Homestead ARB reserve shuttle from CHS

Author Message   william e o'dell Member Username: Expat67 Post Number: 42 Registered: 09-2003 Posted From: 166.204.130.206 Posted on Friday, June 04, 2010 - 11:27 am:    Homestead Pass & ID: 305-224-7058 Homestead Base Operator: 305-224-7000   David Advanced Member Username: Reverie4401 Post Number: 206 Registered: 02-2008 Posted From: 162.39.224.65 Posted on Tuesday, June 01, 2010 - 12:46 am:    Yes, the shuttle runs 4 times a month, two on Friday and two on Sunday. We flew to Homestead about 2 years ago for a weekend. Everyone wanting to go got on (we are Cat VI). We stayed on base at Homestead on Friday night. No problem getting rooms. Enterprise rental car (Homestead office) delivered a rental car for us to Base Ops. We dropped the car off at base ops on Sunday. If you use them, you may want to deliver the car to them during the week and have them drive you on base. We arrived in Homestead around 7PM, and we were late leaving Charleston. I don't think you will be arriving there at mid-night. However, the schedule has changed a bit as I think it stops in Dobbins as well as McDill on the way to Homestead. Call passenger service in Charleston for the schedule. If you live in Charleston, going in person sometimes gets more information and a peak at the advanced schedule. At each base they generally do an engine running on-load/off load, so times are approximate. Leaving Charleston on Friday is best as the planes are generally empty on Friday out bound. Probably true on Sunday, but check again. You may want to consider driving to West Palm as it is only about 9 hour drive from Charleston. As for flying home from Homestead, likely Sunday is a better as the plain empties during the circuit. Also, confirm with passenger service at Homestead where and what time to be available at Homestead. The shuttle is about the only spaceA flights out of Homestead. Bottom line is check with passenger service at the Charleston end. David   walter j wise jr Intermediate Member Username: Waltwise Post Number: 68 Registered: 06-2003 Posted From: 68.219.243.211 Posted on Monday, May 31, 2010 - 08:45 pm:    as a last resort you could perhaps ask the Mp's for a lift to the main gate and meet your son there   steve mccoy Intermediate Member Username: Nuhusker Post Number: 55 Registered: 04-2009 Posted From: 173.27.220.234 Posted on Monday, May 31, 2010 - 04:30 pm:    "I would assume that would be the case at any AF base, not so for other branches of the military." As we've seen from recent posts/threads, not only is there no consistency of base entry requirements between services, but also inconsistency between bases of the same service, and security personnel on the same base. Don't assume anything at Homestead based on what happens somewhere else. Make the phone call.   Carole G Advanced Member Username: Greengal Post Number: 197 Registered: 01-2010 Posted From: 68.205.151.181 Posted on Monday, May 31, 2010 - 12:33 am:    Leroy, You should be able to sign your son on to the base by calling the gate beforehand. Our daughter was picking us up at Travis and she is not associated with the military. We called the gate from billeting at Travis and gave our daughters name to them. When she arrived, they checked her registration , insurance and license. They took her picture and they gave her a pass. I would assume that would be the case at any AF base, not so for other branches of the military. Good luck.   Roger Curry Senior Member Username: Rcurryastro Post Number: 839 Registered: 05-2008 Posted From: 76.123.106.110 Posted on Monday, May 31, 2010 - 12:25 am:    LeRoy, there are 4 per month: 1 each on Reserve Friday's and 1 each on Reserve Sunday's. If you hope for any billeting at Charleston, don't try the Friday flight. Even motels anywhere near the base get full on reserve weekends but hopefully most of the reservists will have cleared out by Sunday afternoon. Good question about getting on base without an ID card. I was just there and would have asked for you if it had been a week ago. Roger in Jacksonville, FL   LeRoy L. Sullivan - Roy The Club Doctor Intermediate Member Username: Rangerroy Post Number: 59 Registered: 09-2006 Posted From: 75.74.211.81 Posted on Sunday, May 30, 2010 - 11:51 pm:    Cherry - Yes I made a "fat finger" error. We (my wife and I) are indeed CAT VI not the reverse. My guess is that the shuttle may not arrive at Homestead until near midnight. My son and I share cars here in FL. One is in my name and one in his. We have base stickers on both. But only I have a current ID card. Each base seems to have different policies that understandably change with current circumstances (especially readiness levels). Since his drive would be around 2 hours one way in the middle of the night we would want to avoid any gate complications. Past experience suggest AMC passenger terminals often become ghost towns late at night I doubt I could find much transprtation assistance then. Thanks for your thoughts - - - Roy   Cherry C. Senior Member Username: Cherry Post Number: 6407 Registered: 06-2003 Posted From: 71.163.18.160 Posted on Sunday, May 30, 2010 - 10:14 pm:    (Roy, since your profile says you are retired, I think you meant to write that you are Cat VI, not IV? That's an easy slip of the fingers to make...) A phone call to Homestead should enable you to establish some rapport with base security and learn if there's some way your non-military son could come on base to get you. Maybe if you give his name, car description, and license plate, could he be cleared?   LeRoy L. Sullivan - Roy The Club Doctor Intermediate Member Username: Rangerroy Post Number: 58 Registered: 09-2006 Posted From: 75.74.211.81 Posted on Sunday, May 30, 2010 - 09:07 pm:    Help on details on the likely CHS to Homestead shuttle schedule for the next 4 months? Understand that their are 2 per month typically leaving Charleston AFB in "early PM". We are a CAT IV SPATS wishing to visit family in the West Palm Beach area due the serious health issues. Questions include: anticipated arrival time, overnight lodging prospects, ability to get a rental car late at night, other possible transportation options towards West Palm Beach (trains, buses, van schuttle etc) and other general transit issues. Could my non military son (no Base sticker) get on base to picks us up?