Clinton, Oklahoma to Santa Rosa, New Mexico

We woke to challenging weather for flying - low clouds, rain and reduced visibility.  The good news was that the weather to the west of Clinton, Oklahoma (where we were headed) was good for flying.  We just needed a break in the weather to take off.  Over breakfast and many leisurely cups of coffee, Bill & Will continually checked to determine if a break in the weather was coming.  Finally, at about 10:15 am, Bill decided the weather was good enough for an IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) take off.  Bill & Will headed to the airport and told me to begin my trek to Santa Rosa, New Mexico.  I really didn't want to leave them as I feared that I'd make it to Santa Rosa and they would be stuck in pea soup.  The below picture shows how poor the visibility was as I entered I-40.  

After driving only 15 minutes west, the clouds broke up and the rain stopped.  Within 30 minutes, the clouds had a much higher ceiling with some blue skies.  

Meanwhile, Bill & Will did some pre-flight planning, filed an IFR flight plan, went out to pre-flight the airplane in the rain, and then departed for Borger, Texas at about 1:00 pm.  They rose to about 8,000 feet and after about 30 minutes of flying, they too broke out of the worst of the weather.  They canceled the IFR flight plan and proceeded visually.  The below picture shows how the clouds were now just scattered.  

While they were flying to Borger, I was traveling through the Texas panhandle.

Just west of Amarillo, I received a text from Bill saying that they had just landed in Borger, Texas (below). 

At Borger, Bill & Will fueled up and stretched their legs.  Then they re-boarded and took off for Santa Rosa.  The picture below shows how the landscape changed almost immediately upon entering New Mexico with scattered mesas across the land.

 And how did I know that I entered New Mexico?

I was surprised when I rolled into Santa Rosa and hadn't received a call from Bill or Will.  They had beaten me to our two previous destinations, I was certain that they'd reach Santa Rosa first as well.  When I arrived at the Santa Rosa Municipal Airport, it was clear that I arrived first.  But more importantly, the airport was uncontrolled and closed up.  So, I waited for them outside the gate and watched the sky in all directions.

I heard them before I saw them.  I wanted so badly to video the landing - I did the best I could "behind bars". 

Maybe tomorrow I'll be able to get a better video of their take off.   

Being pilots, they had the super secret password to open the gate.  😊   I joined them as they tied down N20190, and then as they cleaned up in the airport building (where there were complimentary drinks and snacks).  Oh, and painted on one of the walls, was this cool piece of art/

Again, our hotel cames with points, no fly swatters.  And dinner at the Silver Moon was fantástico!  New taste sensation for the Parks family, posole.  Looks bad....tastes great!

Lesson for today?  The importance of being flexible in a dynamic environment.  Tomorrow's forecast calls for sunnier weather....but we'll stay flexible.  🌞

Ozark, Arkansas to Clinton, Oklahoma

The day began early with breakfast at the local gas station McDonald's followed by some serious flight planning.  The original destination had been Oklahoma City but the weather wasn't cooperating.  Although it was a beautiful day in Ozark to fly, Bill & Will couldn't find a direct path through eastern and central Oklahoma that wasn't hindered by rain or clouds. 

It looked like we were going to spend another day in Ozark, Arkansas to let the large weather mass  over Oklahoma pass.  Then, Bill came up with a creative alternative.  They decided to fly southwest, along the eastern edge of the weather, to Durant, Oklahoma.  This alternative allowed them western (forward) movement and time for some of the weather to pass.  Once in Durant, they could reassess the weather to find a northwest path back up to our rendezvous point, Oklahoma City.  

With the plan set, I drove Will & Bill back to the Ozark Franklin County Airport where they prepared N20190 and departed for Durant.  

Once they were airborne, I left Hillbilly Loop (no kidding) and headed for I-40.  

From I-40, I could see the towering cumulous clouds in the distance.  

It was along the edge of this system that Bill & Will flew to Durant.

After about an hour and 40 minutes of flying, they arrived at the Durant.Regional - Eaker Airport - another uncontrolled facility.

Once landed, Bill & Will took a new look at the weather between Durant and the Oklahoma City area.  There were clouds of various heights, and gaps between the cloud groupings.  So, they decided that flying over the clouds was an option.  They took off and ascended to about 9,000 feet.  What they found was that the cloud scenario was dynamic as the clouds continued to grow as they sometimes do during mid day.  Some of the clouds reaching higher than 12,000 feet.  At this realization, they decided to return to Durant and reassess once again. 

Back in Durant, they reviewed the current weather and realized that the cloud ceiling was now high enough for them to fly a clear path, below the clouds, to Clinton (west of Oklahoma City).  

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After almost 5 hours of flying for the day, they landed in Clinton.  They topped off the plane with fuel and then went to the airport office.  While paying for the fuel, they were informed that they could use the airport's "crew car".  As Elwood said in the Blues Brothers, "It's got a cop motor, a 440-cubic inch plant.  It's got cop tires, cop suspension, cop shocks.  It's a model made before catalytic converters so it'll run good on regular gas."  Needless to say, they took the offer.

Meanwhile, I was hugging Aunt Helen good bye in Oklahoma City.  We had a wonderful lunch together and time passed too quickly.  I had hoped that Bill & Will could have landed in the Oklahoma City area so that we could have visited more.  But that wasn't meant to be.

Our hotel room tonight does not include its own fly swatter, but we are earning points.  😉 

Tomorrow we still have weather concerns.  So, where we'll end up may be the result of another series of creative decisions.  Today was certainly a lesson in how to adjust to a dynamically changing environment.  A great lesson for life in general.  🌝