OPENING L INES NEXT MONTH’S SOLAR ECLIPSE MAY POSE OPERATIONAL CHALLENGES Source- nbaa.org, News Editor, First Published 19th March, 2024 The upcoming solar eclipse over a swath of the central and Northeastern U.S. may bring unique challenges to business aircraft operators flying in those areas. On April 8, a rare total solar eclipse will pass over 14 U.S. states and across two time zones. The eclipse will be seen over San Antonio, TX, at approximately 1:33 p.m. CDT; Austin, TX, just three minutes later; and over the Dallas/ Fort Worth metroplex at 1:40 p.m. CDT. The eclipse also will be seen over Indianapolis, IN, at 3:06 pm EDT before passing over Toledo and Cleveland, OH; Erie, PA; Buffalo, NY; and Burlington, VT, then crossing Newfoundland and Labrador and into the North Atlantic. While the eclipse will pass over the continental U.S. in less than one hour and will only be visible for about three minutes in any one location, NBAA Air Traffic Services (ATS) cautions operators to be prepared for arrival, routing and departure delays along the eclipse path. “More than 450 public-use airports lie within 50 nautical miles on either side of the eclipse track,” said Mike Schwab, NBAA ATS specialist. “Weather permitting, it’s possible those airports will see at least some increase in traffic, and some could experience substantial increases. “With numerous general aviation ‘fly the eclipse’ 17 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 5, ISSUE 03
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