Solar Eclipse Jump?

[JoePancakes 0]

Has anyone ever done a jump during a total solar eclipse?

There is one coming, which will cast a swath of the moon's shadow all the way across America on August 21st.

https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2017/6/15/15804336/2017-solar-eclipse-map-united-states-nasa

[inline Capture.jpg]

Timing would be everything. You want to make your exit just before the moon starts to intrude into the sun. Work your timing backwards from there. If the eclipse is over your drop zone at 11:00 am, and it takes your plane 20 minutes to reach jump altitude, plan your take-off no later than 10:40, and be ready with a good spot.

I would do a high hop 'n pop. That would give time to watch the world grow dark while under canopy, and then turn daylight again before landing. How cool would that be!

Are there any drop zones lying in the path of that shadow? I want in! August 21st is a Friday. I'd play hookey from work for this!

[TampaPete 48]

Skydive Tennessee looks to be in the zone.

Skydive West Tennessee is in the 90% zone.

[ixlr82 7]

August 21st is a Monday, not a Friday. I would be very surprised if any fun jumpers find their way onto a load. This seems like an opportunity for DZO's to make some serious money with some very expensive tandem jumps. Pretty much every campground, every park, every motel in the eclipse path is already sold out at very exorbitant prices. The experience from altitude should be remarkable and I am willing to bet there are people willing to pay big bucks. Heck, maybe scratch the tandems and just have an Otter full of tourists to witness the eclipse.

__________________________________________

[billbooth 10]

I did a solar eclipse jump back in March of 1970. There was a low broken layer under us, so I could see easily the moons shadow coming at us at 1,000 mph. We exited just before the shadow "hit" us. It was an amazing feeling physically as well a mentally; going from day to night and back to day, all in one jump. It was far better than just looking up at the sun. It was one of those "once in a lifetime" experiences that I now have a chance to do again, and I'm not going to miss it.

[DiverMike 5]

"close to totality" isn't that impressive. I traveled to Guadaloupe in February 1998 to observe a total eclipse. You can't look at the sun directly for even a few seconds before/after the totality.
Also, if you aren't in the path of totality - get there. A 99% eclipsed sun isn't that impressive, and you can't look at it directly.

Technically speaking, it does get dark enough to require you approach it as a night jump, but I doubt anyone does.

For the same reason I jump off a perfectly good diving board.

[linestretch 0]

PNW (pacific northwest skydiving center) in Oregon is in the path and they're planning on making a special load for this event. And they currently have a blackhawk grand caravan! They're at the extreme top end of the coverage and the duration is only 31 seconds but it's still a complete obscuration & a pretty cool opportunity.

my pics & stuff!

[Lightning126 0]

Iago

Chester SC looks close. So is Monroe GA.

Youve got two months to work this out, so what you may have to do is arrange to have a plane relocate to a nearby county airport in the zone for part of a day. If you were quick you could possibly get three loads close to totality.

Like Bill said this is probably once in a lifetime for most people. You would not be out of line charging extra to cover the costs.

Chester looks to be very close to 100% totality. Probably closer to 98-99%.

Skydive Monroe, GA appears to be about 95% totality.

[SethInMI 174]

Skydive Flying V Ranch west of St. Louis (Van Pray Jr. drop zone with the turbine 206) is in the path of totality. They are doing a special eclipse load. The load is full.

Seth

It's flare not flair, brakes not breaks, bridle not bridal, "could NOT care less" not "could care less".

[rcs 1]

It looks like Andrews SC is right in the path.

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/dropzone/jump.cgi?ID=1955

[sizzle 0]

I was looking into driving up to Rexburg Idaho, or Idaho Falls from Socal. All hotels are sold out. These towns probably have an airport, and maybe let someone pitch a tent there. I remember paying over $100 to jump out of a jet, and would be willing to pay more for a total eclipse skydive. How many people get to do a night jump in the middle of the day?

[TriGirl 318]

Try Chattanooga. Campground really close to the DZ. I haven't checked their availability, but it's a nice, small DZ with good atmosphere, and right along the "100%" path.

www.chattanoogaskydivingcompany.com/

See the upside, and always wear your parachute! -- Christopher Titus

Shut Up & Jump!

[firstime 0]

If I've learned one thing in my 35 years in the sport,, hey Bill you are missing a few yrs

[billbooth 10]

I'm missing more than I can remember...and it's been 52 years since my first jump, which by some miracle, I remember well. It's the 70's I'm a little foggy about. After all, it was the era of free love and even cheaper drugs.

[firstime 0]

LMAO, so true

[alucard420x 0]

Skydive Awesome in Madras, OR is having a solar eclipse boogie starting on the 17th. They also have an eclipse jump planned and they are directly in the path of totality! Gonna be fun!

[michaelmullins 81]

***

TriGirl

Try Chattanooga. Campground really close to the DZ. I haven't checked their availability, but it's a nice, small DZ with good atmosphere, and right along the "100%" path.

www.chattanoogaskydivingcompany.com/

Actually, the DZ is 25 miles from the line of totality. This DZ will get a partial solar eclipse. If you are not truly in the zone of totality it is not very impressive.

If you go to the following site it has an excellent map of the eclipse, you can zoom way in, and if you click on a particular point it will give you all the specs of the eclipse for that point:

http://xjubier.free.fr/en/site_pages/solar_eclipses/TSE_2017_GoogleMapFull.html

Mike Mullins

[Lightning126 0]

michaelmullins

Quote

***Try Chattanooga. Campground really close to the DZ. I haven't checked their availability, but it's a nice, small DZ with good atmosphere, and right along the "100%" path.

www.chattanoogaskydivingcompany.com/

Actually, the DZ is 25 miles from the line of totality. This DZ will get a partial solar eclipse. If you are not truly in the zone of totality it is not very impressive.

If you go to the following site it has an excellent map of the eclipse, you can zoom way in, and if you click on a particular point it will give you all the specs of the eclipse for that point:

http://xjubier.free.fr/en/site_pages/solar_eclipses/TSE_2017_GoogleMapFull.html

Mike Mullins

Are you going to offer a total solar eclipse load in your King Air at some point along the path? I'm sure there will be interest.

[TriGirl 318]

Wow, are you splitting hairs. 25 miles from "line of totality" is still a pretty spectacular eclipse. And it is an established DZ with a campground nearby. The map that was provided in the OP had Chattanooga right in the path. Just sayin', if you haven't made plans at any other place closer to the perfect line, I'd say Jasper, TN, is a great option.

See the upside, and always wear your parachute! -- Christopher Titus

Shut Up & Jump!

[michaelmullins 81]

TriGirl

Wow, are you splitting hairs. 25 miles from "line of totality" is still a pretty spectacular eclipse. And it is an established DZ with a campground nearby. The map that was provided in the OP had Chattanooga right in the path. Just sayin', if you haven't made plans at any other place closer to the perfect line, I'd say Jasper, TN, is a great option.

Not splitting hairs, splitting sunlight. The zone of totality is about 70 miles wide so Jasper is about 70 miles from the center of totality. You will definitely see something in Jasper, it will be cool, but it will not come close to a total eclipse.

[DiverMike 5]

Quote

Not splitting hairs, splitting sunlight. The zone of totality is about 70 miles wide so Jasper is about 70 miles from the center of totality. You will definitely see something in Jasper, it will be cool, but it will not come close to a total eclipse.

+1

I can't emphasize enough the difference between a 99.99% eclipse and a total eclipse. They are two totally different things.

For the same reason I jump off a perfectly good diving board.

[Phil1111 1,149]

I did a jump during a solar eclipse. I was spotting the load from a B-18 from about 13,000.

So we had arrived at altitude with a bit of time and as i was lining the ac up on jump run. I could see the line of darkness crossing the ground from about 50 miles out. It crossed 2-3 sections of farmland (2-3 miles) a second. It was slightly curved, i.e. the line of darkness was slightly curved. With the apex of darkness pointed to the airport.

Still lots of light during the jump and full light on landing.

You would have to be right in the geographic center of it to get any effect of real darkness at altitude. If the cone of totality is 70 miles wide and you are jumping at 2.5 miles up you are only 35 miles from the edge.

[SethInMI 174]

There is another total eclipse for the Continental us in 2024. Looks like start Skydiving and aerohio in OH are in the path of totality. Make your plans now!

It's flare not flair, brakes not breaks, bridle not bridal, "could NOT care less" not "could care less".

[meteor 0]

Skydive Crete and Lincoln Sport Parachute Club in Nebraska is having a Skydive Eclipse Totality day. Here is the link for that event. It will be at the Crete Skydiving Center at the Crete, Nebraska Municipal Airport. http://www.skydivecrete.com/event.html

[cjdskydiver 4]

Anyone know of the possibility of jumping in western Nebraska, specifically Alliance? I heard there's going to be a lot of people flying in there. I live in Colorado. If I decide to make the trek, which the saner side of me says I shouldn't even contemplate, I'll bring my gear and see if I can convince someone to take me up. It'd be an awesome wingsuit jump!!

[Superfletch 1]

Glidersports Skydiving in Clinton, MO flew over to the Fulton, MO airport which was on the centerline for totality. It was a great time. Josh Thomsen took this shot of an 8-way exiting. He ended up getting a couple of great shots.

Gary "Superfletch" Fletcher
D-26145; USPA Coach, IAD/I, AFF/I
Videographer/Photographer