Wed Sept 7, 2011 : 0800 AFT ("Afghanistan time")
Hello:
I successfully made it to Bagram Airbase in Afghanistan. The good people of United flew me from Pittsburgh > Washington DC Dulles where I had a 7 hour layover. My USCG brother Captain Pat lives nearby and met me at IAD, took me to his home and fed me a delicious porkloin dinner... his thought was "you wont be having pork for awhile!!" Thank you Pat & Carlene & Patrick and you too Fred for your hospitality.
The 2nd portion of the flight would be from Dulles to Dubai UAE, time enroute 12.5 hrs. I had looked at the United route schedule and noted they had drawn their flight path across the Atlantic, across the Azores and across the African plains to Dubai. Instead, actual routing took us across the North Atlantic tracks (NAT tracks), across Ireland, where I waved to my daughter Danalisa and her family, across Europe, thru Turkey, then straight down the Iraq/near Iranian border and into the UAE. I was pretty surprised at this routing, considering the politics, but I guess the world moves on. I arrived ~ 8pm local and was scheduled to depart @ 0615 the next morning, so I didn't have time to explore fascinating Dubai, as did the "Sex in the City" ladies (or so Linda tells me !!). I will schedule myself in the future to overnight there a day or two to check it out.
Onto Afghanistan ..... Breakfast at Dubai Intl was at the Golden Arch Cafe'. Breakfast food isnt served, so I had the classic Big Mac. Due to ISO standardization that Micky D's follows, I've had this Big Mac around the world, and you can always count on it to taste exactly the same. The only odd item on the menu was a Chicken Big Mac.
The flight from Dubai to Afghanistan took us down the Persian Gulf, hooking a left at the Straights of Hormuz, thru the Gulf of Oman and north on the Pakistan / near Iranian border and into Afghani airspace. I can imagine I was on many a US Air Force radar, so I felt perfectly safe.
Afghanistan is a geological fascinating country. High mountain and desert plains with zero habitation reminded me of pictures we receive from the Mars Orbiters. In some places, slim valleys of green appeared in the canyons. Evidence of dried up river flow was everywhere.
Of course, there was time for some meteorology enroute. Beautiful cloud formation formed by orographic lift as the winds blow across and up the mountains and form clouds
The flight took ~ 2 hours and we arrived at Bagram.
Bagram VOR, a radio navigation tool used by aircraft. "BAGRAM V-O-R..."
(you have to be a real nerd to take pictures of VOR's ..... I have several !!)
Once in Afghanistan, paper pushing took about an hour. I found my ride and reported to AAR Airlift HQ
I met several people, got a 20 minute quiktour of where to sleep/eat/pee, and was told to report in this am @ 0900 for my full day indoc. I took a quik stroll around last night, bought my reflective belt (a requirement to walk around at night ... no streetlights) I'll get my 511 Tactical boots today .... great ... the stones are killing my feet. Soon I learn what it is I'm supposed to do daily, where the gym is and the Chapel, so stay tuned.
Hello:
I successfully made it to Bagram Airbase in Afghanistan. The good people of United flew me from Pittsburgh > Washington DC Dulles where I had a 7 hour layover. My USCG brother Captain Pat lives nearby and met me at IAD, took me to his home and fed me a delicious porkloin dinner... his thought was "you wont be having pork for awhile!!" Thank you Pat & Carlene & Patrick and you too Fred for your hospitality.
The 2nd portion of the flight would be from Dulles to Dubai UAE, time enroute 12.5 hrs. I had looked at the United route schedule and noted they had drawn their flight path across the Atlantic, across the Azores and across the African plains to Dubai. Instead, actual routing took us across the North Atlantic tracks (NAT tracks), across Ireland, where I waved to my daughter Danalisa and her family, across Europe, thru Turkey, then straight down the Iraq/near Iranian border and into the UAE. I was pretty surprised at this routing, considering the politics, but I guess the world moves on. I arrived ~ 8pm local and was scheduled to depart @ 0615 the next morning, so I didn't have time to explore fascinating Dubai, as did the "Sex in the City" ladies (or so Linda tells me !!). I will schedule myself in the future to overnight there a day or two to check it out.
Onto Afghanistan ..... Breakfast at Dubai Intl was at the Golden Arch Cafe'. Breakfast food isnt served, so I had the classic Big Mac. Due to ISO standardization that Micky D's follows, I've had this Big Mac around the world, and you can always count on it to taste exactly the same. The only odd item on the menu was a Chicken Big Mac.
Afghanistan is a geological fascinating country. High mountain and desert plains with zero habitation reminded me of pictures we receive from the Mars Orbiters. In some places, slim valleys of green appeared in the canyons. Evidence of dried up river flow was everywhere.
Of course, there was time for some meteorology enroute. Beautiful cloud formation formed by orographic lift as the winds blow across and up the mountains and form clouds
The flight took ~ 2 hours and we arrived at Bagram.
Bagram VOR, a radio navigation tool used by aircraft. "BAGRAM V-O-R..."
(you have to be a real nerd to take pictures of VOR's ..... I have several !!)
Once in Afghanistan, paper pushing took about an hour. I found my ride and reported to AAR Airlift HQ
I met several people, got a 20 minute quiktour of where to sleep/eat/pee, and was told to report in this am @ 0900 for my full day indoc. I took a quik stroll around last night, bought my reflective belt (a requirement to walk around at night ... no streetlights) I'll get my 511 Tactical boots today .... great ... the stones are killing my feet. Soon I learn what it is I'm supposed to do daily, where the gym is and the Chapel, so stay tuned.
wow dad, the geography pictures were very cool! looking forward to reading more :)
ReplyDeleteWOW! soo cool! thanks for the wave!
ReplyDelete