An Epistemic Journey through the Rio Grande and White Sands. Captain Williams suggested that there would be no cloud between Dallas and San Jose and he was right. He also suggested it was a great day to pick to fly. He was right.
In fact there was pretty much no more - cities, green stuff, water, pylons, humanity or anything else - just desert and mountain - oh and White Sands missile testing base. Which was a large area of white - what looked like sand. Hmm. Thing is - this is where the first Atomic Bomb was detonated on July 16th 1945.
I would love to know where I am at all times when flying. I want to know what I'm looking at. What is that mountain, river, mushroom cloud, highway or open cast mine thing. Whose is that swimming pool and 18 car garage.
I would like Google Earth fitted to my plane. (Not 'my' plane)
Maps are key to everything and especially strategy. So says Sarah Kaplan too - "Cartography - the drawing of maps is key to strategy. It's about dividing stuff up - establishing territories, deciding what's in and what's out." The creation of strategic frameworks - in my world at least - is precisely that and at the same time a very discursive practice.
Our world is all about collaborative endeavour. From 36,000 feet it's truly incredible to see roads and tracks winding or stretching between distant mountains and nearby villages. Over rivers, gorges and vast plains. Who worked that out. Why. Why not! Discursive practice if ever there was - but written on the planet for us all to see.
Getting to stand back far enough to see the pattern though requires Captain Williams. Nice day for flying sir and thank you. Oh and coming into land – that's me.
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