This is seriously cool. JSX is going to run a special solar eclipse-viewing flight on April 8th. One of their pilots is ex-NASA. And they’re giving away the seats.

• The moon will pass between the earth and the sun, obscuring our ability to see the sun.
  
• The diameter of the moon will be larger than the sun, making it a total eclipse – with all direct sunlight blocked. Day turns into night.
  
• This totality occurs in a narrow path across Earth’s surface. It will happen over Texas.
  
• This is the last total solar eclipse that will be seen from the contiguous United States for 20 years.

U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Bill Gregory (ret.) flew Space Shuttle Endeavour, has completed 262 orbits, and traveled almost seven million miles in space. He’ll navigate the solar eclipse and offer inflight commentary. He’s earned the NASA Space Flight Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, and Meritorious Service Medal.

The flight takes off from the JSX terminal at Dallas Love Field at 1 p.m. on April 8, and returns two hours later. JSX will serve specialty cocktails, and offer special amenities and solar eclipse-viewing gear.

Primed for umbraphiles, this special two-hour flight will fly the path of totality during its peak shadow casting, led by former NASA astronaut and JSX pilot Bill Gregory. As part of this complimentary experience, those onboard will receive eclipse viewing glasses for safe solar viewing, themed Solar Eclipse cocktails, and complimentary sun protection.

Flight 4824 will depart on April 8th from JSX’s dedicated hangar at Dallas-Love Field at 1:00pm CT and every occupant will have their own dedicated window seat for the best chance of viewing the total solar eclipse as the plane travels within the path of totality, circling Dallas, and landing back at the hangar by 3:00pm CT.

Enter through March 14th. Winners will be notified on March 15th. Everyone gets a window seat to view the eclipse, and there will be 12 winners in total.

JSX lets you show up at the terminal 20 minutes prior to departure. They offer all first class seating; free drinks, snacks, and StarLink wifi; and friendly service. It’s often less than the price of first class on a competing carrier – and can even be competitive out of Dallas with Southwest pricing.

At the risk of stating the obvious, there’s probably no one I’d rather entrust myself to on a two hour flight than Lt. Col. Gregory. Yet he’s who American Airlines, Southwest and ALPA wanted grounded claiming ‘safety’ rather than self-interest. Dallas-based JSX competes head-on for customers those airlines want not to have better options, while the major pilot unions want to limit who’s allowed to fly in order to create scarcity. Not yet having success lobbying the FAA, they’ve gone to TSA to clamp down on the competition.