# Space-A into Hawaii - uncertainty



## RDB (Mar 9, 2010)

Freedom (and anyone knowing),

I'm full of questions.   

How often do Space-A flights leave McChord for Hickam? Or do you have to go out of Travis?

Without knowing which day arrival will be at Hickam...  how do you handle the *starting *bookings for flights, rental cars and lodgings? 

Hopefully Space-A won't get us into Hawaii too late for our booked Kauai resort on March 28.

This is my plan. *Any suggestions are welcome.*
We are going to Kauai first so we will stay one night, at least, at Oahu while making reservations into Barking Sands Cottages on Kauai. If we can *not *get in, we will stay on Oahu and make flight and car rental bookings for Kauai.

By the time we get rental car and groceries and out to BS, we'll be ready to watch a sunset. AH!!!

Are the cottages ever filled up? I can't really book anything until I know when we will arrive.  I'll make a call out there to see what they say.
With Space-A, I see no way of knowing our start time for the cottages or car rental.

For Barking Sands, what all do we need for out there... Everything for "city folk" camping?

Are beach chairs available at the cottages by any chance? How about fire pits? BBQ pits? Do we take firewood? Charcoal?    

I plan to carry my CPAP machine and laptop in our playmate cooler as I figure we'll need one for getting commodities about the island and then to the next island. Does Costco have smaller packaging than they do here in Newport News?

Is there much available at the NEX? I imagine local grocery store prices will be real high?  I read $6 for milk!!!!

Any TUG people heading to Kauai the first of April? 

And finally... Are those feral chickens protected?  :zzz: :annoyed: 

--------

Robert


----------



## DaveNV (Mar 9, 2010)

RDB said:


> And finally... Are those feral chickens protected?




Yes.  And they count every single one of them weekly.  

Dave


----------



## tompalm (Mar 9, 2010)

I did 20 years in the Navy, and then worked for Aloha Airlines for eight years as a pilot.  I am very familiar with both Space A and non rev standby on airlines.  When I was active duty, I used Space A a lot out of Travis and a couple times went to McChord.  Those are both good places to catch a flight, but Travis has a lot more flights to Hickam.  You should start looking at this web site and watching the how often flights depart McChord to Hickam.  I think it is only a few times each week and Travis probably has about 10 flights each week.

http://www.pepperd.com/cgi-bin/spacea/discus.cgi

My two cents is that you can't count on getting on Space A as a retired person on your first try, and you need to depart a few days earlier than you need to be in Hawaii.  Never try to fly Space A during the summer, spring break, Christmas or any other time that school is out.  If you live south of Seattle, I would consider driving to Travis and flying out of there.

The amount of stuff you can take on a flight depends on what type of aircraft you are flying.  The terminal will tell you two suit cases per person that weigh 70 lbs each.  However, if they put you on a smaller plane like a G-4, or C-20 is what the military calls them, you might only be able to take one suitcase that weighs 30 lbs.  Of course, you can always pass on that flight and wait another day for a different flight.  I always travel very light.

I haven't been to the cabins at Barking Sands since 1999.  They had some old ones and new ones at that time and the new ones looked nice.  There is not much there at the base. The exchange is more like a large 7-11 store.  I am sure that they have coolers and beer and anything else that will keep a young sailor happy.  There are a lot of cabins on Oahu at Bellows, Kaneohe, and other places to stay like the Navy Lodge on Ford Island.  Unless you are really set on Kauai, I would check around Oahu before spending the extra money to get over there.

Good luck with your plan.  I normally catch a flight, and when I finally get to my destination, I make hotel arrangements.  When you get to Hickam they have the city bus that comes by the terminal and you can get over to HNL.  It is very close and a taxi would not cost much.  They have a Hertz car rental, but I have found all car rental places close around 5:00 p.m. and difficult to use sometimes.   The base BOQ and lodging on Ford Island allows retirees to stay over night when they have empty rooms.  It is hit and miss.  Sometimes flying Space A and getting stuck a couple extra days will add up and not worth the trouble.  It is really a great deal if you have someone to stay with and pick you up and you have plenty of free time.  When you have to find your own transportation and billeting, it is a gamble.


----------



## thheath (Mar 9, 2010)

*Military Space Available Travel*

It sounds like you're just learning the Space-A ropes.  I would take my time and read up on the subject well before your first adventure.  I've flown Space-A in the past and the key is *flexability*.

Here are a few links with good information, the forum link even includes flight schedules to answer your question about frequency to Hawaii from CA.

http://www.spacea.net/

http://www.pepperd.com/cgi-bin/spacea/discus.cgi

PS:  If you have specific questions after reading up PM me and I'll try to help.


----------



## thheath (Mar 9, 2010)

RDB said:


> Freedom (and anyone knowing),
> 
> I'm full of questions.
> 
> ...



Good luck with your adventure


----------



## RDB (Mar 10, 2010)

thheath said:


> Good luck with your adventure



http://www.spacea.net/

http://www.pepperd.com/cgi-bin/spacea/discus.cgi

Have read a lot and checked schedules for patterns, each day. Out of Andrews seems Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, then Travis 6 to 8 weekly.

I appreciate your great input for BS Cottages. 

Might we look you up on Kauai?

Robert


----------



## thheath (Mar 10, 2010)

RDB said:


> http://www.spacea.net/
> 
> http://www.pepperd.com/cgi-bin/spacea/discus.cgi
> 
> ...



PM when you have firmer plans; we can have drinks at the club.


----------



## Kauai Kid (Mar 12, 2010)

Does my heart good to see you x military guys taking care of each other.

That's what I really like about TUG, it brings out the best in us.

Did you see where this week the Big Shots in DC finally got around to honoring the service to their country that the women pilots, WASPs, did in during WWII--over 60 years ago?  Many of those 80+ yr old women still fit into their uniforms.

I was amazed to read that after their last flight, to just about anywhere in the US, it was up to them to get back home.  No space A for those gals.  Probably had to pay their own way back home.


Sterling


----------



## cgeidl (Mar 12, 2010)

*Space A*

Always a big uncertainty.  

Don't understand why you would want to saty at Barking Sands versus just waiting at great Oahu accommodations at the Hale KOA. A week on Kauai will give you a good tatse of what it has to offer.


----------



## RDB (Mar 12, 2010)

cgeidl said:


> Always a big uncertainty.
> 
> Don't understand why you would want to saty at Barking Sands versus just waiting at great Oahu accommodations at the Hale KOA. A week on Kauai will give you a good tatse of what it has to offer.



Hale KOA is great. Have done that.  We know enough.
I think at Barking Sands we could enjoy for a couple days. Gives us a chance to do that end of Kauai before checking into The Cliffs Club at Princeville. At least we won't wonder what we passed up.

If no cottage is available, we will stay Oahu, frequenting ole places.


----------



## gejone (Mar 14, 2010)

Last year I visited the BS cottages, went by one day and the maintenance guy let us peek in. There are 2 clusters of cottages, almost like small houses, fairly close to each other and right on the beach. With the amount of real estate available I think they could have doubled the distance and it would have been better as they are about 50-60' apart.

The problem with Space A isn't getting there, it's getting back to the mainland. A couple of years ago I called Hickman to see the probably of getting back to the mainland. The problem is a lot of the military traffic is leaving Korea, Japan, Guam and stopping in Hickam before proceeding to the mainland. Most of those flights are full and when they do have empty seats the first priority if the active duty folks. I was a National Guard guy at the time and was a step ahead of the retiree's and the Hickman Space A rep. said good luck on getting a flight. It's not just a matter of a day or so, but possibly week's. If you go to Hawaii Space A and end up buying a one way ticket home you don't save much. I would do a lot of reseach, including calling Hickam to see what the loads are looking like. Some of our retired benefits sound wonderful, but the reality doesn't always match the plan.

I would definitely go to Kauai. One to two days on Oahu are plenty. Pearl Harbor, the Arizonia, Punch Bowl and Diamond Head can be done in 1-2 days. Oahu does not feel like Hawaii, the other islands will give you a much feel as to what Hawaii is like. If you stay at BS, be prepared for a lot of driving as you are a long ways away from about anything. I forgot the prices of the BS cottages, but I think in today's market you could fine a hotel or condo almost as cheap. Pono Kai is an older TS, but clean, friendly, on the beach and a lot more centrally located.

Aloha,


----------



## RDB (Mar 15, 2010)

We are doing it anyway. We have the rest of our lives. If we can't get seats, we'll do whatever when the time comes.  WE have some faith in the system.

BS is about $90 for us. Out at that end of the island, we'll investigate. Have to procure our needs and take them out there when we go.

Robert


----------



## DaveNV (Mar 15, 2010)

RDB said:


> We are doing it anyway. We have the rest of our lives. If we can't get seats, we'll do whatever when the time comes.  WE have some faith in the system.
> 
> BS is about $90 for us. Out at that end of the island, we'll investigate. Have to procure our needs and take them out there when we go.
> 
> Robert



Robert, be sure to post here about how it works for you.  I'm retired Navy, and would like to stay there sometime.

Dave


----------



## thheath (Mar 15, 2010)

As savvy military and retirees know the name of the game with space-a is flexibility.  

I met a retired gentleman in the Dover pax terminal a few years ago and we started talking.  Like me he had signed up for a flight going into Ramstein Germany.  When it was announced that our flight was canceled due to maintenance he calmly looked at the departure monitor and said "Rota Spain never been there" and signed up for that flight.

He explained to me that when he goes to the pax terminal he has an idea where he'd like to travel but no set plans or reservations.  If one door closes he walks through another.  He said that he's had the most wonderful experiences this way.

Someday I hope to be like this guy once I stop being so anal retentive...


----------



## tompalm (Mar 16, 2010)

Check this web site for Kaneohe MCB 

http://www.mcbh.usmc.mil/mcaf/SpaceA_sked.asp

The C40s or 737s come through about once a week and it is almost a sure thing of getting on.  However, they usually go to North Island, or NAS Dallas, and Jacksonville where they are based out of.


----------



## RDB (Mar 31, 2010)

Tried C-17 from Andrews to Travis on Monday and again on Wednesday. 

On Thursday we caught a C-17, an 11-hr flight to Hickam. God knew we really preferred to not sit at Travis awaiting seats to Hickam.

The lodges at Hickam and Pearl were full.   Booked Best Western and a crew member gave us a lift to there.  

We grabbed the hotel shuttle to Hawaiian Air terminal, a hop to LIH, a rental to Barking Sands.  FRIDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHTS!!!!  Two sunsets!!  Weather was ideal.

We had a very nice front-row on the beach cottage.  Wonderful experience.
The NEX had any basics we required.  You are required to clean the place.

The worst part, two days is not enough.


----------



## RDB (Mar 31, 2010)

tompalm said:


> Check this web site for Kaneohe MCB
> 
> http://www.mcbh.usmc.mil/mcaf/SpaceA_sked.asp
> 
> The C40s or 737s come through about once a week and it is almost a sure thing of getting on.  However, they usually go to North Island, or NAS Dallas, and Jacksonville where they are based out of.



Do you have any idea of the weight limit on these aircraft?

We would like to visit our son near Portland.  Do you know the type of aircrift going to McChord or Portland?


----------



## pharmgirl (Mar 31, 2010)

RDB said:


> Tried C-17 from Andrews to Travis on Monday and again on Wednesday.
> 
> On Thursday we caught a C-17, an 11-hr flight to Hickam. God knew we really preferred to not sit at Travis awaiting seats to Hickam.
> 
> ...


----------



## tompalm (Apr 1, 2010)

RDB said:


> Do you have any idea of the weight limit on these aircraft?
> 
> Do you know the type of aircrift going to McChord or Portland?



Weight limit is based on cargo load and winds.  If the aircraft has no cargo and full of passengers, it should not be a problem unless there is a strong head wind.  When going to the east you should always have a tail wind and there should not be a weight limit.  When coming back to Hawaii, or going west, a C-20 = G-4, or C-40 = 737 should be ok out of Travis.  However, up north like Seattle, or down south like San Diego is a further distance to Hawaii and if there are any head winds, you could have a problem.  Normally, there is not much wind during the summer, but during the winter the jet stream is often more than 100 knots and it can be right on the nose when headed back to Hawaii.

Bottom line, there is no way to determine the weight limit until the day of departure.  You just have to pack light when going to Hawaii and you should not have to worried about it going to the mainland, unless they have a lot of heavy cargo.


----------



## tompalm (Apr 1, 2010)

RDB said:


> Do you know the type of aircrift going to McChord or Portland?



McChord use to have a lot of 141s up there. They had active duty and reserves up there the last time I was there.  They probably have C17s now, it should not be a problem with the weight if that is the aircraft you get to fly on.  Check the peppered web site mentioned above everyday for a few weeks or call and listen to the recording and you can get a better idea.


----------

