Eastern NC to Steamboat Springs Co. ...

Author Message   xLoadmaster,M.Lewis Intermediate Member Username: Cblmelga Post Number: 148 Registered: 10-2008 Posted From: 76.17.91.102 Posted on Saturday, May 08, 2010 - 11:49 am:    Some Navy lodging may be older but not Meridian NAS,Ms. a suite for 45.00   William Dimsdale Member Username: Mebillyd Post Number: 45 Registered: 03-2009 Posted From: 74.196.60.127 Posted on Friday, May 07, 2010 - 07:14 pm:    After a very nice visit with my Son, his wife and my newest grand daughter, Roxy, I decided to drive back to Peterson AFB on Saturday to catch a Sunday C-130 from Scott AFB. I had wanted to visit Scott and Andrews on this trip as they are the most active source of flights to Peterson. Arrived back at Peterson around 1600 and checked into a nice suite with a combination sitting room, dining room and kitchen and a bedroom & bath. One word of caution at Peterson, they give you real dishes and glasses but if you leave them in the sink they charge you a $25.00 cleaning charge. So either wash them or put them in the dishwasher if one is provided. Because the Pax terminal is closed on weekends I stopped by the Ops office. This is actually at the other end of the Pax terminal building. It was manned by a couple of very helpful enlisted persons. I felt better about the situation as I had called Ops on Friday when I could not get an answer from the Pax reps. I went away from that call feeling as if I was not welcome, at all in or near Ops. The phone was answered by a civilian who apparently does not work weekends. When the Pax terminal is open there are signs stating that Ops is restricted to authorized personnel only. I do not know the source of the signs. Sunday morning I proceeded to the Ops office and was warmly welcomed by a second set of enlisted personnel who were most helpful in tracking incoming aircraft. We discovered that two Navy C-9s were to arrive that day. One from Whidbey Island and one from Oceana. By checking around I thought the Whidbey Island C-9 was going on that day to Moline Ill and then returning to Whidbey. We also found out later the Oceana C-9 was returning to Oceana via Moline and another Air Craft was supposedly picking up people at Moline and returning to Andrews. So plan B became take the Whidbey C-9 to Moline overnight on the economy and catch the Andrews aircraft the next day. This became important later in the day. Around 1400 the Ops staff told me the C-130 had left Biggs and was in route to Peterson. About 1500 they told me the C-30 had diverted to Albuquerque, NM. We later found out it was an oil leak and was not going to get repaired soon. This is apparently a weekly medivac flight which I believe makes this route twice a week. By the way I was gathering information from Andrews, Scott, Whidbey Island and Oceana by phone and the Pax reps at Scott are very informative and will look up the answers for you. About 1530 the C-9 from Whidbey arrived and based upon plan B the Ops people arranged a seat for me. When I was waved out to the Aircraft I asked the load master if they were going to Moline. No he told me they were returning to Whidbey Island. Glad I asked! It turns out the C-9 from Oceana as to Ron, then stop at Moline, then drop the passengers at Andrews and return home to Oceana. That became Plan C. Talked with the Load Master and the Pilots and they said they would be departing around 1400 on Monday and it would be ok for me to go along. So back to lodging, only this time I had a newer room called a Chiefs room. Very nice but a bit smaller. No dining table and no dishwasher. These rooms were $ 41.00 and $42.50 respectively. I would have eaten in the Club but it was closed and so was the dining facility, so I continued to subsist on TV type meals purchased at the Commissary and fresh fruit. On Monday the problem was the Pax Reps were back and so was the civilian in Ops who would probably be my best contact with the Flight Crew. When I arrived the Pax terminal was locked so I walked down the runway side of the building and asked the civilian if it was ok to hang out until the Pax terminal opened. It was ok, so I stayed there for about 30 minutes. When the Pax terminal opened it was manned by two junior enlisted who knew nothing about the C-9 as it was some kind of designated mission. I asked them to coordinate with Ops which they did, but until around 1300 nothing was known by me or the Pax reps. This was scary as Albuquerque said the C-130 ws broke hard and I was not finding additional flights on Tuesday or Wednesday. The Pax Terminal at Peterson is a very nice 30 seat area with a large screen TV and a few free books on a shelf. The only problem was it is designed as a holding area for cleared passengers and I was not allowed in there until the aircrew arrived and confirmed that they would take me and my baggage was scanned as was I. There are about 12 chairs in the hallway outside the holding area for passengers to wait in. Not uncomfortable but the waiting room sure looked good after a couple of hours in the hall. When the aircrew arrived and approved my ride I was scanned and loaded on the Aircraft and around 1430 we were off to Moline, then Andrews and landed at Oceana around 2200. The Load Master arranged for the duty driver to take me to on base Lodging and then to my room, which was located a couple of long dark blocks away. I really did appreciate this assistance. This room was old, clean but in real need of renovation. The Cost was $57.00, more than any other room on this trip including the Generals House at Peterson. The next morning I rented a Hertz one way to Greenville, NC, near my home for $109.00 and drove home. Lessons: 1. When the Pax reps are closed or when going to a less well served location at lot of calls to Pax reps at locations that might serve your destination are required. And try to keep the info straight so you do not end up at Whidbey Island by mistake. 2. Do not be afraid to ask the Pax Reps questions about the flights including where are they going after the last listed location. Sometimes they can find out. 3. Navy lodging is older and frequently more expensive. See you all on the Pax cruise out of Cape Canaveral.