Night Flight Query [Archive]

GoodViz

20th Jun 2010, 01:01

Can anybody help with the following question please?

On July 26th I will be flying from Newark to the UK. My flight departs at 7pm EST from Newark and Arrives in the UK at approx. 7am BST.

My question is this - What portion of my flight will be in darkness? By darkness I mean absolute darkness, irrespective of Moonlight. I want to know how long it will be between seeing the sunset at the start of my flight, to seeing the first light of morning as I approach the U.K. I would also be very interested to know how this can be worked out!

Many thanks

Pilot DAR

20th Jun 2010, 04:17

Very approximately, expect total darkness at this time of the year at Newark moving east to be at about 10PM local time, but take some time off for your eastward travel, so about 2 hours into your flight roughly.

Expect dawn twilight to be around 5AM? local time for the UK, or about 2 hours before your arrival.

Flight should be about 7 hours, so 3 should be in total darkness. I'm sure there are many tables with sunset times, but I use my GPS. Bear in mind, that the GPS will give you these times for the locale of the GPS, perhaps not another location, and those times will be in UTC.

Have a nice flight...

Matthew Parsons

20th Jun 2010, 06:10

It will also depend on the altitude of your flight. If you're high enough and assuming you're on the great circle route, the sun may stay low on the horizon throughout.

GoodViz

20th Jun 2010, 07:05

Many thanks to both of you. Fascinating answers!

Trim Stab

20th Jun 2010, 08:26

You don't say where you are flying to in the UK, but assuming it is Heathrow, and making the approximation that you will fly a great circle route, then you will be in aeronautical night for 4:30 of the 7:00 flight.

GoodViz

20th Jun 2010, 13:10

Hi Trim Stab, I'm actually flying to BHX

jimjim1

21st Jun 2010, 08:19

You might like John Walker's Earth viewer.

Earth View (http://www.fourmilab.ch/cgi-bin/Earth/action?opt=-p)

This shows a "satellite" view of the earth with the sunlit and dark areas represented. By default it shows "now", but you can enter any time you like into the viewer and it displays the appropriate image. I am not sure of the images are actual photos or computer generated or some combination of the two. You can also enter a desired viewpoint.

Of course (well I just found it:) Google Earth has a similar function. Use the "Show sunlight across the landscape" button.