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Published: August 28th 2017
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Air Terminal
The trailers of the temporary passenger terminal. The flight to Rota Sunday was still scheduled, so Saturday after lunch I loaded up my gear and got on the highway. Just over 3 hours later I exited I26 at exit 209a and continued following my printed directions. Although they sent me on a couple of residential streets, I did find the gate to the joint base Charleston. Unfortunately the base map I printed wasn't as accurate. After spending 20 minutes trying to find the air passenger terminal, or someone out and about, I returned to the gate. Even they weren't sure where the temporary terminal was, so I called the base operator and got good directions. They are building a new terminal so the temporary one was in a couple of trailers. I got checked in about 4:30pm for 5:55am flight and went searching for something to do for the 12 hour wait.
The base is good sized but apparently pretty dead at times... like Saturday. I located the bowling alley, the commissary, the gas station slash mini Mart, and the club. Well, that took 30 minutes. I ended having dinner at the club, then went to the bowling alley for a while. It sure is weird
Long-term Parking
Where I left my car. without your own ball and shoes. After a trip to the mini Mart for food to take on the flight, I drove to the long term parking lot to chill. It was almost 11pm, so only 6 hours til checking
I couldn't seem to get comfortable enough to sleep, so I walked around part of the base. I got about 2 hours sleep, repacked stuff I'd taken out of my backpack for pillows and headed back to the terminal. The flight was showing 70 seats, firm, and only 20 or so people were waiting. Apparently I was on top of the category 6 list since I got my ticket right after the last family.
Just after 9am the called us up for security check and after sitting in the waiting room for a bit, thery took us by bus to our waiting C5 and after climbing a very steep ladder to our cabin I grabbed two empty seats and waited to take off. A short time later we were in the air. They handed out meals for those who had paid the $5.50. My box contained 2 pb&j jammies, a can of dr. Pepper, a bottle of water, a bag of chips, and two little pastries.
The flight only lasted 8 hours before we landed in Rota Spain, safe and sound. The pilot must have been very experienced, as our landing was very smooth, especially considering it was a big old C5. Two busses took us to the terminal. Apparently they don't have any customs agents around very often so I will have to return to Rota tomorrow to get my passport stamped. After collecting my bags I grabbed a taxi to the main gate where hopefully my brother-in-law would be waiting for me. I didn't see him and just when I was going to call, my wife called me on regular cell phone (at 2 dollars a minute) to tell me he was waiting at control. Just then I saw a car just outside the gate flash it's lights.
My brother-in-law's wife and my niece and nephew greeted me and headed to Chipiona. I arrived at their house, chatted a bit, called my wife on What's up, took a shower, and hit the hay.
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