Topics Topics Edit Profile Profile Help/Instructions Help Register Register
  Search Last 1|3|7 Days Search Search Tree View Tree View  
John D's Space-a Pages | Misc Space-a Links | Space-A Signup | Military.com | Terminal Map

Typhoon Tom DeMicke's Trip Report Oki...

Pepperd.com » Space-a Trip Reports » Typhoon Tom DeMicke's Trip Report Okinawa - Germany - Okinawa « Previous Next »

Author Message
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

RICHARD GARBE
Member
Username: Garbalu46

Post Number: 23
Registered: 06-2003
Posted From: 24.186.145.64
Posted on Monday, April 26, 2010 - 07:38 pm:   

Would love to go back was there for 18 months 65-67 bet I wouldn't recognize the place used to hang out at Kadena circle.
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Tom DeMicke
Senior Member
Username: Typhoontom

Post Number: 999
Registered: 03-2005
Posted From: 211.121.74.189
Posted on Monday, April 26, 2010 - 06:15 am:   

Lester, Carole, Chuck! Very kind words from you all thank you so much. Lester, that incident you described was far worse than what I experienced. Any type of fire where it's not supposed to be is scary and when it's in the air, that's the worse. Wow!

John: The way the agent at Yokota described it, they require a passport even if originating and terminating without ever leaving the country. According to that message, even if someone lives in the U.S., does not intend to leave the U.S. and flies entirely within the U.S., they would need to present a valid passport.

Sounds a bit strange though I'm not sure if it's being enforced any where. Kadena did not ask for my passport when I flew Kadena to Yokota only so it may only be Yokota. I would recommend every prospective Space "A" travler to get a valid passport just in case.
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Lester Green
Advanced Member
Username: Rtgreen5

Post Number: 304
Registered: 03-2007
Posted From: 69.143.222.224
Posted on Monday, April 26, 2010 - 02:13 am:   

Typhoon Tom: You did better than last year, for sure, when your trip ended in frustration. This year, things worked out nicely for you mainly because you tend to "roll with the punches" in being flexible as the circumstances facing you on this trip changed. Bouncing around from SEATAC to McChord and from Andrews to Dover to McGuire takes a certain amount of effort and decisionmaking in view of the fact that the flights that were posted at these bases might not materialize. But that is the name of the game and you used your instincts to guide you around the world.

Though the mishap that occurred at Elmendorf was serious, I recall being on a flight as a Space A where the engine caught fire and the crew did not see it as quickly as I did. I ran up to the cockpit and told the engineer and he came back with a flashlight to examine the engine as it was a night flight. I was really worried at that point especially since we needed to increase power in this two engine plane to land at the base. The pilot decided not to feather the engine but to reduce the RPM in an attempt to contain the fire in the blown engine cylinderhead. It was an approach that I will never forget as I was imagining that the engine would blow up when we started our approach to land. This was the same plane that I was on when the crew chief didn't check the fuel cover on one of the wingtanks and on takeoff, the AV fuel started pouring out of that tank and we were forced to return to base to remedy the situation. So these things do occur once in a blue moon.

Great report and thanks for relating your experiences to us and faithfully reporting the flights out of Kadena all year long.
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Carole G
Intermediate Member
Username: Greengal

Post Number: 71
Registered: 01-2010
Posted From: 68.205.151.181
Posted on Sunday, April 25, 2010 - 08:20 pm:   

Tom,
Yes, John was retired from the Army and went to Tokyo. That leak scared him to death, he thought it was the end of the road.
Glad it all turned out for the better.
Carole
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Chuck D
Senior Member
Username: Chuck_d_in_co

Post Number: 619
Registered: 10-2007
Posted From: 70.58.17.23
Posted on Sunday, April 25, 2010 - 06:46 pm:   

Tom,
I've hardly seen a trip report to rival yours.

I spent '61-63 flying the Taiwan Straits out of Naha and have often wanted to return to see how things have changed. I used to live just off the approach end of RWY 6 at Futenma in a house of reinforced concrete block with a flat-poured cement roof and shuttered windows. The address at that time was N-4 Bayview, probably different now if it still exists. It withstood at least 130 mph winds no problem.

Thanks again for the trip report and if I ever get off my duff and return to Okinawa, I'll look you up.
Regards,
Chuck D in CO
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

John D.
Moderator
Username: John_d

Post Number: 4355
Registered: 06-2003
Posted From: 95.208.80.143
Posted on Sunday, April 25, 2010 - 08:47 am:   

Tom, thanks for sharing and I loved the seat you had for the Andrews-Dover portion!!

Regarding the requirement for Pax departing Yokota present a valid passport. The message doesn't appear to specify Yokota so I would presume the requirement applies to non-Active Duty Pax traveling to/from Overseas areas (even within an overseas area)?
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Tom DeMicke
Senior Member
Username: Typhoontom

Post Number: 997
Registered: 03-2005
Posted From: 211.121.74.189
Posted on Sunday, April 25, 2010 - 07:38 am:   

Hi Carole! Tell John I said HI. Is it the John that is retired from the Army who went to Tokyo?
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Carole G
Intermediate Member
Username: Greengal

Post Number: 70
Registered: 01-2010
Posted From: 68.205.151.181
Posted on Sunday, April 25, 2010 - 01:40 am:   

We were on a flight from Travis to Norfolk with a guy named John who was on the same plane with the hydraulic leak. He said it was really scary especially after the crew looked worried.
Glad you had a great trip.

Carole
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

steve mccoy
Member
Username: Nuhusker

Post Number: 46
Registered: 04-2009
Posted From: 173.27.221.113
Posted on Sunday, April 25, 2010 - 01:03 am:   

Great report, Tom. Really enjoyed it.
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Tom DeMicke
Senior Member
Username: Typhoontom

Post Number: 996
Registered: 03-2005
Posted From: 211.121.74.189
Posted on Saturday, April 24, 2010 - 08:59 pm:   

Thanks everyone for the kind words. So that's what that was...a hydraulic coupling. Hmmmm...yes, I won't sit back there anymore, that's for sure!
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Bob Dart
Senior Member
Username: Bobdart

Post Number: 1496
Registered: 06-2005
Posted From: 209.168.248.49
Posted on Saturday, April 24, 2010 - 01:28 pm:   

Really enjoyed reading your report Tom. Too bad we weren't able to hook up as we both heading out.
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Denny Knott
Senior Member
Username: Degause01

Post Number: 1360
Registered: 07-2005
Posted From: 98.183.26.167
Posted on Saturday, April 24, 2010 - 01:04 pm:   

Better yet, stay away from hydraulic "un"couplings.

Great report Tom.
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Leland
Senior Member
Username: Leland

Post Number: 6143
Registered: 05-2006
Posted From: 98.218.147.237
Posted on Saturday, April 24, 2010 - 11:30 am:   

Hi Tom. Great report. I liked the photos as well. Thanks for taking the time to do it.

And I guess the moral of the story is to stay away from hydraulic couplings.
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Tom DeMicke
Senior Member
Username: Typhoontom

Post Number: 995
Registered: 03-2005
Posted From: 211.121.74.189
Posted on Saturday, April 24, 2010 - 07:34 am:   

Please click on this link and you will be prompted to download my Trip Report. You may be told it could not be scanned for viruses because it is too large, please don't worry about that for now, just click on "download anyway" and then you can scan in on your machine if you still feel uncomfortable. Thanks so much!

https://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0B0O_Fwdu3ELfODBiYzViNzEtZGZmNi00YTliLThkNmM tNGM0MmZhMTgxZDEz&hl=en

Add Your Message Here
Post:
Username: Posting Information:
This is a private posting area. Only registered users and moderators may post messages here.
Password:
Options: Automatically activate URLs in message
Action: