Detroit-bound flight experiences totality of solar eclipse unlike others

In the path of totality — The tickets read Austin, Texas, to Detroit, Michigan, but everyone on board knew the real destination: the dark side of the moon.

Flight 1218 departed Austin at 12:15 p.m. Monday to make the three-hour, 1,148-mile flight to Detroit as a special Delta flight flying passengers in the path of the total eclipse.

As the plane crossed over Missouri at 1:52 p.m., totality was reached, prompting the pilots to conduct a series of turns to allow for views from both sides of the aircraft.

"It was awesome, truly the experience of a lifetime," said Traverse City resident Douglas Leng, one of the passengers. "It was great company, the people on the plane, perfect banking, everything. I got great pictures."

Flight 1218 was one of two unique Delta flights, one from Austin, the other from Dallas, the Atlanta-based carrier designed to fly along the path of totality during the total solar eclipse, for those willing to cough up more than $1,000 for a round-trip main cabin seat from Detroit. The flight from Austin sold out all 130 seats in 24 hours. Another flight from Dallas was added as searches for flights from AUS-DTW on Delta channels spiked by more than 1,500%, according to the airline. It sold out in 24 hours as well.

Cheers started before Flight 1218 was even airborne, and they never stopped even after the plane did. The mood was much brighter than what the people paid to see.

It was the second trip of a lifetime for Livonia resident Paul Donlin, who viewed the last total eclipse in 2017: "That flight was fantastic. It was so amazing to see this kind of thing from the air. It was so clear and crisp. It was absolutely worth the money."

It was a festive atmosphere on the flight, as passengers spent the early part of the flight getting to know one another and trying to figure out how to best capture totality. People moved about, set up cameras and applauded the flight crew a lot. And there was a marriage proposal — and acceptance — after totality. The plane erupted in cheers after Michele Rosenblatt of Queens said yes to Neil Albstein of Manhattan.

The flight took a great amount of planning, according to Delta, including their meteorologists, flight superintendents and others. But it also took some extra work for Delta captains Phil Marshall and Phil Daniels, who were charged with carrying out the mission.

"It was a great flight from takeoff to landing," said Daniels, who piloted the plane with Marshall.

The pair said they spent a lot of time drawing on a board, coming up with a plan and practicing in a simulator. But the flight still posed a challenge for the pair.

"I'll tell ya, when we got up there though today, it was much like we expected ... to be, very unplanned," Marshall said. "The FAA didn't immediately act like they were going to cooperate with us. There were just so many aircraft up there, a lot of people wanting to do the same thing."

But the pair said with the help of Delta dispatch and meteorology, they were able to coordinate with air traffic control to make a series of banking turns over Cape Girardeau, Missouri, to give each side of the plane a two-minute view of totality.

"You got to see what we do on every flight, with everybody coordinating to build the synergy necessary to do something this important," Marshall said.

Before the flight, passengers at Gate 10 at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas were treated to a red carpet affair as they boarded under a canopy of celestial-themed balloons and a DJ playing what seemed like every song that ever mentioned the sun or moon. It was an unusual sendoff for an unusual flight.

During the gate celebration, Delta employees handed out ISO-certified solar eclipse classes donated by Warby Parker and limited-edition Pineapple Habanero and Spicy Gouda-flavored SunChips. Moon Pies were handed out on board the flight and flyers were given a Delta experience trading card, luggage tag and other limited-edition merchandise.