4/26/2008
"Day 8"
Nashville! Made it here without a fuel stop since I had a killer tailwind the whole way. I looked on my Garmin XM weather system to figure out at what altitude I’d have the most favorable winds. At 12,500 feet I’d have a tailwind of nearly 50 mph! On went the oxygen and up to 12.5k I went! I was going about 210 MPH ground speed (the speed I’d be doing if I were driving) and burning about 7.2 gallons per hour. Since I was going in a straight line (not following the road) I was getting the equivalent gas mileage of a really efficient motorcycle. Not bad! One of my biggest surprises on this leg was just how beautiful Arkansas is. This picture does not do it justice, but it gives you an idea of the topography. 
It’s a state we too often just associate with the Clintons and bad jokes, but from my perspective was just stunning. By stark contrast – the area of Texas I flew over was desolate, sad, and abused. It took me awhile to figure out what was going on below my in this part of TX, as there where grey empty “foundations” connected by a short grey road all over the place with no other signs of inhabitance. Then along came a platform that had a huge tower and then it dawned on me – these were oil-prospecting remains. I’m guessing what they do is buy a huge hunk of land, pour hundreds of cheap concrete foundations, drill for oil, and if they find nothing, just move on to the next one and abandon the old. It left a few hundred miles of otherwise beautiful country scarred and pathetic. Sad!!!! Anyway, Arkansas has the beautiful Arkansas River, several lakes and springs, and mile after mile of the rolling Ozarks that are as lush as they are vast. I had only been to Arkansas once before while trying to outrun hurricane Andrew that was tempting New Orleans back in college, but from this perspective – I can definitely see what an unspoiled treasure it is. I do feel the need to make clear that Texas being so huge and the area I was flying over was so limited, that I am in no way trying to make a general indictment on TX as a whole, just a small section that reminded me of what our country values so dearly. (I’m really glad I was getting good mileage today of all days!) Anyway, I can’t describe the feeling of seeing my wife waiting at the airport for me after such a long journey alone. The airport I landed at was to be the new Home of the Goose and it really felt good to be there. I was looking forward to some serious family, relaxation, and catching up.
