10/22/09-10/23/09:
Our last full day in China was spent first in the classroom. We had an early start and sat for two lectures in our hotel. The second half of the day was spent wrapping things up. Most were frantically shopping so that gifts could be readied or when we all returned home. Many also realized that the luggage capacity they started the trip with was no longer adequate and needed to buy luggage. Good deals can be had on luggage, so this was not a big deal. Our last night was a free night and many went their separate ways for dinners of choice.
The next mornings started early. We departed Beijing airport at 8:50 AM local after leaving the hotel at 5 AM and flew S then turned ESE with a heading over Seoul Korea and then on to Tokyo Japan. We approached Tokyo Airport from the S. Our flight was at 37000ft with an airspeed of 645 mph and an outside temp of -50 F with a flight time of approximately 2 hrs and 50 min. Our layover in Tokyo was long at 6 hrs. This was spent unfortunately in the airport though there is a good bit to do there.
We departed Tokyo at 6:40 PM local and flew ENE out over the S Pacific and eventually over the N rim of the Mariana Trench. Our flight was at 35,000 ft with an airspeed of 728 mph and an outside temp of -48 F with a flight time of approximately 9 hrs and 20 min. At approximately 7 hrs of flight time we crossed over the international dateline where we stepped back in time 24 hrs. Once arriving back in Dalllas our total travel time was just over 24 hrs. What a day, an what a trip!
Route home
