McChord to Hill & return

Author Message   Tom Goins Intermediate Member Username: Rvguy2 Post Number: 84 Registered: 08-2007 Posted From: 173.51.71.46 Posted on Sunday, December 27, 2009 - 06:43 am:    John, your explanation is correct as I understand it. The only thing I have not been able to confirm is "does the ANG shuttle go only on the first weekend of the month or does it do the 1st and third". I personally have only used it on the "1st weekend" of the month.   John R Garrison Senior Member Username: Majorg Post Number: 2221 Registered: 02-2006 Posted From: 79.206.26.161 Posted on Monday, December 21, 2009 - 04:31 am:    Tom: Thanks for the clarification. The way the Pax Reps explained it to me is that there is both a Reserve Shuttle (goes to Hill, Fairchild and McChord) and a ANG "shuttle" that goes to Fairchild and McChord. The ANG "shuttle" is available for SPATs, the Reserve shuttle doesn't shut its engines down, so will only take duty pax. Do I have a correct interpretation now? Happy Travels, John   Tom Goins Intermediate Member Username: Rvguy2 Post Number: 82 Registered: 08-2007 Posted From: 173.51.71.46 Posted on Monday, December 21, 2009 - 03:08 am:    I have taken this same reserve rotator flight a number of times and as a Cat 6 had no trouble getting off at Fairchild. Leaving is a different question but there is an Air Guard rotator KC-135 that leaves Fairchild on reserve weekends early in the afternoon, around 3 pm,to take Air Guard folks back to McChord. They will take Space A's and I have not yet had an issue making that flight.   John R Garrison Senior Member Username: Majorg Post Number: 2206 Registered: 02-2006 Posted From: 79.206.5.247 Posted on Tuesday, December 15, 2009 - 04:21 am:    Bill: Thanks for the clarification. That's exactly what the Pax Reps told me...no SPATS on/off at Fairchild...duty only. Happy travels, John   William Standage Senior Member Username: Charlie13 Post Number: 953 Registered: 07-2004 Posted From: 75.172.93.209 Posted on Monday, December 14, 2009 - 07:30 pm:    John, The Friday route starts at McChord, goes to Hill, then Fairchild and ends up back at McChord. A big round robin. Most of Friday's reservist get on at Hill, and either get off at Fairchild and or McChord. The Sunday route starts at McChord, goes to Fairchild, then Hill and back to McChord. Round robin in reverse. Sunday's flight disembarked about a half dozen space-a folks at Hill, plus about 20 reservist. At Hill, we three pax had and empty plane to ourselves getting back to McChord. The acft was set up for 100 seats with centerline back-to-back seats. The loadmaster said all the Hill bound pax got on at McChord. I believe they do a hot offload/onload (engines running) at Fairchild and I've heard Fairchild won't manifest space-a pax because of this. That being said, I guess it is possible to offload at Fairchild, but getting back on a returning flight might be problematic.   John R Garrison Senior Member Username: Majorg Post Number: 2202 Registered: 02-2006 Posted From: 79.206.5.247 Posted on Monday, December 14, 2009 - 04:49 pm:    Bill: Sorry, just got my answer by rereading your trip report...no Fairchild. Must be that German jetlag kicking in. Happy travels, john   John R Garrison Senior Member Username: Majorg Post Number: 2201 Registered: 02-2006 Posted From: 79.206.5.247 Posted on Monday, December 14, 2009 - 04:46 pm:    Bill: Great report! Thanks for writing it up. Did the Rotator stop at Fairchild, either going or coming? If so, did it allow SpaceA pax to embark/debark? Happy travels, John   William Standage Senior Member Username: Charlie13 Post Number: 952 Registered: 07-2004 Posted From: 75.172.93.209 Posted on Monday, December 14, 2009 - 04:27 pm:    Just completed a quick trip to Utah this weekend on the reserve rotator. I was able to drop off Christmas gifts to my daughter, and family, and I got in a half day of skiing at Alta with two grandkids. Utah was cold, and it snowed a good part of the time I was in Utah. The flight to Hill departed McChord about an hour and half late on Friday due to Mx issues with the C17. Only 5 pax were on the plane to Hill. Three of us returned to McChord on the Sunday evening flight. Flt time to Utah was 1+30, return flt was 1+45. The return flight was on a brand new C17, with only 18 hours total time on the clock. Everything looked and smelled new. McChord had about two inches of snow on the ground when we landed, and the flight line was a sheet of ice. It took forever to taxi into position. The crew reported the pilot had to use every foot of the runway to make the landing. Very smooth. ;-)