Whidbey Island SPACE A Flights

[JorgSlice]

I overheard a C.I.C. Officer talking today and was mentioning getting a free flight and proceeded to say "Gotta love the military!" He then mentioned all he had to do was drive down to NAS Whidbey Island and he'd be able to get his free flight to Hawaii for a week because he's an Officer of the Canadian Forces.

I looked at their website and it does mention that Foreign Military can be eligible to sign up for a SPACE A flight, however, I have a hard time believing he can just drive down there and get on a flight and one to Hawaii even.

http://www.cnic.navy.mil/Whidbey/OperationsAndManagement/Operations/AirOperations/Space-AFlights/index.htm

I also have a hard time believing that it's "Free" as he claims.

Is there an SME around that could Verify and Clarify?

 

[Sub_Guy]

Why don't you call the number on the website you provided and ask?

It does list foreign military as eligible.  As for flights to Hawaii, they probably run more frequently than you think, there is a huge military presence on the island of Oahu.

 

[Maxadia]

So it looks like it is basically imilar to the "stand by" flights that I used to take 20 years ago as a university brat....if there's space, you get on the flight, but there might not even be a flight in that 72 hours you're required to wait for if applying in person.

Great for the single guy, possibly, with time to kill.

 

[Blackadder1916]

I overheard a C.I.C. Officer talking today and was mentioning getting a free flight and proceeded to say "Gotta love the military!" He then mentioned all he had to do was drive down to NAS Whidbey Island and he'd be able to get his free flight to Hawaii for a week because he's an Officer of the Canadian Forces.

I looked at their website and it does mention that Foreign Military can be eligible to sign up for a SPACE A flight, however, I have a hard time believing he can just drive down there and get on a flight and one to Hawaii even.

http://www.cnic.navy.mil/Whidbey/OperationsAndManagement/Operations/AirOperations/Space-AFlights/index.htm

I also have a hard time believing that it's "Free" as he claims.

Is there an SME around that could Verify and Clarify?

Did this idiot officer state that he had previously travelled space-a on US military aircraft or did he simply look at that web site (whose abbreviated eligibility list is really only the headings for space-a categories from DOD 4515.13-R) and think that he could get on a plane to Hawaii?  Not only may he have difficulty getting on a flight, but as a foreigner showing up at a secure US military facility without an official purpose, he may have difficulty just getting on the base.

The foreign military that are authorized space-a are:
http://www.amc.af.mil/amctravel/spaceatravelcategories.asp

Foreign exchange service members on permanent duty with the DoD, when in a leave status.

My experiences with space-a travel was over 20 years ago.  They (or at least the installations I travelled through) may have been a little looser in interpreting the regulations back then, but if held to the strict letter of the regulations I should not have been given flights. (I wasn't on "exchange" nor on "permanent" duty during my official stints south of the border.)  My eligibility for space-a was questioned but I was given leeway (usually by a senior officer in charge with a wink and a nod) because I had a "United States Uniformed Services Identification and Privilege Card" or had arrived at the installation on official business as space-r aboard US military aircraft.

 

[Scott]

Walt-ing about air travel? Nice!

 

[JorgSlice]

All he said was "It is free, trust me I know"

I'll leave him to his own devices, he'll make a fool of himself if he tries.

Thank you for the clarification gentlemen, appreciated!

 

[Zoomie]

Without a DOD CAC - he is not even getting on the station.

 

[tomahawk6]

Space A flights can be accessed from these gateway bases. Space A isnt totally free as there can be fees involved.But its cheaper than commercial. But US carriers offer special military discounts.

http://www.military.com/Travel/Content1/0,,SAF_gateways,00.html