After calling from home about flights to Spain from Charleston Air Force Base for two days in a row, we decided to go for it this morning. We got up at 5:30 and drove to Charleston AFB, in the hopes of catching a flight this afternoon. The show time was 1625 (4:25), and we made it to the terminal by 2:30 (plenty of time). After a bit of a snafu (they had “lost” us in the sign-up system, but fortunately we had printed out the e-mail which proved we had signed up back in August), we were signed in.
The plane was a C-5, the largest plane the Air Force flies. It weighs 800,000 pounds and can carry 200,000 pounds. It was enormous! We checked two bags, and were bussed out to the plane. We had to climb one set of stairs to get on the plane, then up a ladder inside the plane to get up to the passenger compartment. There were two large armored trucks in the cargo hold. Upstairs, there were a bunch of seats available and only 6 people who wanted them, so each of us got a whole row to ourselves. The floor was metal, there were no windows (except four portholes), and seat cushions were old and thin. But they furnished blankets and pillows. The plane actually took off at 1800 (6:00). It made an unscheduled stop at Dover, Del AFB to refuel, and then on to Rota! Estimated travel time from here to Dover about 1 hour, and another hour on the ground, then about 8-9 hours to Rota. So we will arrive mid-day tomorrow (since they are 6 hours ahead of us). So far, so good!
In Dover for about 2 hours. Stopped in at the USO and had some cookies while waiting.
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