tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post3545598422539842104..comments2024-03-28T08:43:22.385-05:00Comments on Every goddamn day: 03/28/24: South American Diary #5: "The End of the World"—UshuaiaNeil Steinberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11468057838260476480noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-69151800567563490272019-04-13T11:35:58.572-05:002019-04-13T11:35:58.572-05:00I made the flight from Clark AFB in the Philippine...I made the flight from Clark AFB in the Philippines to Travis AFB in California. About 20 hours, trusting my memory, but in a stretch DC-8, World Airways on a military charter. They crammed as many seats as possible, must have been paid by the head, not a problem for the tiny Asians aboard but a nightmare for us full sized Americans. Refueled in Guam and Hawaii, otherwise I was jammed against the window uncomfortably the entire trip, and doubly pleased to be back in the USA. I cannot imagine making that trip in a Navy C-54.JPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08613528527379198505noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-86398731719687915022019-04-12T16:17:41.678-05:002019-04-12T16:17:41.678-05:00Sounds just like the plane we took from San Diego ...Sounds just like the plane we took from San Diego to Danang in 1964 or 5. Took 4 days, including an 8-hour sleep over in Hawaii. Played cards and smoked...a lot, quite a lot. Stopped in Guam and Midway, from one of which we had to take off almost straight up to avoid the goony birds. We returned to the states 6 months later (rotating crews on amphibious craft) on a 727, a much more comfortable ride or sure.<br /><br />Some 50 years later, my daughter's boyfriend took her to Danang and proposed to her there. Who knew the place was romantic.<br /><br />johntatehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10088632798195131329noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-39749537565344970802019-04-12T10:58:16.126-05:002019-04-12T10:58:16.126-05:00Should Neil be sufficiently polylinguist, he might...Should Neil be sufficiently polylinguist, he might have some conversations in Welsh (Cymraeg) traveling in southern Argentina. A Welsh colony was established there in 1865, and there are said to be some 50,000 of their dependents still around.They could maybe get together for a nice hymn sing.<br /><br />Nice to learn about an unvisited part of the world. And interesting to find that unvisited doesn't mean uncivilized.<br /><br />Tom Tomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09641357239788323783noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-48075304871054851792019-04-12T10:21:47.268-05:002019-04-12T10:21:47.268-05:00I doubt the key slot offsets the carbon footprint ...I doubt the key slot offsets the carbon footprint laid down by air travel. Tourists should be forbidden to comment on global warming climate change. FMEhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06829632906445535928noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-55056767597796593992019-04-12T08:38:55.115-05:002019-04-12T08:38:55.115-05:00Fitting to find a DC-3 at the end of civilization...Fitting to find a DC-3 at the end of civilization. For a time in the 90's Vintage Airways flew them between Orlando and Key West. I regret not jumping at the opportunity to fly the iconic aircraft. My first long flight was aboard its' descendant, the DC-4, from Glenview NAS to Fallon, Nevada. Like its Papa it was unpressurized and slow, noisy and cold. Uncomfortable the most fitting adjective for the 11 hour trip, sitting on large steel tool boxes because the web and pipe seats(Think beach chairs, only heavier)were even worse. I realized that these uncomfortable seats were a strong inducement for first time parachutists to overcome their fears, jumping being preferable to the pain. Still, I was excited when the engines roared to life before take-off. Then the pilot asked us all to crowd toward the front as we taxied, I was first into the cockpit, a front row seat. I asked if we had to stand during take-off. He explained that because of the landing gears' configuration, a removable tail strut kept the plane level while loading. As we taxied he wanted as much weight forward as possible, just in case a quick move could upset the delicate balance, causing the aircraft to fall on its' tail. When we lined up on the runway and revved the engines for take-off the propellers biting into the air would keep us on keel and we could return to our seats. We successfully lumbered into the air near the end of the same runway that was the journeys end for wounded Vietnam vets aboard MACV flights bringing them to Chicago VA facilities.JPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08613528527379198505noreply@blogger.com