On August 12, while half the country looks up from beaches, towns, and city viewpoints to watch the total solar eclipse, Madrid will also be the starting point for a unique astronomical experience: a special Iberia flight that will chase the Moon’s shadow at an altitude of more than 10,000 meters with a scientific team on board.
It will not be a commercial flight open to the public, but rather a kind of mobile laboratory that will bring together aviation, science, and innovation and will broadcast the phenomenon live via the airline’s social media channels.
IB1473: a tribute to Copernicus from Barajas
The flight will depart from Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport under flight code IB1473, chosen in homage to the year of birth of astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus (1473)—a statement of intent that underscores the project’s scientific focus right from the name. The aircraft will be an Airbus A321XLR, one of the latest-generation models in Iberia’s fleet, capable of flying at an altitude of over 10,000 meters and following a route specifically designed over the province of Palencia to position itself within the path of totality during the eclipse’s peak.
According to preliminary data released by the company, takeoff is scheduled for approximately 6:45–7:13 p.m., and the eclipse will reach its peak around 8:30 p.m. CEST, when the path of totality crosses the northern part of the Iberian Peninsula. The aircraft’s flight path will allow passengers, during those minutes, to have a direct view of the solar corona from a privileged vantage point, above much of the cloud cover and any atmospheric interference that will otherwise affect viewing from the ground.
A flying laboratory: scientists from the Shelios project on board
More than just a flight for the privileged and the curious, IB1473 will be a scientific platform high in the sky. On board will be a group of researchers from the Shelios project, a scientific and educational initiative led by astronomer Miquel Serra-Ricart, a researcher at the Canary Islands Institute of Astrophysics (IAC) and scientific director of Light Bridges. These specialists will take advantage of the stability of cruise flight and the visibility over the path of totality to study the solar corona—the Sun’s outer atmosphere that becomes visible during total eclipses—and to take measurements of the Sun’s morphology and dynamics.
The IAC has even prepared simulations of the structure the corona might take on during the eclipse in the Palencia area, using the supercomputer on La Palma, to plan what to observe and how to do so from the plane. The presence of scientists on board turns the plane into a sort of mobile observatory: during those minutes, the Airbus’s ceiling will function as an improvised dome from which to track the Sun’s behavior in real time, with clearer visibility than is available on the ground.
The crew also has a unique background. The flight will be commanded by Javier Lopera Alcalá and will include co-pilot Javier Meana Fernández, who, in addition to his aviation training, has a background in astrophysics—reinforcing the idea that this is not just any flight, but a mission with a strong scientific focus.
Live Broadcast: How to Watch the Eclipse from the Ground
Although the flight has not been designed as a tourist product open to any traveler, Iberia wants the experience to be viewable from the ground. To that end, the airline will install several cameras on board, including a GoPro in the cockpit that will show the eclipse’s shadow cast on the Earth’s surface or over the sea of clouds, depending on weather conditions, and will use its Starlink-based Wi-Fi service to stream the footage live via its social media channels.
The broadcast will begin a few minutes after takeoff, around 7:30 p.m., and will continue throughout the path of totality, until the plane begins its descent, scheduled for around 9:00 p.m. During that time, those watching the livestream will be able to see not only the darkening of the Sun’s disk but also the Sun’s surroundings: the apparent positions of Venus, Mercury, and other stars that will become visible as the sky temporarily darkens in the midst of sunset.