Just for Fun: Head for the Sun

The “Great American Eclipse,” so called because it will only be visible in the United States, will make landfall in Oregon at about 10:18 a.m. Pacific time and move eastward throughout the day. The duration of the totality will range from one minute seven seconds to two minutes 40 seconds, depending on the location. The show wraps up at 2:43 p.m. Eastern time.

The best spots to view the eclipse are within the path of totality with clear skies. GreatAmericanEclipse.com cites these locations in particular: Madras, Oregon; Snake River Valley, Idaho; Casper, Wyoming; the Sandhills of western Nebraska; St. Joseph, Missouri; Carbondale, Illinois; Hopkinsville, Kentucky; Nashville, Tennessee; Great Smoky Mountains National Park on the border of Tennesse and North Carolina; and Columbia, South Carolina.

Not surprisingly, pilot groups are ready to travel to see the phenomenon. The Northern Virginia Fly-Out Group, whose members have flown en masse to Sun ’n Fun and the Bahamas, will head to western Nebraska, with plans to top off fuel tanks and be ready to reposition on August 21 if they need to.

“The best way to ensure that you’ll see this eclipse is with a small airplane—making it possible to reposition by several hundred miles, if necessary, in order to get to an area without cloud cover,” said John Witschey of Clifton, Virginia, who will be flying with his wife, Robyn. After the eclipse the group plans to tour such sites as Mount Rushmore, Badlands National Park, and the Black Hills National Forest.

The best probability for clear skies in which to view the eclipse is in Oregon and Idaho, followed by western Nebraska, Witschey said. The further east of the Mississippi you go, the greater the likelihood of clouds, he said.

The “Great American Eclipse,” so called because it will only be visible in the United States, will make landfall in Oregon at about 10:18 a.m. Pacific time and move eastward.But that shouldn’t deter you. Witschey created a routing of airports that should bring you close to the midline.

Visitors from around the world are expected to come to the United States in August in hopes of witnessing the eclipse. Witschey warned that lodging accommodations closest to the best viewing locations are filling up and even airport ramp space may be tight, so it’s best to call in advance.

Or, you could wait until 2024—the next total eclipse that will be visible from the United States, as well as Canada and Mexico. The next total eclipse that only touches U.S. soil won’t occur until January 25, 2316.

Email [email protected]