On November 8, a clear and sunny day nationwide, the “Total Lunar Eclipse Art Flight,” a charter flight to and from Narita Airport, was held.
This total lunar eclipse is a rare event in that it is the first time since July 26, 1580, that an eclipse of Saturn has occurred at the same time as an eclipse of Uranus. The next time a planetary eclipse will occur at the same time is on July 26, 2344, which will also be a Saturn eclipse (according to data released by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan). In addition, live jazz performances and charity auctions were held at the boarding gate and on board the plane, making the flight an enjoyable experience of art and entertainment.
This event was planned by Greenport Agency, an airport service and tour planning and sales company based at the airport, with special cooperation from ANA and NAA (Narita International Airport), and was held as a commemorative Web media event.
After registering, participants passed through the security checkpoint for domestic flights and entered the bus lounge, which served as the boarding gate. After the live jazz performance and talk show, Mr. Koriki Oka, Executive Officer, General Manager of Narita Airport Branch and Representative Director of ANA Narita Airport Service, gave the following speech: “This is the first total lunar and planetary eclipse in 442 years, and I hope you can see the same situation from the highest sky today. After 5:00 p.m., the bus moved to the 425 spot where the boarding plane was waiting.
The aircraft used for this flight, NH2022, was a Boeing 767-300ER (registration code: JA627A) with international specifications. The flight blocked out at 18:01 with 141 passengers (including 1 infant) including related parties on board. The aircraft took off from Narita Airport at 18:15, when the partial meal started, and took a westward course with the announcement from the CA, “We will now take you to the location closest to the attachment.
During the flight, the altitude rose to 41,000 feet (about 12,500 m), and participants gathered by the window to enjoy the reddish moon at 19:59, when the maximum eclipse was observed over Gifu Prefecture. The flight then continued to Niigata and Iwaki before landing at Narita Airport at 8:59 p.m., completing the three-hour flight. Although the lunar eclipse had not yet ended, the participants went home after fully enjoying the art created by nature and the entertainment provided by the artists.
© Source travel watch