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.  🌝

Millington, Tennessee to Ozark, Arkansas

We began our air & road journey to California by arriving at Millington Airport at 11:45 am Central Time.  Conditions were partly cloudy and light winds - a GREAT day to fly!  Below is a picture of Bill & Will standing with N20190 definitely looking excited.

I had to leave them to their flight planning as I had to start my drive to Arkansas.  But according to Bill, they were airborne at 12:45 pm.  Our plan was to rendezvous in Clarksville, Arkansas.  I knew the trip was real for me when I came to the large Welcome to Arkansas sign midway across the Mississippi Bridge (affectionately referred to as the Dolly Parton Bridge by locals).  As you can see by the below picture, the rest of America was done driving after the Labor Day weekend hauls.  The roads were wide open.

While I was driving through the Arkansas delta, Bill and Will diverted from I-40 and veered north to check out Heber Springs Lake.  What would have taken me 2 1/2 hours to drive, only took them just over an hour flight.  Below is a shot they took of the lake.

As I was rolling through the east side of Little Rock, I received a call from Will.  Rendezvous plans had changed to Ozark, Arkansas (25 minutes beyond Clarksville - our original destination point).  AND they were already there!  I definitely felt like the tortoise even though this wasn't a race.

Ozark, Arkansas is a small rural town along the Arkansas River.  Settled in 1836, it is one of the oldest towns in Arkansas.  Do you know where the name Ozark came from?  In my mind, I always thought it was a Native American word.  But its not - its from the French words "Aux Arc" - meaning "at the bend".  Learn something new every day.  Both Bill & Will said the approach to the airport provided them with a spectacular view of beautiful countryside.  That's the Arkansas River in the distance.

Bill & Will had waited about an hour and a half for me to arrive at the Ozark Franklin County Airport (an uncontrolled airport).  There were only two tie downs available - one was already being used.  So, they were glad to snag the remaining one and tie N20190 down for the night (plane on the left).

 While Bill & Will had been waiting for their driver to arrive, they had been able to review the local hotels - none of which belong to a chain that offers points.  😏  They selected the Oxford Inn based upon the reviews.  Fortunately, I took their word for it because if I'd read the reviews before checking in, we'd have driven 30 miles to the nearest Hampton Inn.  As it turned out, the rooms were spartan but clean and each was equipped with its own fly swatter.  The really great part was the view from our second floor walkway.  And we couldn't beat the price.

Another selling point was being able to walk to a delicious Mexican fare dinner which sported some pretty nice Razorback art at the entry.

After dinner, Bill & I walked down to the river bluff, through an old cemetery.  It is easy to understand why Arkansas is referred to as the Natural State.

Tomorrow, God willing, we will cross another state line into my birth state of Oklahoma!  We plan to leave the hotel and untie N20190 around 7 am.  Here's to having another safe trip!