Seeing the total solar eclipse from the ground was incredible, but for many who got to see it from the sky, it was a different experience altogether.
Delta added several special flights allowing passengers an opportunity to follow the path of totality. The plane wasn't able to remain in totality for too long. NASA says the moon's shadow moves between 1,100 mph and 5,000 mph, depending on the latitude. The A220-300 can move at a top speed of 521 mph.
Lisa Hargus from Auburn Hills, Michigan, said she was flying back from Austin for a wedding and had no idea she was taking the historic flight home.
"We heard about the eclipse but we didn't understand the whole impact until we actually got to the airport and it was just a huge party on the whole plane, the whole gate, everything. Photographers everywhere," she said. "Totally dark, first it was like all these lights and stuff and then it just got dark!"
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Even the states and cities that were not in the solar eclipse's path of totality took in the spectacle from their partial points of view.
Seth Medlin and Jeannie Lucas, a married couple from Morehead City, N.C., booked the flight on purpose. They had a window seat and had a whole different take on the experience.
"It wasn't ideal from the aircraft because you can only see out of one side and the pilot had to turn to see the other side, but we were above the clouds," they said.
Douglas Leng, from Traverse City, said he flew to Austin just to catch the eclipse flight back.
"It was excellent. It was like a big family. Everyone on the plane was together, the pilots, the flight attendants, someone even got engaged on the plane, so it was just a true experience," he said.
This story was originally published by Scripps News Detroit.
