SAM 780 (B737) non-stop from Stockton, CA to DC (?) Swung out over the Gulf to meet up with a KC-35 (now on ground). Thirty thousand + feet and the fastest (military) thing in the sky ATM.
>>12950645 (PB)
I'm what's known as a curable optimist. Right now, I sense only a SLIGHT lessening of the pressure. Food. Weather. Mask and vaccine uncertainty. A despicable pustulent body politic, particularly in DC. Last week I was treated to "corporate policy is law" at WalMarts. Since when did store policy trump the Constitution? All these things combine to a continuing sense of profound caution.
Look at Windy.com and it will make sense. There seems to have been an issue with getting refueled. The tanker was on the ground very shortly after the cap I posted earlier. I'm guessing that he intended to land in NO but was told to keep chugging, so dropped south to meet the tanker. But - just a guess.
My guess would be that he was being careful about icing.
The destination was a guess based on altitude and speed.
Look at the weather pattern in windy.com. Click on temperature. He was flying around the cold. Otherwise, the pattern makes NO sense to now be jogging north. It would save much time and fuel to just fly directly from west coast to east, no?