- Iberia is scheduled to operate a special eclipse flight coded IB1473
- The Airbus A321XLR flew at 10,000 metres over Palencia province
- 30 Shelios project scientists joined the flight
- One co-pilot holds a degree in astrophysics
- The airline has streamed the eclipse live via Starlink WiFi
Iberia has scheduled a unique flight, coded IB1473 in honour of Copernicus, using an Airbus A321XLR to view the total solar eclipse from more than 10,000 metres altitude. The aircraft has taken off from Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport at 6:45 PM local Spanish time. The round trip from Madrid Barajas is designed to maximise observation time over Palencia province. Scientists from the Shelios project have joined the flight, and the airline has planned a live broadcast via high speed Starlink WiFi.
The airline named the flight IB1473 to honour astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus, who was born in the year 1473. Iberia is using a brand new Airbus A321XLR aircraft. The plane will fly at 10,000 metres, about 33,000 feet, over the northern province of Palencia to follow the path of totality. The flight will land right back in Madrid. Around 30 scientists and researchers from the Shelios project are on board.
Scientists are studying the sun’s outer atmosphere, the corona, and measuring its shape. One of the co-pilots flying the plane holds a university degree in astrophysics. Regular travellers could not buy tickets for this specific research flight. Iberia has streamed the entire eclipse live on its social media pages using high-speed Starlink satellite internet. Viewers have watched the plane’s exact path in real-time on Flightradar24. The airborne perspective has offered a longer totality phase than any ground location in Spain.
