA.
Uli
'AS'

Article from FreeFlight many years ago....

MAYBE A WORLD RECORD, SORT OF

May 10, 1994 - Keystone Gliderport, Julian Pennsylvania

Its was a beautiful day for soaring but not a ridge day. I had
declared a 750 km out and return task which I thought might be
possible if the thermals were wonderful. As it turned out they
were a bit too wonderful and it was already over developing with
some very large rain squalls blocking my way when I was only 50
km out. I tried to find a way around them but new ones seemed to
develop and block each plan I came up with. Finally I gave up,
climbed as high as I could (about 7000 AGL) and started back to
the gliderport.

Meanwhile back at the field, Bernie Palfreeman of MSC had his
take off delayed by a squall but was now in the air with about
ten Americans, flying locally. It was coming up to 12 noon and when
I got a chance I took a quick glance at the sun when it was
behind enough cloud so that I could see the disk. Sure enough, as
predicted, there was a big bite out of top right side. By 1:20 pm
there was only a sliver of sun left, and although it was very
light out the ground looked dull as if it were in the shade. We
all agreed it was cooling off. By now the sky was clear of cloud
and the whole dozen of us were in two or three gaggles scratching
for lift. We hung on until about 2 pm but then, within about 15
minutes, we all landed. Shot down by an eclipse of the sun - a
world record for sure!

(Dave Noyes of Columbus Ohio also flew out of Keystone gliderport
that day in his Ventus motorglider. He started earlier and beat
the squalls in his run to the south west, away from the path of
the eclipse. At the height of the eclipse he was past Cumberland,
about 200 km away. He said he had a period of scratching but
managed to hang on without using his motor. He was our only
survivor. He arrived back at Keystone several hours after we were
all shot down).

Walter Weir