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Ramstein-Mildenhall-Fairchild

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D.B.M UK
Senior Member
Username: Overlandrover

Post Number: 5545
Registered: 04-2005
Posted From: 88.108.6.156
Posted on Tuesday, January 12, 2010 - 06:21 am:   

John, glad to see you and Becky made it home. I was wondering if you made that flight. Sometimes it is good to have familys competing for seats. (:~#)

Being overloaded with troops made it warmer too. Main thing is you got out.
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John R Garrison
Senior Member
Username: Majorg

Post Number: 2272
Registered: 02-2006
Posted From: 208.81.157.86
Posted on Tuesday, January 12, 2010 - 12:19 am:   

Meanwhile, on the original theme...

The Mildenhall to Fairchild leg was scheduled for Monday (after haunting the terminal for five days). When the bird arrived from down range, it originally indicated no seats (it was loaded with returning maintenance personnel). I discovered thru the Billeting office that three of the maintainers would be staying at MHZ. I ran into the Aircraft Commander (again in the Lodging Office) and he confirmed that he would be opening up three spacea seats for Fairchild. Hooray!!

Arriving at the terminal about an hour before showtime, I noted One Cat IV, Three Cat Vs (one family), and a Cat VI Family of four in addition to Becky and I (Cat VIs). All vying for three seats. The first seat was taken by the Cat IV, leaving two seats...Becky and I were the only ones able to take advantage of those seats! (The others decided to travel to Dover and Grand Forks, respectively and were successful in getting those flights).

We boarderd the aircraft...very tight quarters with 27 maintainers plus equipment, a second crew and the three SPATS. 10 and 1/2 hours later we arrived at Fairchild, retrieved the car from long term car lot, gave our fellow spat a ride to the Spokane Intl Airport and drove home. BTW, this KC-135 was the warmest ride I've had (in 20 plus KC-135 rides)...very welcome since we had to sit up the entire trip.

A great trip...will be very sad to see the "regular" Fairchild to Mildenhall, Mildenhall to Fairchild route go away late this year.

Happy travels, John
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Gene Williams
Advanced Member
Username: Gene_w

Post Number: 293
Registered: 06-2003
Posted From: 98.230.6.116
Posted on Monday, January 11, 2010 - 01:18 pm:   

Understood.

Me thinks we hijacked this thread.

Apologies.

Gene W.
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D.B.M UK
Senior Member
Username: Overlandrover

Post Number: 5536
Registered: 04-2005
Posted From: 88.108.6.156
Posted on Monday, January 11, 2010 - 01:05 pm:   

Gene, they fax a copy of the information page, IE your picture and when it was issued and where, how long. If you land at Mildenhall, they will meet you at the aircraft, take you to the terminal, then ask you for your passport. Even me living here, I have to do the same. My wife has a British passport, so there is no need, for them to send it, even though they did the last time.

There is no stamp when you leave, unless you go out of a commercial airport. You will get a slip of paper back from Customs that you need to keep with your passport while in the UK.

We flew into Lakenheath last time, the Lakenheath people who met the plane, took us to Mildenhall and more or less, turned us over to the Pax Rep so they could process us.
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Gene Williams
Advanced Member
Username: Gene_w

Post Number: 291
Registered: 06-2003
Posted From: 98.230.6.116
Posted on Monday, January 11, 2010 - 12:14 pm:   

Help me get this straight (I'm a little slow on the up-take sometimes)

Even if one has no plans or intention to leave the confines of RAFB Mildenhall, (other than fly away) upon entry to the UK, at RAFB Mildenhall, one needs to have one's passport stamped, right?

What's the requirement (if any) and procedure (if any) for a passport stamp when one departs RAFB Mildenhall?

Even though it's been written otherwise twice in this thread, I think maybe that a copy of some part of one's passport is "faxed" rather than the whole passport, right? (If they are faxing the whole passport - I'd like to see that machine.)

All this is probably moot for me, since by the next time I go to Mildenhall the procedure probably will have changed again.

Gene W.
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D.B.M UK
Senior Member
Username: Overlandrover

Post Number: 5535
Registered: 04-2005
Posted From: 88.108.6.156
Posted on Monday, January 11, 2010 - 11:58 am:   

Gene, as Bill said the people who did stamp the passports no longer are there. Think it was when the Pat Exp stopped coming into Mildenhall. Slight correction though, I believe the passports are faxed to Harwich, but still takes time, depends on time of day etc.
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william brown
Senior Member
Username: Brown9bill

Post Number: 528
Registered: 12-2006
Posted From: 108.0.100.243
Posted on Monday, January 11, 2010 - 09:51 am:   

Gene: Until about two years ago there were custom personnel assigned/working at the Mildenhall terminal and stamping incoming PAXs passports at Mildenhall. When those custom personnel was removed, the Mildenhall terminal folks have to fax the passports to the custom folks in London and they will stamp the fax passport info and fax back to the Mildenhall terminal folks who provide the info to the PAXs whick authorizes proper entry into England. This system takes between 30 mintues and an hour to complete. Hopefully, this answers your question. Happto Travels.
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Gene Williams
Advanced Member
Username: Gene_w

Post Number: 290
Registered: 06-2003
Posted From: 98.230.6.116
Posted on Monday, January 11, 2010 - 08:56 am:   

John,

I'm curious about your statement: "Passports faxed to customs in London and back."

Would you please explain that in a little more detail?

Thanks,
Gene W.
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Joan
Advanced Member
Username: Joan

Post Number: 275
Registered: 02-2006
Posted From: 70.95.70.201
Posted on Saturday, January 09, 2010 - 04:50 pm:   

good planning!!!!!
Of course there is the other element (luck) but your planning part of it is great/inspiring
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John R Garrison
Senior Member
Username: Majorg

Post Number: 2266
Registered: 02-2006
Posted From: 81.144.189.65
Posted on Friday, January 08, 2010 - 06:56 am:   

Writing this report from the mid-point of my travel and will finish it after arrival in Fairchild.

Had purchased RyanAir 5 Euro tickets in early December for 10 January (Frankfurt-Hahn to Stanstead). Consulted the "crystal ball" to discover the "normal" 11 Jan flight Mildenhall to Fairchild would depart early on the 10th! Had been tracking Ramstein to Mildenhall flights for the past week and realized there was only one...with a show time of 90 minutes hense (on Wed, 6 Jan). Called Mildenhall lodging and secured a room for two Wed thru Sun. We packed, left Baumholder and arrived Ramstein Pax Terminal about 5 min prior to Roll Call. 30 F seats, 9 SPATS.

Processed thru customs, etc ...bus to aircraft. Discovered Hazardous Cargo...crew went the extra mile and got waiver to take pax (really thought we'd be taking the ride back to the terminal!).

Plane took off about 30 min late and arrived MHZ about 14:30. Passports faxed to customs in London and back. Left terminal about 15:30. PaxReps informed me that Fairchild was now projected for the 11th. Went to Billeting office. Was able to extend thru Monday and get a TLF room in Bldg 105. Actually a 2BR, 3TV, outfitted for six, ensuite W/D. for $2.50 more per night than a standard room! ($41.50/nite).

Base closed Thursday noon for snow. Have enjoyed good meals at Chow Hall (breakfast and dinner open for retirees) each day. Using computers at the terminal (also at the Library and the Bob Hope Community Center).

The story continues....


Happy Travels, John

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