On 6 Jun 2005 07:27:50 -0700, "Paul kgyy" wrote:

I just returned from an 8-day tour of the midwest. This was a 6-leg
circular route west to Des Moines from Chicago, then up to the Dakotas,
back through Duluth, Green Bay. We mostly flew at 7000 ft. We had
20-30 knot headwinds on 5 of the 6 legs and never once a tailwind.

Wind is not your friend except in the very short term.

Consider the old example taught to students (or should be):

1. 100kt airplane (no wind)
2. 50kt. wind from the west (270)
3. Round trip 400 nm (point A to point B and return)
4. Course from point A to point B is 270

Round trip time with no wind is 4 hours.

With a 50kt headwind the time from point A to point B is 4 hours.
Sure, you've got a tail wind going back, but you will never make up
for the headwind.

Why not? Ginsberg's Theorem, which paraphrases the three fundementals
of thermodynamics. may be a clue.

First Law - You can't win
Second Law - You can't even break even
Third Law - You can't get out of the game

Mike Weller