My Flight to the East on July 22, 2008

Flying above the central portion of the United States and the Mid-west seems like endless miles of crops, outlined by roads, creating a checkerboard of squares. Every so often a town will appear but they are sparsely scattered.

It’s amazing to me how inhabited this region is, as it contrasts with the miles of forests and deserts in the West. Flying over Oregon, Idaho and Utah give you a sense of nothingness as no signs of civilization appear for minutes, if not hours by plane.

Here in the Mid-west, even though towns are scattered, the mark of the human hand can be seen from above in the never-ending squares.

Where are we? I may not know what state we’re flying over at the moment but I’m sure we are over the Mid-west. Gone are the acres of wilderness and uninhabited land. Throughout Utah and our journey east, I was able to follow the interstate headed east. It seemed our flight plan followed the same direction as the road below.

Now, I see a myriad of roads, both paved and not. They intersect at towns, boarder farms and indicate important places.

Thunderheads tower massively above the cloud layer, as fluffy cottonball clouds float below. I wonder what it looks like fro below, as the land lay dark in its shadow. Is the thunder booming or lightning flashing below? Our captain tells us of several storms over Baltimore, which may cause a bumpy ride.

Now I see hills and treed areas which makes me wonder if we’re near the Appalachians, nearing the east coast. From my previous flights to St. Louis, I can only remember the miles of squares. This hilly landscape is new to me. From the air, this region reminds me of a multitude of golf courses, all lined up; grasslands framed by trees. Roads carve through treed areas and rivers are lined with industry. An interstate appears brightly white, contrasting with its green surroundings. The signs and marks of civilization are still clear.

Yet it makes me happy to see the wind turbines lined up on the hill below. I’m glad to see us harnessing the free and natural power of the wind.

As we begin our initial approach to Baltimore, I see a river curve with S-shapes through the trees. The hills shape waves of trees and slope down, as cities encroach up their sides. Now more cities and suburbs can be seen, with interstates and roads. Baltimore is just ahead and we’ll be on the ground in 15 minutes.

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