NEW! Provisional flight dates - Nov 2010 to March 2011 Flights
The following page link shows some of the images I have managed to take during the flights so why not take a look and enjoy them. Further images taken by Pete Lawrence can be found on the Auroraflights web site. Other images of some flights are also available at Steve Ibbotson's site. Omega Holidays also operate several other excursions to experience the Arctic Circle and the Northern Lights plus trips to Lapland so check out my other pages.
Note as an extra to the flights both Pete Lawrence and myself have produced two souvenir books for the flights which are independent from Omega Holidays:
"The Northern Lights" by
Pete Lawrence £6"Nightscenes - the monthly night sky" by Paul Money £5
Click on either image for more information on the books.
If you have been on a flight and missed the chance to buy copies then for Pete's book go to his page and for my book go to my online shop
| Since 1997 Omega
Holidays, based at White Cross, Lancaster, have flown special flights
for budding Astronomers, Stargazers and keen members of the general public.
In 1997 the bright naked eye Comet Hale-Bopp was visible for several
months above our night time skies and along with the renowned
UK TV Astronomer Patrick Moore, flights were organized
to view the Comet from above the clouds using commercial
aircraft. Whilst people on the ground had to wait for a clear
night, the flights got above the obscuring effects of our weather
to give many people unforgettable and clear views of Hale-Bopp
(images of Hale Bopp taken by me from the ground can be found
in the comet section
of my image Gallery). Naturally once the Comet was gone it was realized that great views could be had of the other wonders of the night time natural world, the Aurora Borealis - the Northern Lights and the stars of our Milky Way Galaxy. Thus over the years the principal Guest Astronomer on the flights was Patrick, ably assisted by several experienced amateur astronomers, especially Rod Tippet and more recently Nigel Bradbury of Chesterfield Astronomical Society. To date Nigel has been on 64 flights and has a success rate of 61/64 in observing Auroras on the flights. For awhile he was joined by Chris Lintott - Astronomy expert who now co -presents Patrick's 'Sky at Night' programme. Late 2004 I (Paul) received an e-mail from Omega Holidays Northern Lights organizer, Peter Truman, inviting me to join the team on a regular basis based on the recommendations of Nigel whom I knew from my regular lectures to his local society. I joined Chris and Nigel at Newcastle Airport in December 2004 and we had a great flight with a pretty good display and I was hooked! Chris has so many commitments he no longer join us and the main team has become Nigel, myself and Sky at Night regular contributor Pete Lawrence. When some of us can't make a flight other astronomers are enlisted to help out for that flight. They have included Prof Ian Morrison, Dr Jim Wilde, Dr Lucie Green, Steve Ibbotson and Dave Cook. For 2010/2011 we now have a 4th standby astronomer, my good friend and astronomy colleague Jayne Eames who now stands in when one of the main team are away, ill or simply can't make the flight and she takes on the role of the Roving Astronomer on the plane. |
The Flight Team
Note that due to circumstances beyond their control not all the astronomers may be on any one flight but as a rule Pete, Nigel and Paul usually fly on most flights together. The Pre-flight presentation is often split between the three astronomers with Pete Lawrence usually doing the Sun/Aurora talk and Nigel and Paul covering the Night sky on alternating flights. On the actual flight Pete and Nigel normally give the commentary whilst Paul acts as the Roving Astronomer unless one of the main team is unavailable then Paul helps with the commentary and Jayne steps in as the Roving Astronomer.
Peter Truman, Omega Holidays and Northern Lights Flights Organiser |
Sylvia, the Omega Tour Manager for the Flights who is on most
but not all flights |
| The Astronomers |
|
Nigel Bradbury, Veteran Northern Lights Astronomer with over
130+ flights to his name. |
Peter Lawrence, Sky at Night TV co -presenter and Sky
at Night Magazine Contributor, World renowned Astrophotographer.
|
Paul Money, Sky at Night Magazine Reviews Editor, Writer, Publisher
and Lecturer. |
Jayne Eames, Freelance Astronomer |
So what happens?