As you’ve surely heard, there will be a total solar eclipse across the United States this coming up Monday, on August 21. It’s the first time in nearly a century (99 years, to be exact) that this eclipse will occur.
It’s contiguous across a 70-mile strip in the United States—you’ll have to be within that strip in order to see the solar eclipse in its totality.
Starting at 10:15 am PST on Monday (that’s 1:15 pm EST), the sun will disappear behind the moon starting from the Oregon coast, and pass through 14 states, all the way to South Carolina. Spots in Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Nebraska, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia and South Carolina will provide ideal viewing, and so many people eager to see the eclipse in its full glory are traveling to those areas.
Sure, you could book an Airbnb, embark on a glamping adventure or even book a luxe hotel, but there’s an even more exclusive way to see the eclipse in its totality—from 30,000 feet in the air, aboard a private plane.
Aviation company VistaJet, founded in 2004, is offering its customers that opportunity. “Our customers expect the most unique opportunities and the highest level of service, and the chance to chase this once in a lifetime happening on one of our jets is truly an experience to remember,” said VistJet’s founder and chairman, Thomas Flohr. “It’s important to provide the extraordinary for our clients, and this opportunity amplifies optimal viewing potential of the spectacle up in the sky.”
With VistaJet, you book the entire aircraft and not just a seat, and can do so through VistaJet’s website. The planes hold up to 14 passengers, so you get to have a whole group with you in the air, if you’re so inclined.
Pricing begins at $12,500 per hour, but changes depending on the aircraft customers choose to fly on and whether or not they opt for a full tour of the eclipse or just one leg. It’s essentially an entirely bespoke experience, allowing customers to choose where they wish to begin the journey. Customers can decide if they want to take a non-stop cross-country trip or add on additional stops, so they can view the eclipse from the ground as well.
Those who partake in the experience fly directly through the strip, getting a truly firsthand experience of the full eclipse as it goes across the United States. Plus, you’ll be doing all of this from the comfort of one of VistaJet’s lavish planes, so you get to see the entire event—not just from one spot, as perhaps your pals camping out in Oregon might.