Pittsburgh to St Croix

Author Message   paul dervin Member Username: Paul Post Number: 17 Registered: 06-2003 Posted From: 216.183.185.33 Posted on Tuesday, December 08, 2009 - 07:50 pm:    Pittsburgh   Ivin Robert Dysangco Member Username: Goodspeed721 Post Number: 14 Registered: 10-2007 Posted From: 131.122.47.25 Posted on Monday, December 07, 2009 - 04:12 am:    Did you fly from Pitt or from Charleston?   paul dervin Member Username: Paul Post Number: 16 Registered: 06-2003 Posted From: 216.183.185.33 Posted on Thursday, December 03, 2009 - 06:14 pm:    The telephone number for the Pittsburgh AF Reserve Ops is 412 474-8163   Billy J Billingsley New member Username: Chiefcw3 Post Number: 2 Registered: 12-2009 Posted From: 140.153.203.4 Posted on Wednesday, December 02, 2009 - 04:54 pm:    Thanks John The ANG threw me off, paul refered to it as AF Reserves. Thanks Billy   John D. Moderator Username: John_d Post Number: 3606 Registered: 06-2003 Posted From: 95.208.80.143 Posted on Wednesday, December 02, 2009 - 04:50 pm:    Billy, Look again. It's under "Pennsylvania".   Billy J Billingsley New member Username: Chiefcw3 Post Number: 1 Registered: 12-2009 Posted From: 192.188.205.194 Posted on Wednesday, December 02, 2009 - 04:42 pm:    Paul I looked on John D's CONUS locations and I did not see an Pittsburgh AF reserve space A number to call. Is this in PA? Could you post the number? thanks   Mike Senior Member Username: Immerfertig Post Number: 1705 Registered: 01-2007 Posted From: 75.132.183.184 Posted on Wednesday, December 02, 2009 - 02:22 am:    When I was in St Croix this past January, the FBO was the Carribean Flight Center (CFC). On the day of my departure I had the opportunity to speak with a couple of the folks who worked there. They mentioned that their government contract to continue to be the servicing FBO was up for renewal in a couple months. From Paul's report, it sounds like the CFC contract wasn't renewed and that Bohlke International is now the servicing FBO. If Bohlke is anything like the CFC, I would call/email them prior to going to St Croix. The CFC was able to get some pretty good rates on hotels and car rentals. Maybe Bohlke can do the same? _   paul dervin Member Username: Paul Post Number: 15 Registered: 06-2003 Posted From: 216.183.185.33 Posted on Tuesday, December 01, 2009 - 05:09 pm:    Larry, The Caravelle does offer a gov't rate however I'm not sure of that rate because I got a family discount. Leland, Bohlke International is the contractor FBO for the Air Force. KSYR, The C17 from Charleston provided the flight for the 911th Aero Medical Evacuation Squadron (Pittsburgh Reserve Unit) for Aero Medical Evacuation training.   Larry W. Carnes Senior Member Username: Larry Post Number: 1022 Registered: 06-2003 Posted From: 12.72.126.217 Posted on Tuesday, December 01, 2009 - 01:48 am:    http://www.virginislandscampground.com/ OMG, even the campgrounds down there start at a hundred bucks a night! But it appears you're paying for a cottage rather than a tent space.   KSYR Senior Member Username: Ksyr Post Number: 538 Registered: 06-2003 Posted From: 74.33.225.237 Posted on Monday, November 30, 2009 - 03:33 pm:    "I called Pittsburgh AF Reserves last Wednesday to see if they had any upcoming flights to somewhere warm. They told me they had a flight to St Croix on Friday." IF YOU FLEW WITH PITTSBURGH, HOW DID YOU XFER TO A CHARLSTON C-17?   Jerry Gonya Advanced Member Username: Jgonya Post Number: 359 Registered: 09-2005 Posted From: 65.29.246.135 Posted on Sunday, November 29, 2009 - 11:23 pm:    Larry Here's the campground: http://www.virginislandscampground.com/   Larry W. Carnes Senior Member Username: Larry Post Number: 1019 Registered: 06-2003 Posted From: 12.72.126.83 Posted on Thursday, November 26, 2009 - 07:36 pm:    Looks like the Caravelle's rate is $128 to $145 a night for a single, standard room (depending on season) PLUS another 18% in Gov't and Energy taxes. OUCH! Wonder if the V.I. allows camping on the beach???   Danny Hamilton Senior Member Username: Dannyhamilton Post Number: 519 Registered: 03-2004 Posted From: 68.225.115.15 Posted on Thursday, November 26, 2009 - 05:17 pm:    Paul, your trip report brought back many great memories! While on active duty, I got to visit the US virgin Islands every November from 1978 until 1986. Stayed in the Caravelle Hotel when on St Croix. Does their bar still have a hole in it big enough to lose a small glass? One year, I rented a moped and explored the entire island from Frederickstead to East End and along the north coast rain forest. Great memories, indeed! Thanks, Paul.   Leland Senior Member Username: Leland Post Number: 5384 Registered: 05-2006 Posted From: 68.34.15.249 Posted on Thursday, November 26, 2009 - 11:22 am:    Ooops, my mistake. It looks like the change was in (independent) Samoa, not American Samoa.   Leland Senior Member Username: Leland Post Number: 5383 Registered: 05-2006 Posted From: 68.34.15.249 Posted on Thursday, November 26, 2009 - 11:09 am:    Dino, it was covered in the media; I can't remember which one I saw it on. Google turns up <http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125086852452149513.html> and there are others, indicating that the switch was like Y2K - not the apocalypse that was predicted.   dinotars Senior Member Username: Dinotars Post Number: 6208 Registered: 06-2003 Posted From: 173.169.151.24 Posted on Thursday, November 26, 2009 - 10:27 am:    Leland, What reference are you using?   Leland Senior Member Username: Leland Post Number: 5381 Registered: 05-2006 Posted From: 68.34.15.249 Posted on Thursday, November 26, 2009 - 01:44 am:    Wikipedia is now a little out of date. American Samoa switched to left hand drive about a month ago as a result of importing large quantities of used cars from Oz and NZ.   dinotars Senior Member Username: Dinotars Post Number: 6207 Registered: 06-2003 Posted From: 173.169.151.24 Posted on Thursday, November 26, 2009 - 12:23 am:    Martin, From Wikipedia: The United States Virgin Islands is the only entire U.S. territory with left-hand traffic, which was inherited at the time the U.S. took over the Danish West Indies. Although Denmark drove and drives on the right, the majority of the population of the islands was of British descent, and this may be the reason for the traffic rules.   Leland Senior Member Username: Leland Post Number: 5380 Registered: 05-2006 Posted From: 68.34.15.249 Posted on Wednesday, November 25, 2009 - 11:58 pm:    It's to conform to the British and ex-British islands that are all around them in the Caribbean, including the British Virgin Islands. I don't think any significant numbers were driving motor vehicles in the Danish Virgin Islands when we bought them (1917?).   Martin V Smith Advanced Member Username: Mvsusaf Post Number: 235 Registered: 04-2005 Posted From: 72.76.38.134 Posted on Wednesday, November 25, 2009 - 11:47 pm:    Paul: I have never been there but am curious as to why they drive as in England. We bought the islands from the Danes in 1917 and they sure don't drive as in England. Anyone have any insight on this?   Leland Senior Member Username: Leland Post Number: 5377 Registered: 05-2006 Posted From: 68.34.15.249 Posted on Wednesday, November 25, 2009 - 11:28 pm:    Is Bohlke International now the FBO for the Air Force? That is a change from the last report.   Leland Senior Member Username: Leland Post Number: 5376 Registered: 05-2006 Posted From: 68.34.15.249 Posted on Wednesday, November 25, 2009 - 11:26 pm:    Rates: http://www.hotelcaravelle.com/rates.htm   Larry W. Carnes Senior Member Username: Larry Post Number: 1016 Registered: 06-2003 Posted From: 12.72.125.94 Posted on Wednesday, November 25, 2009 - 11:00 pm:    Good trip report....would have been even better if you'd told us how much the Caravelle Hotel charged per night. The V.I. is one of my must-see locations, too. And like you, I'd prefer to go in wintertime.   paul dervin Member Username: Paul Post Number: 14 Registered: 06-2003 Posted From: 216.183.185.33 Posted on Wednesday, November 25, 2009 - 06:43 pm:    I called Pittsburgh AF Reserves last Wednesday to see if they had any upcoming flights to somewhere warm. They told me they had a flight to St Croix on Friday. Roll call was 0800 for a 1000 departure. Two other category 6 were present at roll call and we all got manifested. The plane left about 1 hour late. A C17 from Charleston took us to St Croix. We were refueled in air. The trip was 4 hours. Bohlke International Airlines is the contractor for military flights. They bried us on our return and provided us with transportation to their terminal and then to the rental car agency at the main terminal. Driving a car in St Croix is the same as driving in England. I stayed at the Caravelle Hotel in Chritansted (downtown area) and the hotel is on the boardwalk. The hotel was very nice, offered a government rate, very friendly staff, had an excellent restaurant (Rum Runners), nice pool, and close to all the nightlife. I took a half-day daytrip to Buck Island which included 1 hour of snorkling and 1 hour at the beach. The walk to the boat was less than 5 minutes from the hotel. There were 2 KC 135's at the terminal. One was going to McGuire and 1 to Lackland. No problems going back to Pittsburgh. The contractor told me they had planes coming and going most weeks which means there are probably alot of space a potential to St Croix.