Was on 405 headed to LAX airport when I suddenly saw this blimp. I think there are about a dozen of them still in use. I had no idea how huge these are. Check out the size of trucks in front to get an idea about the relative size!

I remember during my citizenship process, I had to list all my foreign trips. The officer had carefully studied the list and against London (UK) wrote 50+ and left it that. Can’t believe a decade has gone by.

When I retired very early this year, the goal I had set was to travel to 12 different countries in 12 months. Looks like I am finishing it in 10 months! I have another 1-2 to go before the year wraps up!!

This runway in San Antonio is laid in such a way that one way is 40 degrees south of east – therefore the number 13 and the reverse way is 40 degrees north of west – thus the number 31. So, the reverse of one direction has the exact reverse number. The only other possibility is if you write a runway direction as “02” instead of “2” (20 degrees east of north). The reverse direction will be actually 20 (20 degrees west of south).

But what is unique about the 13-31 combination is that the square of 13 is 169. And the square of 31 is 961. And they are reverse of each other!!

So one way and the reverse way of this runway has not only reverse numbers, their squares are also reverse numbers!!!

I agree, I really need to get a life 🙂

was probably two and a half decades back. I do not think either of the daughters were born. Loved the La Villita area.

I had rented an intermediate size car. In a new city, it is easier to maneuver on unknown roads with a smaller car. Plus I was going to stay in a downtown hotel. With all the narrow streets and construction going on, it is always a good idea to get something that can turn in tight corners like a small car.

Except, Avis had other ideas for me. The had a shining Nissan Titan ready for me. These puppies are really big and really high. If you know the car I have been driving for the last 17 years, you can fit my car and a half within this truck’s dimensions. And Avis had no other car.

So, for the first time in my life, I drove a pickup truck!! I almost needed a ladder to get up. Although, I have to say – it was filled with all sorts of gadgets that made driving and parking fairly smooth. My current car does not even have a reverse camera!!

As our flight wrapped around San Antonio anticlockwise to approach the airport, I spotted what you see in this picture while looking out of the window. The Delta map showed we were due north west from the city.

At first glance, it looks like a small airport with a single active runway (and a feeder one). Then the details become a little more interesting. There are no buildings around it!! In fact, it appears that there is no concrete or asphalt. It is just cleaned and leveled ground.

First I thought that it might be used for crop dusters. But it seems too long for crop dusters. Plus there is not a single plane standing there. There are no hangars. The airplanes could not have been towed away anywhere since the only connection into the runways are a couple of narrow dirt roads.

Perhaps, an airport under construction? A private airport? But there is absolutely zero construction machinery around.

An abandoned effort to build an airport?

Would anybody know or venture to guess?