Perspective is everything...

F

Firebird2XC

Well-Known Member
So the other day prior to a 18L departure at DFW, the skipper informs me that because of the time of day, we were going to see the sun come up.

.. at night.... and in the west. "Lol, whut?"

He then made a PA informing the passengers that they could witness this rare event. I remained skeptical but said nothing.

Sure enough, as we made our initial climbout off 18L, I looked out the righthand window, and the sun rose up above the horizon in all its blazing amber glory. Seems the Old Man still had a few tricks up his sleeve. Taught this youngster a lesson that always bears repeating:

The right angle changes your perspective, it seems, and the right perspective can make anything happen.

... now that I've gotten my after-school special moment out of the way...

Anybody else got any odd visual illusions, tricks, stories, etc, that they've seen? A little inspiration would be welcome too, if you've got it.
 
ahmed said:
Someone fill me in.. sunrise at night? i thought that only happened in alaska
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Sun is already below the horizon on the ground, but once airborne you can see it again, like a little kid standing on their toes to see on top of the kitchen table.
 
Firebird2XC said:
So the other day prior to a 18L departure at DFW, the skipper informs me that because of the time of day, we were going to see the sun come up.

.. at night.... and in the west. "Lol, whut?"

He then made a PA informing the passengers that they could witness this rare event. I remained skeptical but said nothing.

Sure enough, as we made our initial climbout off 18L, I looked out the righthand window, and the sun rose up above the horizon in all its blazing amber glory. Seems the Old Man still had a few tricks up his sleeve. Taught this youngster a lesson that always bears repeating:

The right angle changes your perspective, it seems, and the right perspective can make anything happen.

... now that I've gotten my after-school special moment out of the way...

Anybody else got any odd visual illusions, tricks, stories, etc, that they've seen? A little inspiration would be welcome too, if you've got it.
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Then what happened?
 
I've seen this phenomena flying jumpers. Have to be careful of it, actually. Just because the sun is shining bright at 10,000 AGL doesn't mean the jumpers will be able to see to land. That last "sunset load" of the day can turn in to a night landing pretty easily.
 
In New Orleans there is a hotel on the southern shore of Lake Ponchartrain a few miles west of NEW. It's a pair of glass buildings about 400' tall. If you fly into NEW from the northeast you'll end up over the lake, and it's a pretty big one, so on a hazy afternoon you can't see much of the opposite shore. The reflection of the sun off of those buildings pops up out of nowhere and looks just like a pair of landing lights less than a mile away. That one has scared the crap out of me a few times.:D
 
Firebird2XC said:
Anybody else got any odd visual illusions that they've seen?
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I once say pay rates that were commenserate with the skill and education needed for this industry, but then they evaporated like a fart in the wind, poof, gone. The old timers still grow misty eyed when they talk of being able to go pay cash for a new car with one paycheck, but I put it down to the ramblings of senile seat hoggers.
 
Cptnchia said:
I once say pay rates that were commenserate with the skill and education needed for this industry, but then they evaporated like a fart in the wind, poof, gone. The old timers still grow misty eyed when they talk of being able to go pay cash for a new car with one paycheck, but I put it down to the ramblings of senile seat hoggers.
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Sounds like you have the beginnings of "Flying the Line Vol III". :D
 
Firebird2XC said:
So the other day prior to a 18L departure at DFW, the skipper informs me that because of the time of day, we were going to see the sun come up.

.. at night.... and in the west. "Lol, whut?"

He then made a PA informing the passengers that they could witness this rare event. I remained skeptical but said nothing.

Sure enough, as we made our initial climbout off 18L, I looked out the righthand window, and the sun rose up above the horizon in all its blazing amber glory. Seems the Old Man still had a few tricks up his sleeve. Taught this youngster a lesson that always bears repeating:

The right angle changes your perspective, it seems, and the right perspective can make anything happen.

... now that I've gotten my after-school special moment out of the way...

Anybody else got any odd visual illusions, tricks, stories, etc, that they've seen? A little inspiration would be welcome too, if you've got it.
Click to expand...

I've always kind of liked flying early in the morning, right before/around sunrise. Not the whole getting up early part, but the "it's a beautiful day, the air is smooth, and no one else is up here but me" part. You can get the opposite effect of what you explained: takeoff at night, get a nice sunrise in the east as you climb above the fog/low stratus layer, fly west, come back down (sunset in the east), land at night, and watch the sun rise again 30 minutes later. It makes the early mornings slightly more bearable :)
 
XcalibeR said:
I've always kind of liked flying early in the morning, right before/around sunrise. Not the whole getting up early part, but the "it's a beautiful day, the air is smooth, and no one else is up here but me" part. You can get the opposite effect of what you explained: takeoff at night, get a nice sunrise in the east as you climb above the fog/low stratus layer, fly west, come back down (sunset in the east), land at night, and watch the sun rise again 30 minutes later. It makes the early mornings slightly more bearable :)
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True. I've had days of watching the sun rise or set in Canada and the opposite end of things occur in Mexico. Actually getting to witness it from the flight levels sort of adds to the awe of it all.

Definitely takes the sting out of a pre-dawn preflight inspection. 0400 wakeup calls and bad coffee tends to stir one up a bit. Nice to know there's something coming that spools you down, too.
 
I've blogged about the multiple sunrise/sunset phenomenon a few times. It's pretty cool. Heading west out of DCA in the Spring and Fall you tend to get it if you take off at the right time of day.
 
N519AT said:
Other people have commented on the green flash here before. I wonder how many people have seen it?
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When I would visit my grandfather in Hawaii, he used to try and point it out to me. I never saw it. Probably because I'm colorblind, though. :insane:
 
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