Next month’s total
solar eclipse, which will pass directly over a wide swath of North America, is
drawing an awful lot of interest from folks who are willing to travel to see it
in all its glory. In order to do so, they need to place themselves somewhere
along its path
of totality—geographic locations from which the sun will appear to be entirely
obstructed by the moon’s shadow passing between the Earth and its nearest star.
There have been
reports of meteoric increases in travel searches to places that fall within
this path of totality, which will follow a northeastern trajectory in the U.S. that
stretches from Texas up to Maine. Accommodations in major cities along the path
are booking
up quickly and flights
to these destinations are selling out well ahead of time. The Great
American Eclipse organization predicted that anywhere between one and four
million Americans will travel some distance to see the rare celestial phenomenon,
which won’t reoccur for another 20 years.
Multiple major
airlines, including Delta, Southwest and Alaska Airlines, have scheduled special
flights that will follow the path of totality, chasing the eclipse as the
Earth spins in order to give passengers the best possible vantage point—seeing
the historic celestial event from the air.
Now, the much
smaller, but substantially more luxurious, semi-private jet company JSX is
rolling out the red carpet for 12 lucky individuals who will win the chance to
witness the upcoming total solar eclipse from 30,000 feet for free.
Its sweepstakes
contest will grant six lucky winners the opportunity to take a special two-hour
flight on April 8, departing from Dallas and soaring above the city into the
path of totality, JSX told Travel
+ Leisure. Each winner will have the privilege of bringing along one guest to
experience this mesmerizing celestial occurrence alongside them.
“With Dallas
taking claim as the biggest city in the path of totality, we are thrilled to
make this ultra-premium and rare viewing opportunity a reality via JSX,” the
company’s CEO, Alex Wilcox, said in a statement. “We’re committed to
prioritizing safe, simple, joy-filled flights for all and are ecstatic to be
able to provide travelers with the ultimate JSX experience in tandem with this
once-in-a-lifetime celestial event.”
The flight is
scheduled to take off from JSX's hangar at Dallas-Love Field Airport at 1:00
p.m. CT, traversing the city's airspace before returning to the same airport at
3:00 p.m. CT. At the helm will be none other than former NASA astronaut and
current JSX pilot Bill Gregory, who boasts an impressive record of 262 orbits
during his tenure as NASA’s Space Shuttle Endeavour pilot. In addition to
piloting duties, Gregory will provide expert commentary throughout the flight,
enhancing the experience for all on board.
The sweepstakes is
only open for submissions through March 14, and all that eclipse enthusiasts
must do in order to enter is fill out an online
application form.
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