26 August 2005
I have waited 3 days to get out of here. This place is hell. I thank my God in Heaven that I did not get the mission to stay here as this would have surely been “drawing the short straw”. I really appreciate what I have been provided after seeing this. Living in trailers or tents they do have AC but they just do not have it as good as we do. Tried numerous times to schedule a flight, even tried to fly with the Aussie’s but to no avail. (This is the account of the airport on 26 August) Flight was scheduled to leave at 1930 so we had to be at the airport 2 hours early. So here we are sitting in the sunlight waiting. Only 6 people headed back to the CITY. We load the bus and head off down the road to the plane. Upon arrival at the plane the bus driver got out and talked with the crew. They said that the plane was broke and that it would be an” HOUR”. So back to the terminal, more sitting in the sun in the ever popular “hurry up and wait status”. As I sat there I knew the outcome that we would be faced with that evening and even shared it with a couple of other would be passengers. “You do know that we are not flying tonight? Right?”
“You really think so” he said. Yep (I hate being right sometimes and this was one of those times.) Delayed till 1000 delayed till 1100 delay till 345am. “Check in at 1200” So we grabbed a cot and caught a wink or two. I rose at midnight and made the trip back to the counter in the terminal and was finally told “Flight canceled”. I smiled and turned and walked away cursing all the way to the door internally but I had known this all along. After speaking with one of the other passengers we returned to the terminal checked on other flights going to the CITY. “Nothing till Tuesday we were told”. So we scheduled a flight to another location and from there we were hoping to catch a connection. Flight time 1000 am with a report time of two hours prior. So we walked to the mess hall and ate and made it back to the terminal for some much needed rest at around 2 or 3 am. Wake up check in and board the bus. This time we load the plane and wait for take off. Flight time to the alternate destination approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes. Woohoo we are taking off. In-flight the Load masters keeps coming to my side and looking out the window. What’s the deal I wonder? Little did I know that this question would be answered soon enough and much to the dismay of all passengers on-board? Now you might think that the plane is going down or something like that well after 1 hour and 30 minutes we land. We taxi for awhile and then the back door opens to reveal……………..The same damn place we just left from…..I was Steaming mad. Apparently the plane was broke when we took off and I guess they wanted to see if it would fix itself in flight? Heck I don’t know but I do know that we flew over halfway to where we were going and then turned around and headed back………….. Upon arrival at the counter to find out what we were supposed to do “a nice air force lady” (sarcasm) told us not to go to far because if they called to re-board we would have to be ready on a moments notice. By this time I am steamed and told them that I was leaving and going to eat and if the damned plane was gone with I got back then so be it. Wanting to say more but biting my tongue as I am just short of the middle of the totem pole. So I left and grabbed some food and came back and the plane was still there of course and I was full and feeling a bit better. Well this story has been too long already so lets shorten this up by saying the FLIGHT WAS Cancelled.
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