PLANE - FAROE ISLANDS

March 19th - 21st 2015
Eclipse on March 20th 2015

Being an eclipse chaser is exciting as we discover many new places. However, when picking our observation point, the weather is our key consideration as there is little point to travel so far if we end up in the clouds… for that specific eclipse the weather prospects were grim so we opted to view the eclipse from an airplane to guarantee us a cloudless experience. It was my first one from the sky, and although very different from watching it from the firm ground, it was still a magical spectacle.

MARCH 19TH

Our tour started in Billund, Denmark. I felt honored to visit the birthplace of Lego! It was also a lot of fun to catch up with our friends and meet other umbraphiles. Being part of a small passionate community is key.

MARCH 20TH (ECLIPSE DAY)

We left Billund Airport on a large MD83 plane. The plan was to fly to Vágar in the Faroe Islands and stay on the ground to see the eclipse if the weather was miraculously favorable. Sadly, it was mostly gray and raining. It was therefore decided to have a short tour of the island before reboarding the plane for the eclipse.

On the eclipse day, the Faroe Islands had been flooded by tourists from around the world. It is believed that the place had not seen so many foreigners since its occupation during WWII. Our 45-meter plane was the largest ever to land on the island!

Despite spending a limited time on the ground, it was great to learn about the Faroe Islands. This archipelago which contains more than 750 islands, islets and skerries is an autonomous territory of Denmark. They have their own language: the Faroese, which I have been told, sounds more like Icelandic and Old Norse than Danish does. My little brother could not believe that there are more sheep than people!

It was my first (and only so far!) total solar eclipse above the clouds, and the experience was absolutely incredible. I knew that, at an altitude of 37,000 ft, I would see an unparalleled view of the moon shadow but the expectation was definitely short of living the experience. Seeing this vast band of darkness sweeping the Norwegian Sea and engulfing us in obscurity was very apocalyptic. That total eclipse picture, which was taken by my little brother with his tablet, made him the youngest ever winner of the 'Young Highly Commended' category of the prestigious Astronomy Photographer Competition.

©2023 Image by Philippe Rowland

For those who want to have a full experience please see this video from fellow eclipse chaser Martin Junius, taken from a twin plane. Seeing the shadow arriving and disappearing is mesmerizing!