Solar Eclipse 2024: EPIC Southwest Flight into TOTALITY

Watch this video to see what it was like to fly with Southwest Airlines from Austin to Indianapolis through the Path of Totality!

This flight was the longest commercial flight through the Total Solar Eclipse on April 8, 2024 with a routing that gave us almost ten minutes of unbelievable views.

Ever wondered What’s it like to fly during the 2024 Total Solar eclipse? We’ll show you in this video!

We’ll share the festivities on the ground and in the sky. But better yet, you’ll see the incredible views!

While we weren’t able to see the moon cover the sun, what we did see was truly incredible. In fact, it was exactly what I’d wanted to see. Flying above the clouds, we watched the moon’s shadow move over the earth at 1,000 miles per hour and the light at the edge of the shadow. It was unlike anything I’ve ever seen.

It was nearly impossible to see the moon covering the sun. For that, you’re much better staying on the ground. But this light is unlike anything you can see from anywhere other than 39,000 feet. It’s simply magical!

Here's the last time I flew Southwest Airlines (to meet the CEO!!)

0:00 Introduction
1:13 Anxiety is High
2:58 Boarding
4:34 Complimentary Cosmic Cocktails
5:35 Entering the Path of Totality
7:31 Price

Skylite Productions

Luna Dog Aviation

Chez Aviation

Music:
Sudden Rush - Dream Cave
Tiny Fast Vehicle - Magnofield
Anxious (Instrumental Version) - Cartice
Everlasting Youth (Barbatula)
Beautiful Awakening - Subliminance

[seaskiandme]

Hello again, so glad I could be "a very friendly seatmate in seat 28F." I saw my little cameo at the end, yay!
I planned to overdub my video with music, but I liked hearing the message from the captain, and the voices around us echoing the wonderment you described. Feel free to reach out if you'd care for any clips or stills to use on your blog. All my "eclipse" and Sweepstakes award videos are on my channel, SeaSkiAndMe, but I have some unpublished footage I won't be using.


My favorite thing about this flight was not the eclipse, itself, but the atmosphere. Truly a "party in the sky." These days, we are so used to hearing about unruly or rude passengers. Not on this flight! Instead it was a spirit of cooperation, jubilation, and absolute joy that sailed across country culminating in Indianapolis. It made me feel really good about my fellow humans who reside on this spinning rock with me.

[andrewschmid]

Wow Wednesday upload and a historic flight, great break for the day to watch this

[dil]

I knew I wanted to see and photograph the eclipse, but I was not ready for the awe inspiring experience it was. Even the very best photos do not do it justice. Everything from the temperature changes, crickets suddenly chirping, 360 degree sunset to the sun just POPPING out at you in the sky is something I will never forget. Seeing it at 30, 000+ feet sounds incredible. I too saw it in Dallas and considering how horrible the weather forecast was for viewing, I feel unbelievably lucky to have witnessed all of totality amidst tons of broken clouds.

[motexas]

I was at work at a construction site in Hewitt Tx and right before the eclipse everyone shut down to watch and it was such a mesmerizing experience such a peaceful but powerful energy to be involved in

[Slimothy]

Seeing totality in person from the ground is way better! But that looked like a neat experience

[Lunadog]

Nice meeting you on this flight! I calculated the amount of time we were in full totality to be roughly 6 minutes and 40 seconds. Which is 2 minutes and 20 seconds longer than on the ground!

[truckerzachbell]

I was at my house and your flight was the ONLY plane that went over my place during the Eclipse.

Gotta love Southwest!

[andrewgates]

Jeb & Suzanne need to do a northern lights flight. Have I missed that one? Those flights are soooo cool.

[LAXTravels]

Going with unassigned seats was a gutsy call! Glad it worked out! They did a cool job making it a full experience. Great video as always!

[williamfickas]

Very cool! You may know this, but in 1973 Concorde spent 74 minutes in totality with its supersonic ability to roll back the clock and outrace the sun. I was lucky enough to zip down to DAL on JSX to see this one. Amazing.

[karltontatsch]

I flew out of Dallas the day of the eclipse to Chicago we was taking off when totality hit very cool experience

[kayganjenae]

Thank goodness for our shared window ;) Y’all got some great footage!

[davidhutchison]

Another great video! Thanks J&S. Did anyone else see the weird floating thing in the sky at 6:21?

[davidswift]

Nice vid. Many thanks. I saw my fair share in Munich, Germany in 1999 when we had an ace total eclipse too. Saw it on the ground. Far better I'd say. You witness the whole of nature stop and go quiet. No birds singing and no police with their sirens.

[saskiapanter]

Cool, but I'll stay on the ground. On August 11th 1999 I witnessed a complete solar eclips in Luxembourg. It was insane. Not just the eclips itself but also the feeling a got, I can't describe it, and eery feeling. I think kind of a instinctive kind of fear. Even I knew what was happening. The was no wind before the eclips started, and all of a sudden the wind picked up fast. We were in a rural area with horses on a field next to us. They went to their night stay when the eclips started, and when after 3 minutes it got light again the horses were confused, and not happy. Jumping running making noises. That was insane as well. I hope I will be able to go to the solar eclips in 2026 in Spain. Exactly at the place I always stay.

[brucecook]

The solar eclipse was pretty cool with 94% totality where I lived in Chicagoland area. But the coolest thing about this video was that Jeb uploaded on a Wednesday and not the usual Saturday! How often do we get to see Jeb on Wednesdays???

[sugardidilookoverthere]

I remember back in 1991 when I was only 6 years old I went to my grandma's house to enjoy the total solar eclipse and it was AMAZING AND UNDESCRIPTIBLE (did I say it right?) and everything around the phenomenon was kind of strange, dogs start to bark, some birds were returning to their nests and the colors and the wind starting to blow was so beautiful to remember, now that I'm 38 watching the people in Mazatlán, Sinaloa enjoying this event again gaves me goosebumps all over my body... Took me back to my beautiful childhood... But one thing is for real: you guys, the whole passengers and the Southwest crew made this event unique, flying 38, 000fts and see the moon's shadow covering the flight path it's something to remember in a very special place in your lives and that place istbe heart and in your memory, I send you greetings from Mexico City. ❤🎉

[itsnotme]

Pretty cool. I went out for lunch during the eclipse and let my dash cam get video. It sure looked like 10 pm for about 2 minutes.

[carolsmith]

In 2044 I will be 96 years old and I hope that you and Suzanne will take me along with you from PTI to experience the full solar eclipse. Love traveling the world with you through your videos.

[Bigfootz]

Sorry, but it just looked like a normal sunset from an airplane, which is always beautiful...🤷