Aerial visibility of the "Eye of Quebec", the Manicouagan astrobleme?

Hello,

On a flight from Paris to Montreal, since the aircraft trajectories pass quite a bit to the north (maybe even too much...), is there any chance of spotting this very special phenomenon from your seat on the plane? That is, the combined result of a meteorite impact dating back about 214 million years and Hydro-Québec’s major works in the 1960s and beyond on the Manicouagan for massive electricity production, which flooded and highlighted the valleys and topographic trenches? A few years ago, I somewhat naively asked "Totem Aviation," based near Les Escoumins and offering light aircraft flyovers above the Manic-5 dam. They told me the altitude needed to observe the entire phenomenon was way too high for them... 🤪 On geographical maps, it’s absolutely spectacular! 😮

Hi, Nope, unfortunately, even if you're on the right side of the plane, you won’t see that "strange" geological relic! The only thing you’ll spot is the St. Lawrence River, since transatlantic flights "hug" the St. Lawrence pretty much from its mouth! The route enters Canadian airspace near Goose Bay (Labrador) and quickly rejoins the St. Lawrence. That said, if you're flying from France to Quebec (since it’s a daytime flight), it’s worth sitting on the right side for a chance to glimpse Greenland and maybe some growlers (depending on the season!) Anyway, I’m not sure you need to be at such a high altitude to see it! Seems like you could spot it without being at 11,000 feet ;-)

For Greenland, it’s true that in June 2024, on our way to Vancouver for the start of a Hurtigruten cruise to Alaska, we had amazing views during the direct flight (I think it was AF). My wife, who was on the right side by the window, took some great photos. But for the rest of the flight, it was much less favorable and a lot cloudier, or so I remember...

Evening! From what I recall, when flying between Montreal and Paris (or vice versa), you pass over Gaspésie rather than over the Manicouagan reservoir. Afterward, you can check with aviation navigation charts like Jeppesen. Or if you use a flight simulator