Northern Lights visible on UA routes?
Mar 27, 2018, 3:56 pm
#16
Join Date: May 2012
Location: SYD
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Posts: 1,128
NRT-EWR generally flies pretty far south of Alaska to take advantage of the jet stream. You would need a flight that: (a) flies farther north; and (b) flies at night. Flights from EWR to Asia meet the first criterion, but most of the trip is in daylight. EWR to India could be a better bet. But you also need to sit on the north side of the plane, and the northern lights have to active on the day you fly. After multiple trips, I have yet to have seen them from a plane.
Mar 27, 2018, 5:14 pm
#17
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 11,470
Saw them for about half an hour on the night departure TLV-EWR. I'm not sure with what regularity you get them, but yesterday's route looks like it might have had a chance.
Mar 28, 2018, 8:11 am
#18
Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 134
I can tell you that Star Alliance partner Air China has direct flights from PEK to JFK (CA981) that go far enough South to often get Northern Lights on the left side (facing North) while passing over Siberia. I have had this lucky situation 50% out of my flights. The return flight JFK - PEK travels through here during daylight hours and does not see them.
Mar 28, 2018, 9:08 am
#19
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 11,470
I can tell you that Star Alliance partner Air China has direct flights from PEK to JFK (CA981) that go far enough South to often get Northern Lights on the left side (facing North) while passing over Siberia. I have had this lucky situation 50% out of my flights. The return flight JFK - PEK travels through here during daylight hours and does not see them.
Well, then I guess you'll have to change your screen name!
You got me there. 
Mar 28, 2018, 2:55 pm
#23
Join Date: Feb 2016
Programs: Hyatt Globalist | Jumpseat Platinum
Posts: 546
I've only been lucky enough to see Northern lights over the US-Canada border on a transcon. They were only visible from the flight deck, there was too much light in the cabin to see them. Sometime in February '18, if memory serves. According to that flight crew, it happened quite a bit around that time, but there was hardly anything visible from the cabin usually.
As far as routes to look for them on, I've heard EWR-TLV (or the other direction? I forget) quite often, and SFO-LHR on occasion.
As far as routes to look for them on, I've heard EWR-TLV (or the other direction? I forget) quite often, and SFO-LHR on occasion.
Mar 29, 2018, 8:02 am
#24
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 734
How about seeing the Chinese space station that's falling? Its current trajectory is always between 42 deg south and 42 deg north, at about 95 miles high now and falling fast. It's tumbling so should appear like a fast moving blinking object, going around the world about 88 minutes per pass. Commercial airlines routinely fly about 7 miles high. Polar routes may be a bit too far north to see it, but once it gets fiery this weekend...
Heavens-Above
Northern lights can be low. I have friends who've seen them from above while flying polar routes.
Here's for current forecast:
https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/a...inute-forecast
Heavens-Above
Northern lights can be low. I have friends who've seen them from above while flying polar routes.
Here's for current forecast:
https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/a...inute-forecast