Military Rotator...

[Guest KoolKat]

How long is the flight from Seattle to Japan?

Will we still go to Hawaii?

I've got a 0430L T/O & a 2115L Landing.

THis part of my trip is tough to figure out my anti-jetlag plan.

Can someone explain how this flight might work out?

Any jet-lag tips are good too. I don't plan on it being too bad, but I want to be up and running the day after I arrive.

BENDY

[Bergman]

IIRC, it's about 10 hours from Seattle to Japan. Of course, if you're going in a herk it'll take 2 weeks at 210 KIAS! :D

The few times I've flown that way commerical, it was a non-stop Seattle-Osaka....so no Hawaii. Out of curiosity, have you looked at a globe lately?!

As for your jet lag...as a general rule, it's easier to go west than east (making your day longer vs. shorter).

[ 01. June 2006, 22:16: Message edited by: Bergman ]

[Guest Hydro130]

Bendy are you going to NRT (straight-up commercial) or DCT YOK (PAT EXP/mil air/contract)?

Hydro

[ 01. June 2006, 22:17: Message edited by: Hydro130 ]

[Guest KoolKat]

Yeah, yeah..but I've only talked to old heads so far.

I kept saying, going to Hawaii is kinda out of the way now days...

The answers they gave me were just more complicating then what I already knew!

~12 hours was what I was thinking before. So, depending on the plane I get it could be less.

I rally only expected a 17 or a 5. I hope it isn't something else!!

F_ck it though, I'll buy a maxim. The 130 has a curtain...I can sleep on a 130. BTDT.

I'm commercial up to Seattle. Then over to the "AMC check-in" desk.

To catch the military rotator, I assume.

BENDY

[ 01. June 2006, 22:21: Message edited by: Bender ]

[Guest Hydro130]

Starve your self of sleep until you get on Japan time. Then crash like a big dog at normal JST sleepy hours.

Rock and Roll.

Hydro

[Guest KoolKat]

Advice noted.

I'll likely nap a few hours, cause I sleep like a big dog already!

Thanks Hydro.

And Berg, damn you...no. I haven't looked at a globe in awhile. When was the last time you looked at one?

OH...the one on your desk...just right there to the right...spin it for me once. :D

BENDY

[ 01. June 2006, 22:32: Message edited by: Bender ]

[LockheedFix]

Bendy, the rotator from Seattle to Yokota is an L1011 (Lockheed's version of the DC-10). It's nice because you don't have to catch the 2-4 hour shuttle from NRT when you get there. It sucks because AMC makes you show up 4 hours early for some reason, and then there are a million screaming babies on the plane.

I wouldn't worry about jetlag, just get there and go to sleep. You have three years to see the damn place.

[Techsan]

I agree with the advice of starving yourself of sleep until you're on normal sleeping hours in Japan. However, if you do catch an hour or two on the slowtater, you won't be hosed altogether. Have a soju or two for me!!

[Guest Hydro130]

a 2115L landing won't get him the Shuttle out of NRT....

Bendy if you are going to NRT at 2115L, then get your sponsor to pick you up, or I can help you with train directions.

If it's a PAT EX DCT to YOK at 2115, then nevermind, billetting is on the base shuttle route.

[Guest KoolKat]

Check back, I have to download e-mailed documents to see where I actually land.

I have 4 3MB files to look at. I can't say until tommorrow. It's gonna take hours to get that crap down on this dial up crap.

I assumed I'm going into YOK, but I'm not positive until I look at what I got.

"a million screaming babies"

Haha...I guess I can test my sleeping skills. Good luck babies! Your gonna need it!

Thanks guys.

I'll post again after I look at the 12MBs worth of crap they emailed me.

BENDY

[LockheedFix]

If you're going through the AMC terminal, then you're on the Freedom Bird (L1011) straight to Yokota.

By the way, your take off and land times don't make sense. 0430L in Seattle is 2030L in Tokyo. That means your flight is either 45 minutes long or 24 hours and 45 minutes long. Either way, you're breaking a couple of the laws of physics there.

[ 02. June 2006, 01:05: Message edited by: herk28 ]

[Champ Kind]

Originally posted by herk28:

That means your flight is either 45 minutes long or 24 hours and 45 minutes long. Either way, you're breaking a couple of the laws of physics there.

Doubt the 45 min time is possible, but maybe for the latter time, they are just planning on taking the scenic route, doing a couple of hours worth of holding, and hitting a tanker a couple of times in there.

EDIT: haha the "slowtator"... I like that

[ 02. June 2006, 01:10: Message edited by: PhlashNU04 ]

[Guest pavesooner]

Bendy, you could have asked to go via cicuritous travel...flown commercial and hung out in Hawaii for a few days. You may have had to pay the diff from the rotator and commercial price. But when I did it a few years back the commercial route thru Hawaii was cheaper thus no cost out of my pocket.

[ 02. June 2006, 01:41: Message edited by: PaveSooner ]

[KennyB]

It was a 9.5 hr flight two weeks ago on the L1011 from Seattle to Yokota.

You'll be at the pax terminal here on base, about a stone's throw from the Q that will be your sleep cave for 3-5 days.

See you when you get here.

[Hacker]

Does anyone have SA on a similar rotator flight to Lakenheath or Mildenhall off the right coast?

[Guest Rainman A-10]

Bender, do you really need this much hand holding to get to your next duty station?

BTW, A1Cs do it every day. Even chicks do it.

C'mon, sack up.

[Guest croftfam]

Originally posted by herk28:

If you're going through the AMC terminal, then you're on the Freedom Bird (L1011) straight to Yokota.

By the way, your take off and land times don't make sense. 0430L in Seattle is 2030L in Tokyo. That means your flight is either 45 minutes long or 24 hours and 45 minutes long. Either way, you're breaking a couple of the laws of physics there.

Are you guys serious? Haven't you ever heard of the International Date Line? You've got the time difference for one, and then upon crossing the date line going to Japan you then lose most of a day of your life. If you leave on 12 June (totally random date) at 0400 then you'll arrive on 13 June at 2045. Only a 10 hour flight, but you lose a lot more than 10 hours on the trip.

[Cooter]

Just did this one about 3 months ago and oh what a trip. My crew got into Seattle at about 0100 and we had to sit and wait to trun in our luggage at 0600. If you do that at least your first in line and don't have to worry about luggage anymore. Once you board it's like shipping cattle. The jet is packed and the screaming babies are awesome. We had folks who had been on a plane starting in Germany. Not the best looking stews I've ever had either. 10.0 hours later we landed at Yokota and that went reasonably fast, about an hour. We then took off for the 2.5 hour flight to Kadena, screaming babies and all. Once we landed we had 2 kids begin to puke so they had a flight doc wiating for us and carted them off to the hospital. As we got to the terminal we were informed we were all quarintined (sp) for possible bird flu. 3.5 hours later we were released because they finally figured out they were probably sick from being on an airplane for 2 days straight. Quite the ordeal let me tell you.

Cooter

[Guest KoolKat]

Originally posted by Rainman:

Bender, do you really need this much hand holding to get to your next duty station?

BTW, A1Cs do it every day. Even chicks do it.

C'mon, sack up.

Ok, fine...I deserved that. Just curious, I have no problem wondering around like Hellen Keller. Works for me surprisingly well.

As for the times not working out, even after the 2 hours of downloading, I have nothing to show for it concerning the rotator flight.

Although, one way from CRP only cost 275 bucks! How about that, I must have misread something.

As far as the times, this conversation confuses the crap out of me. So, I'm just gonna do what I do with everything else that confuses the crap out of me, ignore it until it goes away.

They said show up at the check-in desk by 0215 on the 6th. After that, I'll just follow the rest of the herd.

BENDY

[Guest doctidy]

Late to the fight on this...let me see if I can get you notes from "Fighting Jet-lag 101".

In the mean time, ask the base Aerospace Physiologist for some tips and your local drug dealer (aka Flight Surgeon) for some pharmaceuticals!

[EvilEagle]

Originally posted by Hacker:

Does anyone have SA on a similar rotator flight to Lakenheath or Mildenhall off the right coast?

Yep, standard rotator from Baltimore to Mildenhall. Used to stop at the Lages on the way home, but I've heard they may be cancelling it. It was great if you are into crying babies and dogs! But, it was MUCH less asspain than flying into London -- that is painful!

[Guest croftfam]

Originally posted by Swingin:

Are you guys serious? Haven't you ever heard of the International Date Line? You've got the time difference for one, and then upon crossing the date line going to Japan you then lose most of a day of your life. If you leave on 12 June (totally random date) at 0400 then you'll arrive on 13 June at 2045. Only a 10 hour flight, but you lose a lot more than 10 hours on the trip.

[Guest KoolKat]

"Do me a favor and look up the International Date Line."

So, after indeed looking it up & about an hour of healthy debate over the concept of the International Date Line, I believe I have a good working knowledge of the concept.

Both the concept & the purpose for putting an actual line on a map (although not really necessary.)

1 hour roll for every 15 degrees of longitude = 24 hours, thus a new date when circumnavigating the world + travel time.

That must have really made Magellan scratch his balls the first time someone told him it was Tuesday when he could have swore it was Monday.

"Hey log keeper!!! Get the f_ck over here! WTF are you doing sleeping for a whole f_cking day without writing anything down?!?!?! YOUR FIRED!"

Geography For Kids

BENDY

EDIT: kenblankenship, I'll have to find out on Monday, but I'm almost 100% positive the SATO people meant to tell me the 7th, not the 6th. I'll get ahold of you on Monday & let you know what they say.

[ 02. June 2006, 20:29: Message edited by: Bender ]

[Mambo]

Damn Bendy, just can't leave in peace, can ya'...now you've got the kids all worked up.

[Guest KoolKat]

I guess not, man. I didn't intend to start a 2 page thread, I just wondered how long the flight was, and wanted some jet-lag tips.

Oh well. You know I love a shitstorm. Plus, I ended up learning hellva lot about the IDL.

Thanks guys. :D

They're worked up anyways...It's not my fault. It's you old guys that have to have the fuse lit. The fuses are short, but they don't just light by themselves anymore! ;)

I still have the weekend before I leave for SEA. Supposed to be 6pm from CRP for a 10pm land in SEA. 4 hours to sit in the bar prior to the AMC desk.

Oh wait, you said not to drink. I hate you. :D

BENDY

EDIT: their/they're your/you're..whateva...I know how it's supposed to go.

[ 03. June 2006, 00:26: Message edited by: Bender ]